Quotessence
Home / Topics / Allyship Quotes

Allyship Quotes

Browse 42 quotes about Allyship.

Allyship Quotes

“Instead of looking at accommodations as a barrier, an inconvenience, see those shifts and changes as getting one step closer to all the compromises being made every minute of the day by a person with autism.”

DiversityInclusionAutismEquityInclusivityAllyshipAutistic MaskingPerformative AllyshipAutistic BurnoutAutistic Experience
Book:Serving Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Guide for Libraries
Create image

“Ignorance is not bliss. Oblivion is apathetic. Silence is acquiescence. Consciousness is being aware of yourself, your privilege, and the world around you. To be humane is to be a great human being. Your essence is of no more significance than her, him, they, us, and I. Empathy is I hear you; I understand you. Allie is I stand up with you, and I brave with you. Injustice isn’t one’s problem. It’s our problem. Yes, your life does matter. But right now, our life is a threat.”

IgnoranceEmpathyBlack Lives MatterConscious AwarenessInjustice QuotesAllyship
Author:Sherdley S.
Create image

“I want to share the stories of two young men. Their lives were in some ways very similiar, yet in other ways profoundly different. Their journey's explored the nature of justice, courage, and character. And both arrived at moments of devastating tragedy and death. Both men left the safety of their homes, driven by a deep conviction to protect those they believed were in danger. Each took risks, crossing state lines, prepared to confront what they believed were threats to justice. Their actions would ripple outward, touching the lives of many others in ways that would change them forever. One young man armed himself to protect businesses he saw threatened by escalating riots in the wake of a protest. That night, he shot three men, wounding one and killing two others. He was later exonerated of all charges. His name is 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. The other young man chose a different path. He participated in non-violent activism against systemic racism at the height of the Civil Rights movement. He lived with a Black family as a white man—a courageous act in a time and place where such things were almost unheard of. Arrested for his work, he endured a week in brutal jail conditions before being released. Abandoned by authorities, he and his fellow activists were left to find their own way home. As they sought to quench their thirst at a store, a man blocked their entrance. He leveled a shotgun at one oft he young Black woman, and fired. In that instant, this young man did not hesitate to push her out of the way, saving her life but losing his own in the process. He was 26 years old. His name was Jonathan Daniels, an Episcopal seminarian. Today is the feast day to remember and honour the life and sacrifice of Jonathan Daniels. Take some time to reflect on the choices, the work, and the love it took to bring him to that place- a place where, without only a moments thought- gave his life for another. There is no greater love than this.”

LoveJusticeSacrificeSolidarityAdvocacyAllyship
Author:Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Create image

“We all have a sphere of influence. Each of us needs to find our own sources of courage so that we can begin to speak. There are many problems to address, and we cannot avoid them indefinitely. We cannot continue to be silent. We must begin to speak, knowing that words alone are insufficient. But I have seen that meaningful dialogue can lead to effective action. Change is possible.”

Black Lives MatterRace And Racism In AmericaSpeaking OutBlmAnti RacismAllyship
Book:Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Create image

“What if I make a mistake?' you may be thinking. 'Racism is a volatile issue, and I don't want to say or do the wrong thing.' In almost forty years of teaching and leading workshops about racism, I have made many mistakes. I have found that a sincere apology and a genuine desire to learn from one's mistakes is usually rewarded with forgiveness. If we wait for perfection, we will never break the silence. The cycle of racism will continue uninterrupted.”

RacismBlack Lives MatterRace And Racism In AmericaBlmAllyship
Book:Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Create image

“Many unlearning racism workshops focus on helping white individuals to see that they too are wounded by racism and as a consequence have something to gain from participating in anti-racist struggle. While in some ways true, a construction of political solidarity that is rooted in a narrative of shared victimization not only acts to recenter whites, it risks obscuring the particular ways racist domination impacts on the lives of marginalized groups. Implicit in the assumption that even those who are privileged via racist hierarchy suffer is the notion that it is only when those in power get in touch with how they too are victimized will they rebel against structures of domination. The truth is that many folks benefit greatly from dominating others and are not suffering a wound that is in any way similar to the condition of the exploited and oppressed. Anti-racist work that tries to get these individuals to see themselves as "victimized" by racism in the hopes that this will act as an intervention is a misguided strategy. And indeed we must be willing to acknowledge that individuals of great privilege who are in no way victimized are capable, via their political choices, of working on behalf of the oppressed. Such solidarity does not need to be rooted in shared experience. It can be based on one's political and ethical understanding of racism and one's rejection of domination.”

Anti RacismAllyship
Book:Black Looks: Race and Representation
Create image

“One of the hardest lessons I have learned social justice work is that, even when oppressive systems are confronted and dismantled, those responsible will- more often than not- take hold of the narrative to mitigate responsibility. As a result, the oppressed still tend to bear the brunt of the fallout. And what makes that even harder to process is that many people who would declare themselves "allies to the cause" will passively or actively buy into that false narrative because it is far easier and less costly than to walk in genuine solidarity. I don't say this so that people will feel hopeless about their commitments to justice. Quite the opposite. If you know that this happens, you won't be as crushed when it does.”

JusticeSocial JusticeOppressionSolidarityGaslightingAllyshipTransformative Justice
Author:Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Create image

“White people must show up and be willing to step out of the safe shelter that whiteness and the lack of direct impact can afford them. . . . For white people, in addition to all the reasons described earlier, risking is a form of solidarity.”

