Many people are forced to walk through life being constantly reminded that they are not accepted. It’s important to be an ally to those who experience discrimination on the basis of their identity.

Marquette’s vision statement for diversity and inclusion on campus, grounded in Jesuit ideals, is to promote a more diverse, welcoming, equitable and inclusive campus community. Effective allyship from students, faculty and staff is necessary to achieve this goal. This is why the university and community members themselves must make a commitment to being allies to marginalized communities.

Being an ally can look like a lot of things. While it can be large gestures, what really counts and makes a difference is the little things. 

The BBC lists a few ways people can be allies such as being an upstander, scholar, amplifier and a confidant.

An upstander is basically the opposite of a bystander. An upstander will see something wrong and take action to correct it. When people in your life say or do something problematic, it’s important to stand up even if a member of the community they are insulting isn’t there. An effective ally recognizes and corrects exclusion and moments of bigotry in themselves and others.

Taking personal accountability is also vital to allyship and not being a bystander. An ally examines their own prejudice and preconceived notions about marginalized groups as well as holding others accountable.

A big part of good allyship is being willing to listen and learn. This is where the scholar comes in. The scholar seeks to learn about the group that they are an ally to. This can look like reading books or articles by someone of a marginalized group writing about their experiences, going to lectures or even having conversations with people of different groups. Learning from a member of a marginalized group is much more effective and powerful than listening to someone not from that group. A good ally should listen more than they speak.

A large part of listening, as well, is being someone that is there to support others. This form of allyship is called a confidant. A confidant creates a space where individuals can feel safe expressing their frustrations, fears and needs. Sometimes all someone needs is to have someone to hear them and to talk to.

A good ally is committed to change, learning and standing up for what is right.

If the Marquette community truly wants to support and empower underrepresented members of its community as it says it does, students, faculty and staff must take greater steps towards allyship and creating a welcoming space at Marquette. We have a duty as individuals a part of a larger community to call out instances of bigotry and stand with those impacted by it.