One of the key principles of allyship is not to ask people from marginalised backgrounds to take on the emotional, psychological and physical burden of having to educate people from non-marginalised backgrounds in what it means to be a good ally. The burden of increasing knowledge, understanding and skills has to fall on the person looking to become an effective ally.
In order to better enable you to develop as an ally we have collated some self-education resources to support you.
Allyship Tips
There is a vast amount of literature available on how to develop your skills as an ally. These are just a few of the highlights.
How to Challenge Ourselves to Grow As Allies
How to be an Ally in the Office
7 Characteristics of Effective Workplace Allies
Ageism: Diversity's Forgotten Cousin
Black Thought and Culture Digital Collection
Resource Lists
Being an ally isn't just about knowing what makes a good ally, but also about being willing to learn about different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Knowledge often comes from listening to the thoughts, perspectives and ideas of others and allowing yourself to reflect on the issues raised. In order to help you achieve this, Kent has compiled a number of resource lists to develop your knowledge and understanding and broaden your perspective and awareness of the challenges that face different groups of marginalised people. Please do feel free to explore them.
Black History Month Resource List
Disability History Month Resource List
Disability Toolkit, Guides and Resources