Tuning in to the 24/7 news channels may bring you closer to the events of the day, but you’re more likely to learn something by looking elsewhere. Try to get beyond the daily diatribes of even the most well-meaning news outlets and look for concrete information that can be useful to you on your journey […]
Diversity & Inclusion
Active Allyship: Your Sphere of Influence
If you are feeling paralyzed by the enormity of work it will take to dismantle systemic racism, try focusing on your immediate sphere of influence — and think beyond posting on social media. In her book Emergent Strategy, author Adrienne Maree Brown explores how successful movements can start with action among just a few like-minded […]
Active Allyship: Supporting Business-owners
One good way to be a better ally—especially during this pandemic-edition holiday-shopping season—is to patronize local businesses that are owned by people of color, and tell your friends about them. It is especially important to support Black-owned businesses right now because, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and as reported by CNN […]
Active Allyship: Ask Questions, Grow from Mistakes
As a member of the Black community and the LGBTQ+ community (as well as the vegetarian, mom of school-age kids, etc. communities) I like allies who aren’t afraid to ask questions and who know what to do when they make mistakes. Both of those require some guidance, however. When asking questions: Treat me like an […]
‘Active Allyship’: Empathic listening
As you learn to become a good ally, one of the most important skills you can develop is empathic listening. Those of us who experience the world as white, straight, cis, and abled sometimes end up thinking that our experiences are universal. But this isn’t the case at all, and empathic listening helps us unpack […]
‘Active Allyship’: A new series guiding your path toward being a better ally
When Rochester Women’s Network developed a new vision statement last year, we were intentional about making a commitment to support and promote diversity and inclusion in all that we do. At the beginning of 2020, we launched our Diversity and Inclusion Committee to guide our work of being better allies through all of our committees, […]