My Idea of an Ally

My Idea on what it means to be an ally to humanity in these troublesome times

I keep hearing the thing being thrown around. People keep asking me, how do I be an ally?

Are we going to war? Who is the enemy? Why do I need an ally, we’ve known each other for years? I cringe at the thought because as a black man I know what it means, I’m not oblivious to social fads. I can only assume it comes from a good place, so I’ll digress and humor the conversation and explain what being an ally means to me.

Well first off, don’t make ultra cringe #takeresponsibility videos.

Let’s start with that.

If you want to be an ally, start by treating me the same as you treated me yesterday. Respect me, respect my ideas, respect my experience, realize that we are both human, we both make mistakes, we both are making our way through this maze called life.

My experience may be different from yours, but at the end of the day, we both want the same things for ourselves and our families.

Although my experience is different, don’t assume you know who I am. Don’t assume because I’m black a vote a certain way or feel oppressed. Don’t assume because I’m black I fall in line with what you see on TV or read on social media. Don’t assume I grew up rich, don’t assume I grew up poor.

Don’t assume that I’m consumed with politics or that I love rap music. Don’t assume my heroes are sports stars and entertainers.

Don’t assume you know more about my experience than me, don’t assume because you read a book or taking a college course you somehow know what it’s like or what it means to be a black in America.

Don’t assume.

Practice intellectual curiosity. Know that my race doesn’t define me, but my race and culture is a significant part of who I am. Know that I love who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Know that my culture is not something you can experience by watching CNN, Snapchat, tweets, and IG storylines.

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