In 2020, the world became familiar with what has been a common prayer among African Americans for years in America… “Make it Home”. Shout out to the internet for bringing people in the world closer together and shining a light on the racism some may have thought subsided.

America has grown a lot, but we still clearly have a long way to go. We can each apart of this growth. For our non-Black American counterparts, you might often wonder “how can I be an ally?”… We have included just a few key ways that anyone can join with us in this fight for continued change:

1. Stand up for Black people the way we fan out about Black culture and music in both private and public conversations.
   
2.  Speak up against racism in the workplace and support black colleagues.
   
3. Educate yourself on Black history. Why? Black history is American history. But, it’s also the key part of history that is often left out of American text books as well as in text books in other foreign countries. So, it’s likely you may be missing a lot of information that will give key insight to the Black American experience and how you best understand Black Americans, American itself and how to help bring continued change. It’s Black history month, so there are key opportunities to learn more everywhere! Click here for a list of places you can learn.
   
4. Petitions and political engagement
   
5. Understand that systemic racism goes beyond police brutality
   
6. Remember that Black men and Black people in general are not a monolith. Everyone doesn’t have the same experience. We are all learning from each other every day. Whether we are African American or otherwise, this is good for all of us to remember. Keep this in mind and be gracious & patient with each other.
   
7. Listen to and help amplify Black voices.
   Listen to the stories of Black people told by Black people. No one can tell your story better than you right? In that same manner, no one can share the perspectives and feelings of Black people better than Black people. Help amplify their voices. Share posts you see online. Encourage others to watch a documentary, book or podcast you were able to learn from. Listen, learn and share.
   
8. Support Black owned businesses.
   
   
   These are just a few of many ways to be an ally to Black Americans and Black people everywhere. There are many different ways for allies to get involved in the fight against racial injustice. The most effective thing an ally can do is get involved, stay involved, and continue educating yourself and others on the movement against anti-black racism. The more we pursue intentional change together, the more we will continue to see it in our communities. Let’s continue to change the narrative together!