By Roshni Goyate

‘Allyship’ is one of those words making it into common parlance, as we begin to understand ways to use our privilege to amplify the causes and voices of marginalised groups. It’s often seen as something expected of those in positions of power, or those benefiting from a system – ie, white people. But lately, I’ve been thinking about how I, as a person of colour in the UK, show up as an ally and in solidarity for fellow people of colour around the world beyond the west.

For example, in 2019 among many natural tragedies, we saw huge swathes of the Amazon forest and coastal Australia devastated by wildfires and bushfires. In all the mainstream reporting, I felt incredibly aware that the voices of native, indigenous and First Nation communities of those lands were not present. And yet indigenous communities are among those worst affected by the fires. I believe every human being on the planet is affected by the consequences of this kind of silencing, not least through the effects of climate change. 

The Masters I just completed at Birkbeck, University of London, in Culture Diaspora Ethnicity, opened my eyes to the realities of our connectedness as people of colour across the globe. Our struggles may be different but we all operate within a system designed to divide and conquer us. So one of my personal goals for 2020 is to do more to share the issues affecting people of colour around the world. Yes, we have plenty keeping us busy close to home, but we also have a lot to learn from each other of how to stand up and speak up in the face of systemic oppression. The mainstream media will never prioritise the voices of the most marginalised. But I believe the internet and social media, when used well, are magnificent tools for amplifying the voices of our fellow human beings, no matter where we are, and no matter how separate our histories may feel. 

There’s always the opportunity for us all to learn more, raise our awareness and show up as allies for each other. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are 4 ways to be an ally to people of colour around the world: 

1. Show up at local protests for global issues. Example: Many gathered at the Brazilian embassy in 2019 to protest the treatment of indigenous communities by President Bolsanaro. 

2. Support a crowdfunder. Example: There was a fundraiser for First Nation Communities affected by the bushfires in Australia.  

3. Raise awareness by signing online petitions. Example: There are Change.org petitions to fight for the human rights of Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps in Xinjiang, China. 

4. Follow accounts and repost stories and posts from those on the ground. Example: Kashmir has been in a media blackout for 5 months - find the stories that are getting through the blackout and repost them.

Header image credit: Apib Comunicação via Flickr