How can you promote allyship and solidarity in higher education?

1 Understand your positionality

One of the first steps to promote allyship and solidarity is to understand your own positionality, or how your social identities and experiences shape your worldview, values, and privileges. Positionality is not fixed or binary, but rather fluid and intersectional, meaning that it can change depending on the context and the interactions with other identities. By acknowledging your positionality, you can become more aware of how you benefit from or are harmed by the existing power structures, and how you can use your privilege or leverage your oppression to advocate for change.

2 Educate yourself and others

Another important step to promote allyship and solidarity is to educate yourself and others about the history, culture, and struggles of different groups, especially those that are underrepresented, marginalized, or oppressed in higher education. Education can take many forms, such as reading books, articles, blogs, or podcasts, attending workshops, webinars, or events, or engaging in dialogue with diverse perspectives. Education can help you develop a deeper understanding, empathy, and respect for the lived experiences and realities of others, and also challenge your own biases, stereotypes, and assumptions.

3 Listen and amplify

A key aspect of allyship and solidarity is to listen and amplify the voices, stories, and demands of the groups that you want to support. Listening means being open, attentive, and respectful to what others have to say, without interrupting, judging, or dismissing them. Amplifying means using your platform, influence, or resources to share, promote, or endorse their messages, without speaking over, co-opting, or silencing them. Listening and amplifying can help you build trust, rapport, and collaboration with others, and also demonstrate your commitment and accountability.

4 Take action and speak up

The ultimate goal of allyship and solidarity is to take action and speak up against the injustice, discrimination, or oppression that affects different groups in higher education. Action and speak up can take many forms, such as signing petitions, joining protests, donating money, volunteering time, writing letters, or contacting authorities. Action and speak up can also mean challenging the status quo, calling out the problematic behaviors or policies, or demanding the structural or institutional changes that are needed to create a more inclusive, respectful, and equitable higher education environment.

6 Practice self-care and resilience

The last but not least way to promote allyship and solidarity is to practice self-care and resilience. Allyship and solidarity can be emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting, especially when you face resistance, backlash, or hostility from others. Practicing self-care and resilience means taking care of your own well-being, health, and needs, without feeling guilty, selfish, or irresponsible. Practicing self-care and resilience can also mean finding and nurturing your support network, sources of inspiration, and coping strategies, without feeling isolated, hopeless, or overwhelmed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?