4 ways to practice allyship at work

Huge thanks to my colleagues Brooke Barber, Wayne Joe, and Arinze Okonkwo for leading a discussion yesterday on diversity and inclusion as we find ourselves at a vital moment in the history of human rights. The killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police officers, as well as the initial law enforcement inaction with respect to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery reflect deep racial injustice in our institutions. Similar incidents in recent years--in Ferguson and Baltimore among many more--received widespread attention, but this time the collective push for change is stronger. The reality is that it took centuries for the global institutions of white supremacy to take root, so it will take a long time for them to unravel. But at this moment, I feel a greater sense of urgency than ever from white people to embrace allyship and take action against anti-Black racial injustice. In spite of these good intentions, many are struggling with how to take action. I am struggling with this myself.

Allyship can be practiced in all aspects of life. There are many great resources you can learn from to practice anti-racism in your social and personal life. For this post, I am just going to focus on the workplace. White supremacy is embedded--consciously or unconsciously--in work environments too. This certainly applies to the tech field. To change that, everyone needs to take action. In my opinion, those benefiting from privilege bear more responsibility to push for change than those suffering from ingrained discrimination. As of this moment, here are some ways that I am going to try to practice allyship in my professional life. I am sharing them in case they can serve as suggestions for others who want to help…

#1 Acknowledge white privilege

There are many great resources and analogies that explain the reality of white privilege in our society. I don’t need to repeat them here. The problem is that many white people can intellectually understand the concept of white privilege, but have a harder time acknowledging the ways they have benefited and continue to benefit from it. I think that accepting and understanding the power of that privilege can be an important step in helping out. This applies to the business world as much as to the rest of society.

#2 Commit to change

Breaking down established institutions is a marathon, not a sprint. It will not be enough to speak now and then retreat when the spotlight dims. As was pointed out in the discussion today, it’s easy to condemn blatant acts of racism and hate speech. It is much harder to address the systemic issues that those of us in privileged positions persist on a daily basis. If you are involved in hiring and promotions, commit to diversifying your interview panels and broadening your search beyond your personal network. Work to get to know all of your colleagues on a personal level, not just the ones with whom you feel a potentially bias-fueled rapport. In the technology industry, recognize that diversity is an inevitability and a strength, and that providing an inclusive environment leads to better outcomes, both socially and economically. This positive transformation could very well take longer than your career, so be ready to continually do your part.

#3 Speak up and learn

For those in a privileged position, it can be comfortable to sit back and let others do the talking. To retweet messages and share posts. An important part of allyship is elevating voices (see #4 below), but that shouldn’t be a substitute for making your own statements. In addition to reinforcing positive messages, your own statements get your skin in the game (part of the commitment in #2 above) and will also help you learn. Those of us who have benefitted from a life of white privilege have built up some significant biases and areas of ignorance. Speaking out can publicly expose those in a constructive way. Don’t be afraid to speak up and make a mistake. If someone calls you on your biases or ignorance, don’t be defensive. Listen to them and learn. I have no doubt that I’m exposing some of my own unknown unknowns in this post.

#4 Lend privilege

The way privilege works, it is not easily lost. With that in mind, see how you can use your own privilege to help others in underrepresented groups. Don’t be protective. Anjuan Simmons recently gave a phenomenal talk on lending privilege at the You Got This conference. Check it out here: https://yougotthis.io/talks/lending-privilege/. Anjuan gives practical tips on credibility lending, access lending, and expertise lending. Just remember that it’s not about you. Don’t treat the sharing of privilege-enabled opportunities as a favour you’re doing for someone. Just consider it the right thing to do.

I am a novice when it comes to practicing allyship. Part of the reason I am posting this is to learn from people who know a lot more than me. I hope these ideas are helpful on their own, and I also hope this post will help getting others to share their ideas. The more we speak, the more we can learn and act.

PS - Special thanks to Glenn Block, whom I consider a role model in allyship. Glenn was stressing the importance of allyship and providing actionable guidance long before it was as comfortable to do so.