Anti-Racist Ally Quotes

“Racism as an issue is huge. Without real, tangible examples of what it looks like and how it manifests today, we don’t stand a good chance of winning the fight against it.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“Finding ways to make positive change in the opinions or actions of people and organisations closest to you can be a good way of maximising success, from changing policies in schools to having an impact on local government. It also gives us a chance to see in real time the impact of your work, which can be rewarding and motivating. See”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“Being shocked is not allyship. Saying, ‘I can’t believe it’ is not allyship. Feeling sympathy is not allyship. Thinking that someone should do something is not allyship. Taking on these issues as your own and fighting for them consistently, consciously, is allyship.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“Allyship leads from behind. It’s not making it all about you or looking for praise or credit for your work, especially from marginalised people, but about listening to voices that too often go unheard and seeking to uplift and amplify them and their messages.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“Allyship is not just fighting for those people you know or to whom you feel a connection, but for everyone, simply because it’s the right thing to do.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“People from marginalised backgrounds are not accessories that can be used or pointed at ‘prove’ your anti-racism. We understand that misogynists date and marry women, and have other women in their lives who they care about,”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“The conversation around racism that most of us have heard since childhood is usually pretty one-dimensional. Very black and white. Racism is bad. People who are racist are bad people. And you are a good person, so you are not racist. Since childhood we have been building up our personal mental images of ‘a racist’ – someone who is uncaring, violent, dangerous, hateful. You’d know one if you saw one and you’d definitely never be one.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“Not being racist is the right foundation, but it’s a passive state. It’s not allyship. To be an effective anti-racist ally, we all need to be actively anti-racist.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism

“It’s important to learn to accept and sit with the feeling of discomfort. Avoiding that feeling, prioritising comfort, means we avoid addressing the very things that need to be brought to light the most.”
― Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism