Are you white? Or maybe you’re a person of color? Either way you can still be a part of the conversation regarding what it means to be a good white ally. This title may catch you off guard at first but we promise we mean no harm! So what does it mean to be a good white ally? First let’s define what a white ally is. A white ally is a white identifying person that actively supports the rights of a minority or marginalized group without being a member of that group. So now that we know what a white ally is, we can start answering the question of how you can be a good one. First, you should understand that your skin color gives you privilege. It’s something that some people don’t want to acknowledge, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Having privilege is not something you should feel guilty about because it’s something you can’t really control, but it is important to understand it so we can work at dismantling it. Second, keep an open mind. Because we are human beings, we often put stereotypes on certain groups of people and some of these can be very harmful and cause prejudice to occur when you meet someone from those certain groups. Keeping an open mind includes making sure you don’t generalize someone from a certain group with a common stereotype you have heard about that group, because this person might not even fit into this stereotype. It is also just harmful to have preconceived opinions about what someone is like before you actually get to know them. Lastly, you should be helpful to your minority friends. This may seem kind of obvious and vague, but it’s something that’s important. Some ways to do this would be calling out people on their racist or xenophobic behaviors or standing up for your minority friends when you see discrimination transpiring. Helping can also be simply having conversations with your minority friends about different issues that they face or just listening to them and learning more about those issues. As we conclude this article, we would like to emphasize the fact that you should not be afraid to ask questions and remember that confronting your own privilege is an act of bravery and isn’t something that you should feel shame for. If you would like to learn and discuss further what it’s like to be a good white ally, you can attend our engage breakout session on November 15th!