Mistakes White Allies Make
Am I a Bad White Ally?
As White folks, we like to think about what Robin DiAngelo, in "White Fragility" describes as the "racist=bad binary." Essentially, we like to believe that there are good, not racist people and then there are bad, racist people. There is no room for in-between, and not-racist is the end of the spectrum instead of actively anti-racist.
Unfortunately, that in-between space is where many of us fall a lot of the time. Moreover, as Ibram X. Kendi points out in "How to Be Antiracist," most people are not flat-out racist or anti-racist, each of their actions fall within one of those categories. We all exist on a spectrum and our place on it fluctuates from day-to-day, moment-to-moment. In "Race Talks and the Conspiracy of Silence," Derald Wing Sue explores that spectrum for White Folks specifically, explaining how anti-racist awareness develops in phases. If you find the below information helpful, this text is a helpful companion to this post.
As we take that journey, though, we are going to make mistakes. I cannot tell you it is okay you make these mistakes; they are harmful. But I can tell you that you can come back from and correct mistakes. The most important part is that you view yourself critically, honestly, and practice genuine reflection consistently. You must be ready to own your mistakes, apologize for them, and improve.
Below I will describe a variety of mistakes White people make when trying to become anti-racist and attempting to practice allyship. Know that I have been each of these white people at some point in my life, and that I occasionally dip back into these behaviors if I'm not being reflective enough. Also know that after over a decade of this work on myself, it is still work, and it will always be work. What matters is that we do the work.
The White Ally Spectrum
The Devil's Advocate
The Guilt Tripper
The Field Researcher
The Optical Ally
The White Savior
The "Good" White Person
So How Can You Be a Real Ally?
Read more here:
https://sites.google.com/view/antiracismeveryday/mistakes-white-allies-make