How To Win Allies for Womxn of Color
Allyship is the relationship and the actions that are between a person and a group that holds privileges and power with the person or group that is traditionally underrepresented, mistreated, or marginalized.
Build relationships and trust. Show up. Take feedback. Center voices of color. Find ways to create action from that. Support, advocate, or amplify voices for people we want to be an ally to.
There is a dynamic of intersectionality to ally-ship. We all hold different privileges and we all are marginalized in different forms. In this way, we all can be allies to one another. So, what does that look like?
We spoke with a panel of model allies to talk to us about just that. Moderated by Rebekah Bastian, Cofounder and CEO of Own Trail, we spoke to the following panelists: Tim Salau (Mr. Future of Work, CEO of Guide), Cynthia Tee (VP of Technology at Nordstrom), Michael Lefever (CEO of Concentric Advisors), Phoenix T Johnson (Seattle Womxn’s March), and Naomi Gonzalez (Cofounder & COO of Tomboyx).
Rebekah (Moderator): What does allyship look like between communities that have different forms of marginalization? What does that look like to you?
Cynthia says it looks a lot like co-conspirators. It’s a constant exchange of calling each other in, building each other’s empathy and awareness, and co-conspiring with each other to lift the other person up. It comes naturally the more you get to know the communities.
To Phoenix, decolonizing work looks like understanding what it means for oneself by putting our humanity in a different context. Maybe we have different cultural values, or are a different color, but there is something very unique to our experience here having been birthed from this soil. It is a unique journey to be an ally specifically to the First Nations Community because it is very much outside of American U.S. identity.
Michael thinks it’s always been about relationships — that’s the priority. It really is what allows you to be able to work with folks. There are different standards. Different people will have varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Being able to afford them the opportunity to have a seat at the table is the key.
Naomi sees allyship in fundraising. Fundraising is really hard. For her and her wife, as two lesbians that had no prior fashion experience, fundraising for their brand was extremely difficult. In the end, 85% of their investors were womxn. Womxn in positions of power entering into the investing arena are so important for allyship. Womxn like Serena Williams or Beyonce are such a part of the social network and awareness of society that it becomes so important they are present and acting to support other minority groups. That will start to level out the playing field in some regard and make real change.
Tim views allyship simply as information sharing. Often what he tries to do, just in the community of Oakland, is to go to more low income areas and share information he has, as a privileged Black male in the tech industry. The simple power of sharing information can change someone’s life. Acting and finding sources of information that show others that look like them, that they can work in a startup or build a multi-millionaire dollar company. He believes that it is every ally’s job to be a hoarder of information and actively share it with everyone around you. Allyship is are you sharing the necessary information to help someone else get ahead? Because, we are all privileged to a degree. Sharing that information you get from your privilege helps further the next generation.
Rebekah: What do you think about how womxn of color can practice intersectional allyship to each other?
Pheonix noted that it’s not a simple question, is it? Present day activism means taking these perspectives that we were packaged into our understanding, like institutionalized education and expanding on them. Being able to decolonize means having conversations that prove we are, as people, outside of that box or identity that’s been given to us. We innately exist outside of that box. First Nations people don’t all grow corn or live in teepees. But, this goes so much further beyond that. We don’t all have the same cultural protocols or ideas for what it means to be politically independent. What other boxes have we been put in as people? It’s very nuanced, not one size fits all.
Rebekah: What insight or tips do you have to examine our own privilege as a way to identify how to be an ally?
Michael said you have to reflect on the privileges both of what you have and the lack thereof. To him, leadership is about understanding differences and that not everyone has the same same starting point. You must support the opportunity for everyone and mandate that inclusiveness. Mentoring, sponsoring, and endorsing allyship is a mandate for all positions you hold. Bring people into senior level discussions so they can understand the dynamics of being in that role, even before they get there. Show them how to maneuver through the orchestration to succeed. Everyone can contribute. No matter what. Whatever your background. And celebrate that! Allyship opportunities are always there and you must make it your mindset to enforce those opportunities.
Rebekah: Is allyship something that can be cultivated through systems of processes or something that needs to be nurtured organically?
Cynthia noted that allyship usually comes about organically but needs to be sustained with systems and processes to really make a difference. This is especially true the bigger the organization is. All too often, what happens is the hiring of a leader for a marginalized community and then immediately everyone in the organization looks to them to make the difference. That’s only gonna get so far. Each one of us has to share that responsibility to make a difference across an org, it can’t simply be the POC’s job (or whichever marginalized identity they represent). This starts by examining what your job is in terms of sponsoring people, supporting people, mentoring them and growing them. Systems and processes should then be put in place to make it your job. And, give feedback on how well you are doing that. While an allyship like this happens organically for some folks, it’s much more powerful when you put systems in place that start to demand that as a responsibility.
Rebekah: Have you seen successful examples of being able to convert gatekeepers, or people that are levels above you in an organization, to being successful allies?
Tim hasn’t. The reality is he has not seen it. For him, that is why it’s so important that he has to act as it himself. He has to be that person because it’s something you rarely ever see. In corporate America, it’s even harder to see this! There is something really wrong with how we assess talent and how we empower womxn in the workforce. He experienced that personally. Those examples are what stick with him today on how important it is to be an ally. Do what you need to do to find the right sponsors and be the change you want to see.
Rebekah: What are your thoughts on storytelling as an act of allyship?
Naomi believes storytelling is so important because it’s about visibility. You tell a story to feature something that is missing or showcase people who are doing incredible things. Naomi started TomboyX because her wife and she didn’t see themselves represented in fashion. Visibility helps other people to feel seen and heard. It is a priority for them to showcase people and their stories; to talk about how amazing they already are. Additionally, there is real beauty and wisdom in our individual experiences that sometimes can only be sussed out when we gather together and talk. Right now is a unique period in history where you don’t have to have the economic constraints of location or access to benefit from this. You can reach out to anyone online to try to network with people all across the world. Be a sponge for info! Ask questions! Share stories! Getting the knowledge is the most important thing. Mentoring people to pay it forward is our responsibility.
This post was adapted from our Winning Allies Panel from the Virtual Assembly — May 22nd.
