Allyship Advocacy Commitment Darnell Thompson hehim Assistant Director

Allyship, Advocacy & Commitment Darnell Thompson (he/him) Assistant Director of Education Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities

Setting our Space ● ● ● ● Participate fully Take risks & support risk takers Navigate in your "brave space" Speak for yourself (Use "I" statements) Share the "air" time Listen for understanding not to respond What is shared stays but what is learned leaves Ask Questions 2

Before we Begin Justice work is done in community…building community is an act of justice! 3

Cycle of Socialization • Born or not born into privilege • No control of the social structures bestowed upon us. Passed down for the good or the bad. • Our institutions and structures of continual perpetuation of oppression • We are rewarded with following along with social norms and punished for rebelling against them. • Once confronted with these systems of oppression we must make a decision • Do we continue with the cycle and pass the system along or challenge it to change 4

Salient Identities Reflection

Intersectionality Revisited Race large groups of people identified according to common national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background. the state of being subject to unjust mistreatment and control. Oppression Gender the performative action of characteristics and displays that identify you with social constructs of the spectrum of masculine to feminine behaviors. a condition where privileges are attributed to unequal status for identity categories in organized institutions Structural Inequities . 6

“ “We must begin to tell Black women’s stories because, without them, we cannot tell the story of Black men, White women, or anyone else in this country. The story of Black women is critical because those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. ” -Kimberlé Crenshaw 7

On the Basis of Race & Gender Women's Suffrage Civil Rights Intersectionality Intersectional Lens 8

Intersectional Lens Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Goals Structures of Oppression Systemic Oppressions Behavioral Oppressions Marginalized Identities on the Margins Spectrum of Identities 9

Intersectional Leadership

Critical Leadership Praxis ▪ Transforming Self ▪ Transforming Peers ▪ Transforming Organizations ▪ Transforming Systems 11

Allyship & Coalition Building Learning (self) Reflect & Listen Plan Taking inventory of your biases and how those biases have impacted your experiences and people who you encounter. Reflect on the stories of marginalized communities. Hear them. . . believe them and process through those feelings. Create strategies for equity and inclusion through advocacy in spaces you occupy personally and professionally. Educating Others Activating Action Never sit by and allow inequity to exist. Speak up and educate others even when it is hard. . . and you dont have all the language. Challenge your peers to be active in this same process. Be with them as they work through these things if you are able. Develop ways you and your peers will move toward transformative change based on your plans. Coconspirators in justice work is vital to its success. 12

So Lets Begin. . . 13

Thank You! Connect with me! Darnell. Thompson@rutgers. edu @Truth. Thompson 14