Being An Ally

Being an ally to me feels pretty internally awkward regularly. To unpack that, by saying it is awkward I am Not saying I have it hard or anything closely reminiscent to that. I am privileged, that is the point here. I am apart of almost every single dominant group, whether or not I choose to relate or associate myself with that group. I am straight, male bodied, cisgendered, white, and was raised upper class. So no, being privileged is not hard. But to be honest, it is awkward. And by that I do Not mean I feel awkward around anyone. It is just a matter of trying to constantly challenge myself and ask myself what my role as an ally is.

I speak the language of power and privilege very regularly and very strongly, because I believe it is the biggest source of evil, for a lack of better words, and that the injustices it causes people is astronomical. And on a spiritual level, despite self-identifying as an atheist, yes, I have feelings I describe as spiritual, I feel like us as humans, brothers and sisters, are being ripped apart and categorized and told we are not alike. And that we should not be brothers and sisters, and that hurts my soul.

But despite my confidence externally of speaking the language, I will admit I internally almost feel scared when I do. Because as an ally I do not want to overstep by role. I do not want to end up making some mistake or saying something that is rooted in the same problems and thoughts that reinforce the "values" that allow our system to thrive in this way in the first place. I want to be a student and to learn from others first. All of my knowledge as an ally is ultimately rooted in learning from people that have been historically oppressed by the system. I feel like as an ally it is necessary to share my learnings, but I also want to make sure I am doing it in a way that is properly respectful to the people I am an ally of. And that is why it is awkward. And I do not think that it is a bad thing that I feel internally awkward. Confronting your own privilege should be uncomfortable. And I feel like the day confronting my privilege within this system is not uncomfortable, then that is probably the moment I am not doing a good enough job trying to be an ally. Because I am probably not trying to challenge myself to be a better one anymore. As an ally I do not claim to have the answers. I wish I did, but I do not. And I hope to forever continue to learn my role, and to be a better ally. And I always appreciate people who are willing to engage in helping me be a better ally. I do think I have learned plenty along the way on being a good ally, but I would never try to claim that I have the answer.

The only thing I know is that this thing called power, privilege, and oppression is an evil, and it needs to be broken down, and I want to do whatever I can as an ally to help that process along. And hopefully through organizing that can begin to happen.

From one ally I try to use as a model:
Jim Zwerg in Montgomery Hospital, 1961
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQbqzaRAql8

Social Comentary on Rotary International commemorating the Childrens Marches of 1963 the day after May Day

So, I happen to go to Birmingham Rotary Club today to listen to a speaker. It happened to also be May Day. The international holiday for workers rights to commemorate the Chicago Hayfield Market Riots of 1886 where they were peacefully protesting for labor rights. I actually very much enjoyed the speaker. It felt particularly good to hear what was said to that type of audience on May Day. It was the person who was the head person liquidating assets for the Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy in Asia. The largest Bankruptcy in History. Six times larger than the 2nd biggest bankruptcy, Worldcom. A person (this is the bad part) who actually had a small hand is dismantling Glass Steagall. But, through his lessons learned is telling the largest Rotary in the world "the markets are run by greed" and "we need to reinstate Glass Steagall" due to his experiences with the Lehman Bankruptcy.

I can get behind that.

Anyway. Before he spoke, I almost choked. The President of Rotary was telling an entirely white audience of bankers and CEO's from Mountain Brooke to participate in a commemorative march tomorrow to honor the Children Marches from 1963. I am sorry, there were people of color in the room, it is just that other than about four people of color (who were only there as guests from the Civil Rights Institute to honor the head of the Civil Rights Institute who was sitting at the front table due to the march tomorrow), every person of color was either a server or bus man and woman. I am sure that was the exact dream MLK was talking about, right?

Backtrack 50 years ago, this was the exact audience and audiences of the like that would have been a part of the White Citizens Councils. That were denouncing Martin Luther King, James Bevel, Wyatt Tee Walker, etc, and the Children's Marches. This type of audience is the same type of audience who paid policemen to work to dismantle Occupy around the country by using Tear Gas, Pepper Spray, and police batons (sound similar to a water hoses at all?). The same audience that told me to "get a job" when I marched in an immigration rally against the racist bill HB56. The same audience that has always worked to dismantle the labor movement (such as the Haymarket Square action in 1886), including the Poor Peoples Campaign by the SCLC, which was the organization Martin Luther King was the president of and organized Birmingham under, and encouraged Regan to dismantle the unions. The same audience that always denounces direct action of any kind for any cause. And the same audience who helps vouch for racist policies which include gentrification of Birmingham. And you want them to March to commemorate the Direct Action by the footsoldiers during the Children's Marches where people got hosed down and dogs let out on them to fight White Supremacy?

Oh no. I don't think I can get behind that.