How to move beyond performative allyship
Tuesday, March 16th, Americans witnessed (once more) how dangerous the United States is for people of color. The media hesitated to call Tuesday’s violent attack against the Asian community a hate crime; but it’s important to NAME the thing. For years (decades for those paying attention), the Asian community said repeatedly, “it’s not safe to be us.” Over the last year, the community spoke out about increased violence due to COVID-related xenophobia (CNN.com).
But Tuesday’s massacre finally grabbed national attention (\s) which in itself feels like a kind of violence — a mass shooting is the evidence we need? Yuck. But here we are. Black and brown folx land somewhere between triggered and empathetic by this shared experience… and the familiar response.
Hash tags. Reposts. Company messaging. Proclamations of allyship.
But casually using real movements as a trend causes harm. There are countless resources outlining the dangers of performative allyship, so consider this a reminder: the real work is to dismantle racism and white supremacy, and entering this conversation should be done with intention and integrity.
But doesn’t every little bit help? If it’s thoughtless, NO — just like not every hug is a welcome touch, and “thoughts and prayers” don’t actually soothe anyone in the aftermath of a school shooting. Besides triggering affected communities, performative allyship is destructive because it desensitizes people from the real work that needs to be done. Last year, Carmen Morris explained to us in Forbes:
Performative allyship has a disturbing influence, which stifles progress and has the detrimental effect of suppressing attempts to foster genuinely inclusive workplace environments.
Education is your first act.
If you want to help but are unsure what to do, have never contemplated what dismantling racism entails, are learning about anti-racism, or never contemplated your role in xenophobia, it’s time to fill your knowledge gaps. Learn about the experiences of Asian-identifying friends, family, colleagues, leaders, teachers, and community members. Get closer by reading, follow reputable community voices, listen to folx who offer to share their experience, and do your own research. Look up new words/phrases instead of relying on someone from the community to explain everything to you (use search engines). Research “how to interrupt bias and microaggressions” to enable you in real life, like at the supermarket. Be a proactive learner while educating yourself, which means you do not place the burden on the community to educate or comfort you.
Learn from what the community is studying.
Study what trusted voices in the community are studying. Listen to conversations happening within the community without chiming in. Find news articles and use Wikipedia instead of asking community members what happened. And since no community is a monolith, be open by listening to different perspectives. Avoid judging any POV while building your own awareness. If there’s someone from the community you admire, follow their online presence. If there are people you have existing, authentic relationships with, you may mention that you appreciate the connection that you have… and it’s fine to leave it at that. But caveat: turning relationships into research could end them.
When you’re ready to act.
Begin with small, intentional, and consistent behaviors. Amplify voices from within the community instead of your own, and remove your logo/social handle (no co-branding). Speak up in your own spheres of influence, beginning with your family, friends, and community. It’s cool to send an, “I see you” message to folks who are in your every day, or who inspire you. But beware: if you’ve treated someone poorly in the past, reaching out to “check in” may have the opposite impact you intend. Lastly, spend your privilege. Literally. Donate to causes that support the community and financially appreciate community activists (CashApp works great).
Your goal is not to be perfect, it’s to be effective. In the best case, you are contributing to a meaningful legacy seeking to dismantle white supremacy and uplift those who it marginalizes. Authentic allyship seeks to make impact — not to be seen. So hashtag or not, remember that when you speak up, it’s equally important — if not more — to step up.
For leaders and organizations.
If you are a people-leader, leader of an organization, or a governing body, it’s important to clearly state where you stand by leveraging your existing values as proof of your commitment. In this case, how do you stand with the Asian community and how does this reflect your existing values? If you don’t have existing values that reflect equity, be honest about it — making the first people you address your own team and employees. External messages are important, but if they are not part of your culture — it’s theater. To embrace anti-racism and social change, you need more than a hashtag or the “start small” steps. You will need organizational culture transformation (Resources if this is you: HBR | Thrive Global).
If these steps work for you, I’m happy. But you may find entirely different ways to learn, listen & amplify, and act. I hope you stay focused, consistent and genuine. This is a marathon…
Reading associated with this post:
- Anti-Asian Violence Resources
- Performative Allyship: What Are The Signs And Why Leaders Get Exposed (Forbes)
- What Is Performative Allyship? Examples & Alternatives (ELLE Australia)
- What Are the Dangers of Performative Allyship? (Reference.com)
- Back to Basics: the dangers of performative allyship (Tell Jane)
- The Dangers of Performative Activism (VOX ATL)
- Performative Allyship Is Deadly (And What to Do Instead) | Forge (Medium.com)
- (1) Promises, Promises: 7 Risks of Performative Brand Allyship (LinkedIn.com)
Many thanks to the editors and DEI practitioners who contributed to this piece.
