Meeting Facilitators: Dr. Ryuko Kubota and Ashley Moore
In this meeting of the LLED Antiracist Caucuses (BIPOC/Racialized Caucus & White Caucus), we will discuss the principles and practices of antiracist allyship/solidarity in both academic and non-academic contexts (e.g., in friendship groups, families, on the street, etc.). Although previous meetings of the Caucuses have often used the same stimulus texts and discussion questions, we have prepared slightly different materials for this meeting, reflecting on the similarities and differences between White people’s approaches to antiracist allyship, the hopes BIPOC/racialized people might have for White allies, and intersectional allyship/solidarity across BIPOC/racialized communities.
Stimulus Text:
Though we chose different required stimulus texts for the BIPOC/Racialized Caucus and the White Caucus, we encouraged those who were interested to engage with both texts if they had time.
BIPOC/Racialized Caucus
Please read the short stimulus text below, a TIME magazine article by Cady Lang, before our meeting on April 19th. It is just over 1,800 words long, which takes about seven minutes at an average reading speed.
White Caucus
Please read the short stimulus text below, a blog post by Brooke Anderson, before our meeting on April 19th. It is just over 2,300 words long, which takes about nine minutes at an average reading speed.
Discussion Questions:
BIPOC/Racialized Caucus
The article discusses tensions among racialized groups, especially Black and Asian Americans, in relation to historical, economic, and political relations of power.
- Do you observe tension between other racialized groups or within your racialized group?
- What prevents racialized groups or racialized individuals from enacting allyship and solidarity against racism and other forms of oppression?
- What kind of experience do you have of acting as an ally for other communities included under the BIPOC/Racialized umbrella? How did it go? Did you encounter any critical tensions?
White Caucus
- What kinds of principles do you apply to your antiracist allyship?
- In practice, what kinds of allyship have you found to be most effective?
- What kinds of challenges have you encountered when attempting to be an antiracist ally?