TEN Principles for Meaningful Allyship

TEN Principles for Meaningful Allyship

(Simplified from UC Davis’s “Ally Awareness”)

1. Believe in Yourself
   • Trust that you and others in your group can be allies. You don’t need to be perfect – learning is part of the process.
2. Know You Belong in This Work
   • You have every right to care about other people’s struggles. Helping others also benefits everyone, including you.
3. Assume You’re Wanted
   • Believe that members of the group you want to support want your help and see your potential as an ally.
4. Don’t Take Rejection Personally
   • If someone resists your support, understand it might come from their experiences with oppression. Be patient and compassionate.
5. Work With People as They Are
   • Meet others where they’re at. Support them without expecting them to act or communicate differently for your benefit.
6. Learn From Their Experiences
   • People in the group you’re supporting know their experiences best. Listen, learn, and reflect on how your own biases might shape how you see things.
7. Acknowledge Your Power
   • If you’re in a position of privilege, recognize how societal conditioning has shaped you. Use this awareness to help, not to retreat from discomfort.
8. Celebrate Their Strength
   • Learn about the group’s history of resilience and resistance. Help them embrace and take pride in that legacy.
9. Keep Growing
   • Mistakes will happen – it’s part of learning. Apologize, adapt, and keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
10. Be All In
    • Allyship isn’t about getting something in return. Support others unconditionally, without expecting gratitude or favors.
      

      ---