Beyond Ally

Book excerpt: Doing anti-racist work can be profoundly transformational for White people. Not only does it allow them to live their values of justice and equality, but it also helps develop skills like listening, sharing power, and working through conflict. Now more than ever, humanity must bridge the racial divides that exist within our society. Dr. Maysa Akbar, a race-based trauma expert, and originator of the Urban Trauma(R) framework, deftly delineates what the allyship process is for White people to align themselves with people of color through the lens of a person of color. Dr. Akbar illuminates the concept of White Privilege, the societal barrier which breeds and sustains racism, formulated by generations of oppression. She redefines previous frameworks of allyship, and through her new identity model of allyship, she constructs a much-needed pathway towards race-based rectification for White people. We are facing a global tipping point with regard to racism. To be successful, White people must provide support in the right way. This book not only educates on how we got here but also shows how we address it and fix it moving forward.