Before explaining the role of allyship in the workplace and how to be a better ally, it is important to understand what allyship is, and what it is not.

Allyship is standing with and for the oppressed.

Allyship requires the constant use of your privilege to help underrepresented groups.

Allyship is not a one and done type of deal. Simply sending out a Tweet with the hashtag “BLM” or “MeToo” and calling it quits, isn’t enough.

Allyship is the lifelong process of helping others find a seat at the table. 

What is Performative Allyship?

Like most things in life, allyship has a negative counterpart – performative allyship. Performative allyship is the appearance of solidarity in order to avoid political scrutiny, appear educated or achieve another ulterior motive. While performative allyship can look like a one-time Tweet with a popular hashtag and no further action, it often presents differently in the workplace. 

In the workplace, performative allyship can look like the following:

• Your company says that it believes in racial equality, but it does nothing to address the internal, organizational oppression that has prevented a well-qualified employee of color from being promoted. 

• The CEO of your company claims to believe in the equality of the sexes, but male employees are paid more than female employees. 

Actions That Harm Marginalized Groups

Performative allyship is just one of several harmful actions experienced by marginalized groups. 

• Microaggressions – In short, a microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, act of discrimination. For example, asking a Black coworker if you can touch their hair or saying something like “Wow, you’re transgender? I had no idea.” Watch this short video to better understand what microaggressions can look like. 

• Assumptions/Stereotypes – Making an assumption about someone can be very harmful and feed into dangerous stereotypes. For example, if you are a man and you assume that a woman is an assistant rather than a CEO. This plays into the stereotype that women are less competent than men and/or unable to hold positions of power, and neither of those are true. 

• Talking Over/Interrupting – As it is, minority voices are unheard and overlooked. Talking over or interrupting marginalized voices strips them of the chance to share their experience, expertise and passion. In the workplace, it can signal that what someone is talking about is unimportant or irrelevant, and that what you have to say is more interesting. 

Why Allyship Matters in the Workplace

Allyship in the workplace can create a multitude of benefits for all employees. First and foremost, allyship in the workplace helps foster an inclusive space for all. When employees feel included and valued by their peers and company, they are more likely to get along with one another and give their all when working.

Acting as an ally assists in taking the pressure off of marginalized employees. It relieves them of the duty to educate others and combat discrimination alone, while offering them a seat at the table. And allyship allows for genuine connections and friendships to form.

How to Show Your Support as an Ally

• Educate Yourself – Whether it’s a book, magazine, movie, podcast, article or Tik Tok video, take the time to educate yourself on the experiences of marginalized folks. Listen to what they have to say and learn from what they share. Ask questions, seek to understand and thank those who take the time to educate you. But remember, it is not the responsibility of the marginalized to educate you.

  
  

• Hold Yourself Accountable – Holding yourself accountable is one of the most powerful ways you can show your support for underrepresented communities. If you find yourself using offensive language (e.g., slurs or putdowns), take the time to learn the history behind those words and phrases and remove them from your vocabulary. If you notice that you are constantly judging others based on their appearance, ask yourself why? What biases have led you to these preconceived notions? Recognize your privilege and use it to uplift those around you. And most importantly, do not expect a reward for holding yourself accountable.

  
  

• Check Your Biases – Before you can correct your biases, you must first understand what they are and how many of them you have. A good place to start is the Harvard Implicit Association Test. 

  
  

• Intervene – Do not be a bystander. If you witness inappropriate behavior, speak up. Make it known that you will not tolerate offensive speech or actions. 

  
  

• Act as a Confidant – Be the ally that creates a safe space for marginalized folks to share what’s on their mind. You do not have to have all of the answers, simply listen to what they are saying and provide acknowledgment (or comfort with consent). 

  
  

• Share the Microphone – Make sure that the voices of the underrepresented are being heard. If you are in a meeting and someone begins to talk over another person, politely ask them to wait their turn to speak. If a brilliant idea is shared, verbally acknowledge that idea and the person who shared it. Or, if there is a topic up for discussion, allow the most qualified person in the room to speak on it.

  
  

• Become a Sponsor – Okay, you don’t have to become a literal sponsor, but acting as one can greatly benefit your marginalized peers. Acting as a sponsor can look like boosting your colleague’s reputation by vouching for their work. 

  
  

• Step Down – Stepping down is a similar practice to sharing the microphone. If you constantly step up to talk during meetings, workshops and conferences, you may want to practice stepping down. Stepping down allows marginalized voices the chance to be heard in spaces that they may feel uncomfortable sharing or overlooked. 

  
  

• Donate – Donating your time and/or money is an excellent way to show that you support an underrepresented community. If you’re looking to donate your time, research local non-profits or community centers that are looking for volunteers. If you’re looking to donate your money, search for non-profits that serve marginalized communities. Here are a few to get you started: Black Lives Matter, The Trevor Project and The American Association of People with Disabilities. 

Resources for Allyship

Articles on Allyship

• Diversity Includes Disability – This article details the best ways to be an ally for those who are disabled. 

• How to be an Ally – This is a series of articles created by Toby Egbuna explaining allyship for various marginalized groups. 

• Becoming Trustworthy White Allies – Melanie S. Morrison details her personal experience with white allyship and provides tangible advice for those looking to use their privilege for good. 

• How to be an Ally to the Black Community and Communities of Color – This article by the University of Colorado, Boulder explains how to be an effective bystander to communities of color. 

• 6 Ways to Respectfully Be a Better LGBTQ Ally – This article challenges you to turn your words into actions by working with LGBTQ non-profits. 

• Attention Men: How to be an Ally – This article is directed toward men who would like to become better allies for their women counterparts.

• How Men Can Become Better Allies to Women – In addition to discussing best practices for men looking to be allies to women, this article also addresses challenges male allies face and the allies male allies need. 

• 7 Examples of What Being an Ally at Work Really Looks Like – This article provides allyship examples that can be directly applied to your work life. 

Videos on Allyship

• Netflix Culture: Allyship – This is a short but powerful video from Netflix. Folks from underrepresented groups have a message about allyship for those with privilege.  

• 3 Ways to be a Better Ally in the Workplace – In this video, Melinda Epler walks you through three key ways to be a better ally at work. She reflects on her experiences and discusses the struggles of underrepresented groups. 

• What is Allyship and Why is Allyship Important? – In this video, Ritu Bhasin breaks down allyship and explains why you don’t have to identify with a community to be supportive. 

• What is Performative Allyship? – Youth explain a variety of ways in which performative allyship takes place and what should be done instead. 

  
  

Don’t Act Like an Ally, Be an Ally 

Circling back to the concept of performative allyship: don’t act like an ally, be an ally! There are many different ways to demonstrate your allyship, and no one way is better than the other. If you have social anxiety, you may want to donate instead of protest. If you don’t have the means to donate, you may want to write letters to your political leaders instead.

Being an ally does not mean you have to attend every protest, donate to every cause, or come to someone’s rescue every time they are in peril. As long as you are making an effort to listen to the voices of the underrepresented, holding yourself and others accountable and doing what you can to support marginalized groups, then you are well on your way on your allyship journey.