“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his
individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr
Equity Challenge Week 5 Allyship and Belonging
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice training is important as it helps us broaden our understanding of people and the world around us. Taking these trainings to the next level is how as our understanding broadens we have opportunities to build belonging in our community. For most of us this is through allyship. When we think broadly and intersectionally there are many ways we can support each other through allyship.
What is allyship? Acting in allyship means one seeks to understand what it feels like for another person or group to be oppressed, and despite knowing you will never fully understand how it feels, is committed to valuing and supporting people who are marginalized by speaking up.
Allyship is a continuous process, you have to work at it, commit to learning about and is an intentional act.
What is belonging? Belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group.
Articles
How to Be an Ally in the Workplace
- Read this article to learn 13 ways to be a workplace ally.
What Does it Take to Build a Culture of Belonging
- Belonging is essential to human wellness. Building belonging takes the efforts of everyone. This Harvard Business Review article walks us through steps we can take to make sure that everyone feels welcome.
Podcast
Safety Pin Solidarity: With Allies Who Benefits?
- Listen to this podcast NPR’s Code Switch is back with explores on conundrums of allship.
Videos
Belonging, A Critical Piece of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (15:55)
- Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Have you ever made someone else feel like they don’t beling? Carin Taylor shares why belonging is the focus of her DEI strategy and the most important piece of the DEI discussion. She outlines the key ingredients needed to belong and how to create them.