Some of the people who took part in our workshop did so because they belonged to an organization that contracted us to lead it, but most came voluntarily as individuals, out of their own interest and concern. Later, the descriptions began to fit into three rough groups: 1) the “backlashers,” who deny the existence of racism while making racist statements and expressing outrage that they are forced to listen to stories of racism 2) the “guilty,” who personalize the issue and become defensive and paralyzed and 3) the “learners” or “allies,” who use any opportunity to learn more and then act on what they learn. We conducted the workshop five times before we made it all the way through without the process being derailed by conflict.įollowing one of our most explosive workshops, we began to list the different reactions of the white participants to this process of unlearning racism. When this happened, there was an angry backlash from some white participants. Sometimes we could feel the group carefully skirting a possible blowup at other times, we stepped on the mine.

Leading anti-racist education is akin to tip-toeing through a mine field. This workshop was truly a learning adventure for me. In the early 1990s, I co-led a workshop called “Unlearning Racism” with Valerie Carvery, a friend and colleague who is African-Nova Scotian.1 When you begin to teach something, you find out what you do not know.

(Excerpt from Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppressing in People, Third Edition. Where does oppression come from? Has it always been with us, just 'human nature'? What can we do to change it? What does individual healing have to do with the struggles for social justice? What does social justice have to do with individual healing? Why do members of the same oppressed group fight each other, sometimes more viciously than their oppressor? Why do some who experience oppression develop a life-long commitment to fighting oppression, while others turn around and oppress others?Īnne Bishop draws on her many years experience in community work to write this feisty and bestselling guide for activists, community workers and welfare workers.Chapter Eight: Step 5–Becoming an Ally (Excerpt) Tim Costello, President, Baptist Union of Australiaīecoming an Ally is must reading for anyone concerned with understanding and challenging the dynamics, forms, and sources of oppression-whether it is their own oppression, that of others, or both.īob Mullaly is Head of Social Work at Victoria University, Melbourne Right now in Australia she has the power to lead us as we struggle with questions of guilt, responsibility and patterns of oppression which are 'larger than ourselves'. Already I have found myself quoting Anne Bishop's wisdom: her simple advice is compelling.

Becoming an Ally by Anne Bishop