The reading group discussion is around anti-racism and allyship. Through the lens of texts relating to allyship, we will examine the term allyship as it relates to anti-racism, including what it means in the literature, in the vernacular, and to us.

Reading Group Facilitator: Coco Nijhoff (ARLT SIG Member)

Places are limited to 15. It is important to commit to this event, engage with the readings and reflect on the questions ahead of the online discussion.
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Key text - book or video:

Emma Dabiri, What White People Can Do Next. Penguin, 2021.
This book is available in paperback and as an e-book. It is 150 pages.
Please read the first three chapters at a minimum, through the chapter “Interrogate whiteness” ending p. 67.

As an alternative, watch this recording of Dabiri talking about her book.
Emma Dabiri, Edinburgh book festival Feb 2022

Further reading:

Nova Reid, No More White Saviours, thanks: how to be a true anti-racist ally

Read any of these statements or see if your institution has one:
How to be an ally – Queen Mary University of London 
How to be an anti-racist and white ally – University of Bath 
How to be a white ally Imperial College London

Guide to Allyship by Amelie Lamont
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Questions to consider

1. What does Emma Dabiri have to say about allyship in terms of the current discourse? Does her position resonate with you? Why or why not?
2. What does effective allyship look like to you?
3. How can our understanding of allyship influence our approaches in a professional context? How can institutional statements on allyship influence workplace behaviour and effect change?