As more and more people take a serious interest in the progress, improvement, and restructuring of archaic and oppressive social and cultural standards, namely dismantling the systematic workings of racial injustices, they wonder how they can help in a way that is constructive and positive. A growing, prominent number of black people across the world are not only frustrated with the recent American tragedies of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, John Crawford, and Tamir Rice, but they also believe that an overhauling of the present justice system is rightly akin to survival. The #BlackLivesMatter movement, in addition to the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” and “I Can’t Breathe” campaigns, extends far beyond the universe of Twitter; it’s seen support from celebrities, athletes, and international activists. But sometimes good intentions aren’t eloquently articulated; ignorance obstructs the path of clear progress and meaningful collaboration.

Michelle Alexander, author of the phenomenally insightful and painfully relevant book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, dissects the methods that maintain and sustain racism and color-based discrimination. She noted, “Our understanding of racism is therefore shaped by the most extreme expressions of individual bigotry, not by the way in which it functions naturally, almost invisibly (and sometimes with genuinely benign intent), when it is embedded in the structure of a social system.”
In order to be an ally, one must first realize that the current forms of racism have evolved past WHITES ONLY water fountain signs and segregated schools. Questioning the validity of an oppressed person’s experiences is not only counterproductive, but it’s a myopic form of controlling the racial narrative to better fit a more pleasant, polite facade of reality.

As a black woman living in a monolithic pocket of New England, many white people that I encounter are downright flabbergasted and shocked that racism is alive and well in their idyllic corner of suburban complacency. In fact, they initially don’t believe me, refuse to believe that yes, even in 2015, even with the first black man elected into the White House, stereotypes that pre-date the 60s and the Civil Rights Movement have moved through generations with relative ease. If you are attempting to be an ally, it’s important to remember that your voice is not the center of the story. Your privileges may have shielded you from the realities of racism but it does not mean that racism does not exist, nor does it mean that microaggressions do not leave mental, emotional, and psychological scars.

Recently on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart discussed the shooting of Michael Brown and the civil unrest that followed in Ferguson, Missouri. Stewart was quick to mock Fox News’ insistence that the media and public concern should get back to covering “black on black crime” and “what’s happening in Chicago.” Stewart said, “You, being ignorant of those attempts, doesn’t mean the issue itself is being ignored.” After playing a moronic soundbite from political talking head Sean Hannity, who somehow believed that the tragedy of Ferguson could have been averted if only Brown had lifted his shirt to show the gun (that he did not and never had), Stewart flatout addressed the disbelief of the right-wing dissenters: “Do you not understand that life in this country is inherently different for white people and black people?” Stewart’s comments hit at the heart of establishing sincere alliances across ethnic and racial lines. Before a potential ally attempts to get involved, he or she needs to fully understand the issues at hand, including the legacy carved by history.

Franchesca Ramsey, a prominent video blogger and curator for Upworthy, has a concise, informative checklist for allyship. In addition to the aforementioned call for turning conscious and unconscious ignorance into empathy and knowledge, she also listed the following steps:

1. Listen and do your homework
2. Speak up, not over
3. You’ll make mistakes, apologize when you do.
4. Ally is a verb — saying you’re an ally is not enough.

Ramsey’s guidelines can very well be adapted for other aspects of social justice, including religious tolerance. Despite a divide in personal critiques of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, French citizens united to honor the memory of those who were killed in the attack at the publication’s headquarters. Though some argue that Charlie Hebdo often swung from satire into anti-muslim rhetoric, citizens took to the streets of Paris to march for “freedom of the press, democracy, and the Republic.” Notably, the French Council for the Muslim Faith called upon unity rather than separatism. The Council said, “We call the Muslim community to exercise the utmost vigilance against possible manipulations from groups referred to as extremists of any kind.” The Council’s official statement can be considered necessary, not a form of “damage control,” but rather a reminder that a select few people who chose violence do not represent the Muslim community as a whole.

The Huffington Post reported that “in countries including Mali, Pakistan, Lebanon and Somalia — there were at least 12 other terrorist attacks that week. “These atrocities received far less attention, though they left at least 85 people dead and about 186 wounded.” What does it mean to be an ally in the age of instant gratification? Representative Karen Bass, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, pointed out that, “In the United States we really don’t pay much attention to the rest of the world period, but we identify more with Europe…We have a much lower expectation on parts of the world that are not as economically developed.” The reign of terror induced by Boko Haram in Nigeria is still happening, despite a waning in public attention.

This brings me to Ramsey’s last step in being an ally: saying you’re an ally is not enough. We can verbally condemn horrors such as police brutality, institutional racism, and international acts of terrorism but outrage burns out quickly if not channeled into action. However, never underestimate the power of social media.Twitter has allowed activists to connect and launch campaigns on a wider scale than before, whether that be through the organization of protests, “die-ins,” and/or marches.
Despite the atrocities that occur on the national and international scale, there is a growing, grassroots movement to combat these fatal inequalities. Being an ally doesn’t have to be complicated, though such solidarity cannot thrive without patience, respect, and human decency. When considering allyship, it should not be viewed as a form of self-fulfillment or feel-good charity, but necessary to the safety and survival of all human beings.