How To Be A White Ally | Administration And Support Services

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The widespread protests at the killing of George Floyd by a White policeman in the early summer of 2020 have cast the glare of attention on racism across the world. Racism is not just acts of violence or hate against Black people or other minority ethnic groups. The statistics on health, education, employment, and income show that racial inequality permeates Britain – and the university.

While those of us at Imperial who are White might readily abhor overt acts of racism, it is not something we are likely to have experienced directly. That lack of experience can make it difficult to properly understand racism or to be fully supportive of those who endure its impacts – large and small – every day. For example, the day to day experiences of Black colleagues frequently involve micro-aggressions (e.g. questions like 'Where are you really from?'). These are less obvious and often unintentional, but have the cumulative effect of creating an environment which is more challenging and draining.

But we can help by being White allies. The suggestions below can help us to understand what it means to be a White ally and give examples of positive actions that we can take to combat racism; in its explicit or subtle forms. They are drawn from many different sources. Although they focus on ways to support our Black colleagues and students, equally they can help us to support all minority ethnic groups within the Imperial community. Allyship is part of understanding and celebrating the fact that people are different, and of course the suggestions below are open to all.

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