Defeating Racial Injustice Requires Everyone Becoming an Ally

by Courtney La Bau

If the measure of a society is how it treats its least fortunate members, then ours resembles a society in decline. Ahmaud Arbery — gunned down in Georgia. George Floyd — manhandled to death in Minnesota. Meanwhile a deadly virus is stalking us all but taking its most brutal toll out on people of color, people who look like Arbery and Floyd.

Any collective hope we had of increasing justice in our society is being dashed by the realization that racism is still strong enough a force to snuff out human life. Not all of us are capable of such depravity, but enough Americans are that it should shock all of us into taking a stand like we never have before.

I’ve worked for years in the counter-extremism space, and I know that the burden of stomping out racially motivated injustice cannot be forged by minorities alone. This type of change requires the surging energy of united allies. Being an effective ally requires knowledge of the problem, realization of the privilege held, and a deep personal conviction to do the work until the virus of racial hatred is eradicated.

In this cultural moment when the volume is on high, we see too many people with my skin tone sitting unknowingly on the platform of privilege while people of color are forced to defend their existence on a daily basis. What I hope to see is more people who look like me recognizing the privileges in the normalcy of whiteness and using it to fight for the humanity and equality of those without it.

There are tangible steps we can each take in our daily lives to stop the spread of hate before someone else is killed, or before justice is delayed or denied to another victim of racial bigotry, but it requires us all to be courageous, introspective, and diligent. Here’s how you can do it.

Monitor Social Media

Hate rhetoric can be overt, but it is often embedded into disinformation or conspiracy theories that circulate online, so be aware when scrolling. These have become so common online — educate yourself on what these subcultures believe and perpetuate. For the more direct racist posts or comments, do not be afraid to call out intolerance when you see it. Remind a friend or family member that these posts cause far more harm than good. A single conversation with one person may be the most powerful thing you can do. Lastly, do not hesitate to report dangerous hate speech to platform administrators when you see it.

I recently appeared with my dear friend Lisa Ling on CNN to discuss why people pursue paths of extremism and hate. Since the pandemic began, Lisa has received numerous hate messages over social media, one wishing harm on her children, and demanding Lisa apologize “for giving us the virus.” We should break out of the habit of brushing these off and expecting others to call them out.

Use Your Platform for Good

The Spider-Man comic series popularized the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility.” Whether you are a social media influencer, singer, actor, politician or casual user — use your platform to call out racism and intolerance. Bring awareness to the hate speech that you are seeing, and that others are experiencing. If you’ve got a platform — use it. Be willing to do the right thing.

Educate Yourself

If you look around your friend groups or social media posts and see that everyone in your circle looks like you, you have the responsibility of privilege to educate yourself on the plight that many people of color have to navigate daily. It is not a person of color’s responsibility to educate you — do the research and invest the time in becoming an ally. Be more than just well-intentioned and make the commitment to “not be a racist” but to firmly plant your feet in the “anti-racist” camp.

Organize & Diversify

Think of the groups you belong to — a house of worship, a gym, a book club, a workplace, a friend group, a family — and assess where you can create a dialogue around these issues. Keep diverse company and create a culture of tolerance wherever you go. Assess the thought leaders you listen to and choose to expand the leaders you learn from.

Whatever you do, don’t be apathetic. Don’t be silent. Just because racism is not happening to you does not mean you don’t have the moral responsibility to call injustice and intolerance out when you see it. This is a human, collective responsibility.

We are all beneficiaries of a resilient and cohesive community, so let’s use this moment in history to ask ourselves — what type of society do we want to create? I know the traits of the one I’ve fought for my entire career — love, kindness, tolerance, and activism that makes a difference.

Courtney La Bau is a current fellow with the Truman National Security Project, co-head of the Homeland Security & Community Resilience Group, and frequently writes on issues around hate, intolerance, and extremism. She is a former senior advisor and federal contractor on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Community Partnerships. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneylabau.