The year of 2020 has been marked “the worst year ever” by basically anyone you ask. While I can mostly agree, the race and social issues continuing from the summer of 2020 are not just because the year sucked, but are deep rooted issues finally coming to surface, specifically in our country. These issues will not go away once the NYC ball drops at midnight on January 1, 2021. Since I am a white, cis, heterosexual woman, I do not speak on behalf of any of the marginalized people mentioned in this article. But, as an ally, I have gathered some ways to proactively maintain that allyship in my daily life suggested to me by members of these marginalized groups. There are so many deep issues in the structure of American society touching upon so many lives, and I am bound to miss expressing concern and allyship for them all. This is why these tips are specified to the major issues brought to light in the year of 2020.
Black Lives Matter
It is no secret that the biggest social issue America has faced in the year of 2020 has to do with the Black Lives Matter movement and racial inequality towards black people. Since Covid was still a very prominent issue during the summer of 2020, allies were stumped in trying to find a way to do their part in supporting black lives aside from going to peaceful protests. The biggest way to help heighten the voices and support those of the Black community is to shop from black owned businesses. Since Covid economically hurt many small businesses this year, our focus should mainly be there. An app called EatOkra helps locate black owned eateries within major cities of America. This is a perfect way for college students to support this. You can find a place to go out to eat with friends or do take out, all while economically supporting a black owned business. For many makeup wearers and fashionistas, some helpful ways to continue to support while doing something you love could be switching to black owned beauty brands and brands in partnership with the Black Lives Matter movement. Many Youtubers this year released makeup tutorials with Black owned beauty products, or just regular videos where their advertisements (played all the way through) put money towards the Black Lives Matter movement. Something so simple as watching a favorite Youtuber and their advertisements is a good first step to allyship for the black community.
LGBTQIA+
A big stigma around the LGBTQIA+ community this year is the acknowledgement of non-binary people and their pronouns. From a very young age, our minds have been groomed to associate the way someone looks as either She or He, but in actuality, someone’s identity can be so much deeper than looks. A way that allies can try to break the stigma around non-binary pronouns is to add your pronouns to your social media biographies. Many people believe that it is only necessary to do this if you prefer pronouns that are not cis, but what we fail to recognize is cis people have preferred pronouns as well, they are just more common in society. Another way for college students to normalize the specification of pronouns is to put them in our Zoom names. This way when other classmates and professors see your name, they will know how to identify you, and this will also make those with non-binary pronouns stick out less. Nonetheless, incorporating your pronouns into daily life normalizes the expression of any kind of pronouns, and helps make those who are non-binary feel more acknowledged and safe.
Asian-Americans
Since the Corona Virus has entered the United states, Asian-Americans have been highly discriminated against and accused of “bringing the virus” to our country. Obviously, this stigma is heightened by President Trump using phrases such as “Kung-flu” or “Chinese Virus” which only emphasize his blame for the pandemic on China, and therefore asian people as a whole. Many Asian style restaurants have shut down due to concern that their food would spread the CoronaVirus, which is simply not the case. The best way to support Asian Americans in this time is to speak out against people who engage in hurtful phrases such as the ones our President uses, and to eat at local small asian establishments. These asian restaurants are in the same position as the Black owned businesses economically. As college students, we love to order our chinese food late at night, so it is only fitting that we look into which businesses are struggling in our area due to these acts of discrimination. As for speaking out, Temple houses many exchange students from our Japanese campus, so there is plenty of opportunity to speak out against those who have been discriminating against them in terms of the CoronaVirus.
Groundwork in the Country
2020 may be a really hard year for many reasons, but it is also possibly the most important year for all of this sludge to surface. We are in a Presidential election year fighting for equality and justice for many of these marginalized groups in America, which is the biggest and best way for an ally to show up. This year, there are so many petitions being passed around that could grab the attention of officials running for office. Sign them, they’re free. It takes two minutes, and since we are all still stuck inside, we have the time to do this favor for those who need it most in our country. If there is only one thing you could do to be an ally to any of these groups in America, it is to vote this coming November. It is so important to give leadership to someone who cares for the prosperity of all Americans, not just the wealthy, white, and straight. This election is the biggest hand you can lend to a marginalized friend.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that there is so much to learn from the racist, xenophobic, and homophobic past of our country. Now more than ever, we need to come together and think of our peers who fall under these categories, and bring allyship to the table for the betterment and inclusivity of our college campuses, and societal lives.