Anatomy of an Ally from Teaching Tolerance
Anatomy of an Ally
Number 53: Summer 201
Teenagers in Arizona wear lettered T-shirts that together spell out a racial slur.
Transgender boys in a Wisconsin school are given detention after using the boys’ restroom.
Male students in a California high school create a “slut page” on Instagram featuring embarrassing photographs of their female peers.
In schools across the United States, students experience oppression based on their race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, ability and other identities. Most educators care about the well-being of these students, but when young people are being targeted, caring isn’t enough. Ensuring all students feel respected and protected at school requires educators to become allies: partners in empowerment who speak out against injustice and support marginalized groups and individuals on their own terms. How can educators navigate the complexities of allyship in and out of the classroom? What does it take to become an effective ally?
