Happy Juneteenth! Every year around this monumental day, I am always struck by the importance and impact of allyship. With the support of countless communities and influential movements, the country became conscious and aware of the history of this day and the need for it to become a federal holiday.
As a young Indian woman living in Texas striving to empower girls and women in STEM, I wouldn't say I have the widest array of experiences just yet. However, working for Lean In as a part of their Girls Braintrust Team, I have spent a lot of time recently examining allyship and how to foster it for young girls. Knowledge of biases and areas of ignorance is key to becoming better allies. In this two part series, I want to highlight some significant Black women in STEM and discuss ways to become better allies, so we can continue the support that was galvanized for Juneteenth to more policy changes and action.
"The role of an ally is to amplify voices that are often disregarded" - We Rep Stem
As "We Rep Stem" puts it, the way to become a better ally: "listen, listen, and listen some more." The more we learn, listen, and simply gain more knowledge about the struggles of marginalized groups, the better we can support and advocate for our peers. We can acknowledge our biases and help others recognize their own as well, so we can do our part in alleviating the constant stereotypes and adversities that minority groups face.
However, we should also emphasize the word "amplify," rather than "speak for." This is a critical nuance that plays an important role in becoming an ally that listens and empowers those around us. Even though we may educate ourselves about the challenges marginalized groups face, we have not experienced them ourselves and thus should not speak for others. Instead, we can show our support by helping to enact the change that our peers seek and raise awareness of their cause. In other words, we can take our individual spotlights and shine a light on the largely overlooked and ignored obstacles these groups experience.
This awareness and amplification can come in a variety of ways, but something we can all do in our daily lives is just call out offensive and insensitive behaviors. Micro and macro aggressions happen every day and everywhere. As allies, it should be our priority to stand up and speak out when we notice it happening. Sometimes, it is in the form of pulling someone to the side and informing them of the ramifications of their speech, or other times it can mean taking a public stand against a toxic work culture as a whole.
In my next post, I will "amplify" some African-American voices in STEM, shining a light on incredible stories and accomplishments. However, before I close this post, I wanted to try something new! Before reading part 2 in this series, let me know what you know already! Find out the answer by reading part 2...
Madam C.J. Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in the U.S. selling what products
Medicines
Various Clothing
Hair Products
Homemade Food