{"id":240955,"date":"2020-08-12T13:24:18","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T20:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/?p=240955"},"modified":"2021-10-13T14:00:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T21:00:10","slug":"racial-justice-ally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/lifestyle\/racial-justice-ally\/","title":{"rendered":"Allyship Online: What’s Helpful & What’s Virtue Signaling"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We use social media to express ourselves in a myriad of ways, and that includes where we stand on social and racial justice issues, especially recently. After the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in May, social media was flooded with posts of solidarity, calls-to-action, and wake-up calls about the spectrum of injustices Black people face. Many white people and non-Black POC participated in showing support, which may have looked like progress.<\/p>\n

But unless our posts are backed by consistent action, they amount to little more than what\u2019s referred to as virtue signaling<\/em>. Allyship is a lifelong journey; if we want to make a difference, we need to be mindful of the messages we\u2019re sending in the virtual world. Here are some tips to navigating allyship online:<\/p>\n

1. Know Your Place<\/h2>\n

When it comes to being part of the racial justice conversation<\/a> online, highlight educators and people who have already been doing the work, and check any impulses to center yourself as a voice of the movement.\u00a0\u00a0Do your research to figure out who\u2019s credible in the space. If you\u2019re able, lend financial support to the BlPOC educators you\u2019re learning from. Many of us are still in the listening and learning phase. You can\u2019t teach a swim class after you\u2019ve taken your first lesson, right?<\/p>\n

2. Make It Personal<\/h2>\n

Reposting or sharing something without including any context, personal opinion, or call-to-action is virtue signaling at worst and lazy at best. If it resonates with you, let people know why. If you\u2019re posting about a book on anti-racism, for example, share your \u2018aha’ moments and your commitment<\/a> to changing your behavior. Doing so will encourage others to be more intentional, and making your posts personal means they won\u2019t just become noise.<\/p>\n

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Image via @kinswomen_podcast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Remember: It\u2019s OK To Admit You\u2019re Learning<\/h2>\n

Egos only get in the way of our anti-racism journeys. There\u2019s a misconception that there\u2019s such a thing as a perfect ally. There isn\u2019t, but that shouldn\u2019t prevent us from making our best effort. Allyship is a life-long journey, so it\u2019s natural we\u2019ll mess up along the way, even when we have the best intentions. Sharing your own journey of awakening gives others permission to know that it\u2019s ok to learn, and shows that the process\u00a0is<\/i>\u00a0the progress. It would look disingenuous to the BIPOC in your life if your recent posts of solidarity were the first they\u2019d ever heard from you on the matter, so be honest about where you\u2019re at.<\/p>\n

4. Be Consistent<\/h2>\n

A \u2018one-and-done\u2019 approach is ineffective when it comes to allyship. It\u2019s important that your social media activity is backed by action behind-the-scenes. Allyship isn\u2019t supposed to feel heroic \u2014 it\u2019s not about saving anyone. So much of it is an inside job of deconstructing our own internalized biases and racism, and having hard conversations with the people closest to us. Posting a black square on #blackouttuesday, for example, is useless if you haven\u2019t been doing your own learning and unlearning offline.<\/p>\n

5. Let People Know Where You Stand<\/h2>\n

Your followers and community\u2014whether you\u2019re a business, blog, or individual\u2014should know where you stand when it comes to social and racial justice. Whether you \u201cdon\u2019t want to get political,\u201d you\u2019re afraid of getting it wrong, or you feel it’s “off-brand,” silence is very obvious to any BIPOC in your life or online community, as human rights isn\u2019t<\/i> a political issue.<\/p>\n

Have questions about being an ally? Ask in the comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Together, through their podcast, The Kinswomen<\/a>, Yseult Polfliet and Hannah Pechter aim to bridge the gap between women of color and white women by having open, honest discussions about race, and offering guidance on how to be an ally.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We use social media to express ourselves in a myriad of ways, and that includes where we stand on social and racial justice issues, especially recently. After the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in May, social media was flooded with posts of solidarity, calls-to-action, and wake-up calls about the spectrum of injustices Black… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":240966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42077],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-240955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRacial Justice Allyship Online: What's Helpful Vs. 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