What Does It Mean to Be an Ally?

From Taylor Hickman, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia

This past week in Seventh Grade Health and Body Wellness class, we began discussing different types of human identities. As they dove into all the different ways a person can show up in the world, in preparation for our work around personal identity formation, students paused to answer the question: “what does it mean to be an ally?” While specifically in response to the idea of being an ally toward people within the LGBTQIA+ community, the answers are relevant to any affiliations and/or identity groups. Students shared that it means not only being "not against something" but being an advocate and "in support of" said identity. Students quickly grasped that allyship is not a passive label, but an active stance. Being "in support" requires action, not simply acceptance. 

If we borrow this idea from our Seventh Grade class, and move through the world knowing that nothing is neutral, we can feel power in knowing the potential every decision and every moment has toward greater empathy. All of our choices serve as opportunities to shape the world into a more humanizing place. The Seventh Grade class will continue to expand themselves and discuss where opportunities exist to do this, how they are already showing up, and how these questions relate to individual equity and inclusion goals.