Q&A: Privilege and Allyship

Question: I’ve always wondered about this: as a white, heterosexual male person who cares about the way minorities and marginalized populations are treated, what gives me the right to feel offended or call someone out on something they say that’s a definite gray area when I don’t belong to that group? I believe that as a privileged individual it is my responsibility to advocate as an ally but it would conversely be an exercise of my privilege if I were to be the one to decide what is and isn’t offensive to a whole group of people I don’t belong to. So my question is: what is the moral implication and the power dynamic of a privileged person being offended on a minority’s behalf? Is it right? Is privileged? Is it audacious? I need to know! [excerpt

Perspectives on Allyship in Academia

Allyship in academia is critical for creating inclusive communities that are welcoming to all students, but the perception of its benefits and challenges can vary depending on a number of factors. This session will explore perspectives of allyship in academia by bringing together a diverse group of faculty and students who can share a wide range of experiences and insights, and aims to facilitate a discussion among all attendees that leads to an exchange of ideas, the strengthening of our community, and progress toward our common goal of inclusion in computing

Spartan Daily, April 8, 2015

Volume 144, Issue 27https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/2120/thumbnail.jp

A is Not for Ally: Affirming Asexual College Student Narratives

The college experience is often hypersexualized, presenting students as collectively sexually active and interested in sex. Such hypersexualization creates a culture that assumes the presence of sexual attraction, which massively excludes students who identify on the asexual spectrum. This exclusion becomes amplified when asexual students go to their campus LGBTQIA+ centers for support and discover that their “A for asexual” has been stolen by the people who claim to be their allies. As a result of this erasure, asexual college students are unable to make sense of their identity in an environment that does not recognize the ways of being that asexual students exemplify. The American higher education system, as an extension of an already massively undereducated general public, has much to do to give asexual students the feeling of community and inclusion that they so often lack. Here, I use a review of the limited current literature combined with storytelling to explain systemic issues facing asexual collegians and reflect on methods of resilience and coalition building for asexual students

Moving Toward an Inclusive Model of Allyship for Racial Justice

This paper is prompted by a single question fueled by a lifetime of wonder. If I, an Asian American, work in the interests outside of my racial group to end a system of racial oppression from which I suffer and benefit from, is that considered allyship? Within the context of working towards racial justice, allyship refers specifically to White people working to end the system that oppresses people of color. By challenging a binary model of allyship, which I argue continues to perpetuate the binary status quo of dominance; I draw upon Paulo Freire’s work to begin a discussion for an alternate way to view acts of allyship that is inclusive of all people. The binary system of viewing race can be challenged by placing such theoretical ideas in the context of a higher education case study in order to show how horizontal oppression can affect the lives of professionals working in the field of Higher Education

As Civic Scholars, RWU Graduates Ready to Change the World

From committing to service on their first day as students to a deep dive into community-engaged work and real-world research projects, the Class of 2019 embodies civic scholarship at RWU