PrivilegeSolidaritySystemic RacismAllyshipSystemic Harm
Book:How to Have Antiracist Conversations: Embracing Our Full Humanity to Challenge White Supremacy
Create image

“If you think about how many magical Negro, Native American, or wise Asian mentor tropes you’ve watched in movies over the years, it’s easy to understand why so many white folks have been brainwashed into believing that POC exist to support their growth and evolution. The utter failure to comprehend that gaining respect and validation from white folks is not a ubiquitous goal for folks of color is exhausting.”

RacismWellnessAllyshipDecolonzation
Book:Decolonizing Wellness
Create image

“Performative allyship does not engage on a complex level. It consists of low level, often ill-informed rhetorical statements that are usually obvious to Black and Brown employees and real allies, of the anti racist, racially inclusive agenda. It lacks genuine concern and does little to acknowledge the very behaviours that support structural and process driven racism.”

RacismRacistBlack Lives MatterBlacklivesmatterAnti RacismAllyshipStructural RacismPerformative Ally
Author:Carmen Morris
Create image

“I think we are doing ourselves a disservice when we say, "Everyone should be an ally!" because by giving the impression that it's so easy that everyone can do it, we diminish the role and the power allyship has. I'd rather have fewer people declare their intention to be an ally if those who did actually did the work required and did it right.”

Allyship
Book:What Do You Need?: How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success
Create image

“If you are a part of a conversation in which your colleagues of color are being othered, it's incumbent upon you to speak up. Be the person to say, "This is not right" or "It's time that you learn her name", or "She actually doesn't look anything like the other woman you are confusing with her, except for the fact that they are both Asian".”

Allyship
Book:What Do You Need?: How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success
Create image

“In its simplest terms, allyship is about mentorship or sponsorship across race lines. It's about creating opportunities for colleagues of color that can help them advance in their careers. Think promotions, attendance at conferences, nominations for awards or speaker-positions, inclusion on high profile committees, teaching your young colleagues of color the soft skills and rules of the game that they might not have learned otherwise. Ask what they need, share what you can offer, and see what makes the most sense. Don't assume you know what they need, and don't ask for kudos for your behaviour. Contribute to the change and know that the benefits of your efforts will come back to you.”

Allyship
Book:What Do You Need?: How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success
Create image

“Now mainstream feminism has to step up, has to give itself to a place where it spends more time offering resources and less time demanding validation. Being an accomplice means that white feminism will devote its platform and resources to supporting those in marginalized communities doing feminist work.”

SolidarityWhite FeminismAllyshipAllyAccompliceAllyhoodCoalition BuildingWhiteminism
Book:Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot
Create image

“And if we are lucky enough to be in a position of power, if our voice and our actions can mobilize change, don't we have a special obligation? Being an ally can't just be about nodding when someone says something we agree with - important as that is. It must also be about action. It's our job to stand up for those who are not at the table when life-altering decisions are made. Not just those people who look like us. Not just those who need what we need. Not just those who have gained an audience with us. Our duty is to improve the human condition - in every way we can, for everyone who needs it.”

AllyshipAlly
Book:The Truths We Hold: An American Journey
Create image

“You deserve so much more than just to be tolerated. You deserve to be loved for exactly who and what you are right now. This, of course, is a double-edged sword. This also means you must return the favor. Learn more about racism and sexism and ableism, too. You, unfortunately, are probably already well aware of how much homophobia can hurt, inside and out. Learning more about how different kinds of oppression work and where they intersect will help you build better bridges with others and create a safe and respectful...culture for everyone. Bullies are almost always outnumbered by the bullied. We just need to organize.”

LgbtHomophobiaIntersectionalityAllyship
Author:Ivan Coyote
Create image

“Being an ally is just the first step, the simplest one, it is the space wherein the privileged began to accept the flawed dynamics that make for inequality. Being a good ally is not easy, it’s not something you can jump into, though it can feel like you’re a know it all superhero. Privilege not only blinds you to oppression it blinds you to your own ignorance even when you notice the oppression. Why is becoming an ally so hard? Even would be allys have an immediate reaction of defensiveness when someone challenges them on their advice, their intentions, their need to be centered. It’s in that precise moment they need to stop, step back, and realize they are still part of the problem. It’s never the privileged outsider who gets to decide when they are a good ally, especially when now they want to use their status as an ally to excuse whatever they have done that has offended someone in the group they claim to be supporting.”

FeminismAllyship
Book:Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot
Create image

“Talking to a university audience recently I expressed my faith in the power of white people to speak out against racism, challenging and changing prejudice--empathetically stating that I definitely believe we can all change our minds and our actions. I stressed that this faith was not rooted in a utopian longing but, rather, that I believed this because of our nation's history of the many individuals who have offered their lives in the service of justice and freedom. When challenged by folks who claimed these individuals were exceptions, I agreed. But I then talked about the necessity of changing our thinking so that we see ourselves as being like the one who does change rather than among those who refuse to change. What made these individuals exceptional was not that they were any smarter or kinder than their neighbors but that they were willing to live the truth of their values.”

LovePoliticsActivismAllyship
Book:All About Love: New Visions
Create image