Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression
The Role of Allies as Agents of Change
Andrea Ayvazian
Combatting Intentional Bigotry and Inadvertently Racist Acts
Andrea Ayvazian offers way we can stop oppression. She defines what being an ally is as " a member of dominant group in our society who works to dismantle any form of oppression from which she or he receives the benefit."
I agree we should come together, however, we live in an society that is afraid to get involved due to consequences it may bring. Others only get involved when it affects them directly or a family member.
It's true that at some point in our lives any domination we had is lost or taken away. Take the military for instance. No matter how physically fit you are or what qualification you posses, you still can't enlist after a certain age even if you have served before. According to Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) of the Armed Services Committee personnel panel has said the “risks outnumbered gains” when it came to enlisting older personnel. She said they are not only more likely to become injured, but also take more time to recover than their younger counterparts. How can we change this type of discrimination when our own government enforces it?
Unfortunately, doing what William Strickland stated " When a critical mass of white people join together, rise up and shout a thunderous 'NO' to racism, we will actually alter the course of history". it's not enough. We need to educate and get educated about racism as the article by Fletcher A. Blanchard indicates. An example of fighting bigotry and being an ally is the story of Ruhi Rahman who was harrassed on a train for being Muslim and passengers defended her.
Below is a link to a video by Franchesca Ramsey on 5 ways you could be an ally. Understand privilege, do your homework (educate self), Listen, speak up (not over), understand ally is a verb.
Ruhi Rahman http://www.attn.com/stories/4395/muslim-woman-train-harassment?utm_source=email&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=internalFranchesca "Chescaleigh Ramsey: https://www.youtube.com/user/chescaleigh
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