Allyship in Action - Lessons from the Lorax

Editor's Notes

• #3: Uncomfortable - We will be talking about topics you’re probably not used to addressing openly Personal – I’m going to be sharing very personal stories with you, talking about situations I haven’t shared with most people. Others are welcome to do the same and I ask that you please be respectful of our experiences Brave space - cannot guarantee your comfort and security but I do welcome you to be open and brave in whatever identity you carry Authentic - I’ll be using words that, if you’ve worked with me, you may not be used to me saying but if we want to have an authentic dialogue, I have to be truthful Expert - When it comes to being an ally, I screw up often, but If you choose to do social justice work, you are going to screw up – a lot. Be prepared for that. And when you screw up, be prepared to listen to those who you hurt, apologize with honesty and integrity, work hard to be accountable to them, and make sure you act differently going forward.”
• #4: Everyone has their own experiences and their own cultural lens that they see through. The experiences we have shape and color our lenses. Who mentioned their physical ability Mental ability Veteran status Religion
• #5: A boy living in a polluted area visits a strange isolated man called the Once-ler in the Street of the Lifted Lorax. The Once-ler tells to hear the legend of how the Lorax was lifted away. The Once-ler tells the boy of his arrival in a beautiful valley containing a forest of Truffula trees and a range of animals. The Once-ler, having long searched for such a tree as the Truffula, chops one down and uses its wool-like foliage to knit a Thneed, an impossibly versatile garment. The Lorax, who "speaks for the trees" as they have no tongues, emerges from the stump of the Truffula and voices his disapproval both of the sacrifice of the tree and of the Thneed itself. However, the first other person to happen by purchases the Thneed for $3.98, so the Once-ler is encouraged and starts a business making and selling Thneeds. The Once-ler's small shop soon grows into a factory. The Once-ler's relatives all come to work for him and new vehicles and equipment are brought in to log the Truffula forest and ship out Thneeds. The Lorax appears again to report that the small bear-like Bar-ba-loots, who eat Truffula fruits, are short of food and must be sent away to find more. The Lorax later returns to complain that the factory has polluted the air and the water, forcing the Swomee-Swans and Humming-Fish to migrate as well. The Once-ler is unrepentant and defiantly tells the Lorax that he will keep on "biggering" his business, but at that moment one of his machines fells the very last Truffula tree. Without raw materials, the factory shuts down and the Once-ler's relatives leave. The Lorax says nothing but with one sad backward glance and lifts himself into the air ("by the seat of his pants") and disappears behind the smoggy clouds. Where he last stood is a small monument engraved with a single word: "UNLESS". The Once-ler ponders the message for years, in solitude and self-imposed exile. In the present, his buildings falling apart around him, the Once-ler at last realizes out loud what the Lorax meant: unless someone cares a great deal, the situation will never improve. He then gives the boy the last Truffula seed and urges him to grow a forest from it, saying that if the trees can be protected from logging then the Lorax and all the animals may return.
• #8: When I first decided to admit my feelings and come out of the closet 10 years ago I was 18. I was with my first boyfriend ever in a park up in Newfane. We decided to walk around the park and hold hands and be cute and couple-y and as we walked we were approached by four young teenage boys on bikes who road by us and screamed “faggots.” I froze. I let go of his hand. I was ready to be chased down and hurt by this group of boys. I was thinking about Matthew Shepard who died ten years earlier. We couldn’t’ defend ourselves. Now the boys didn’t chase on down on their bikes, they just let us know verbally that hated us. Luckily it’s been ten years later and I recently went to a meat raffle with a group of friends. We had the BEST time. And I won meat so I was leaving on a high. As we were packing up I was chatting with a friend who was also straggling and the crowds were leaving. As we were talking I watched a large man, bigger than me, make his way to the door and turn back to his buddy and yell, “Yeah whatever faggot!” across the room. I froze. And stared. And all of those emotions that I experienced when I first came out came rushing back. My friend’s sister yelled to him, “Hey there are kids here!” And then she saw my face, full of terror and sadness. I knew my body wasn’t in danger but that didn’t matter to me. I just tensed. All of my joy left with his words. I was remembered there is still prejudice in my community. I came home to my boyfriend of six years with my winnings and just lost it in his arms. I found out the next day that my friend’s sister, who I’ve met like twice, after seeing how his words affected me followed him outside and spoke to him about how he should never speak like that and how disrespectful his actions were. She was an ally in that moment. She spoke for the trees when the trees have no tongues.
• #9: What is your personal definition of allyship? Is anyone willing to share?
• #11: This word makes people nervous, uncomfortable, clutch their pearls, and get mad. WHY?!
• #12: Privilege is the opposite of oppression. Pick four people from the audience Higher probability of getting it in Intersectionality – changing seats The front seat never has to look behind her if she doesn’t want to – privilege is like a horse with blinders on Privilege is unearned. Privilege doesn’t mean rich or that you never experienced struggle. It DOES mean that you won’t experience some challenges because of who you are. As an ally, these conversations about privilege are tough, but necessary. Being an ally means you will screw up, the big part is that you acknowledge it, authentically apologize, and change.
• #13: 1)Individual oppression: An individual believing that poor and low income people don't want to eat healthy. Talking to a poor or low income person as though they are less intelligent. 2) Institutional oppression: Institutional Oppression creates a system of invisible barriers limiting people based on their membership in unfavored social identity groups. The barriers are only invisible to those “seemingly” unaffected by it. Raises in rent and taxes that cause you to move. Funding of schools is based on neighborhood. Interest rates are based on previous credit, as well as accumulated wealth. Result: people with the least money to spare end up paying the highest interest on money borrowed through credit cards, loans, etc. 3) Cultural narrative that people who have access to money deserve to have it and have earned it, and those who don't haven't worked hard enough, don't want it, it's their fault, etc. Cultural narrative that people's worth is based on our performance as workers: how fast or hard we work, how long we work, how much money we make, how much we contribute to the accumulation of profit.
• #16: Looking behind is awareness After this you can move the can or you can say “hey, there’s a seat right beside me.” Everyone has privilege in one way or another
• #17: Know when to shut up. Be silent to unpack. Know what’s going on, not be so quick to solve the issue. Ask yourself, “How can I show up?”
• #18: Step back – stop, be in the moment, invest in your allyship and ask to yourself, “Why do you want to be an ally”
• #19: Self-Reflection – How am I showing up but more importantly – Am I asking them how they NEED me to show up?
• #20: Sue Storm Mickey Madden Michelle Williams Being an ally means that you don’t get a badge, a sticker, or credit.
• #21: Being an ally is a verb, not an identity. Allyship is not an identity, it is a lifelong process Being in solidarity is something we can strive for, but in the end, it is the choice of those we are attempting to ally ourselves to as to whether they trust us enough to call us an ally. Additionally, just because one person considers me an ally, that does not mean that every person of that marginalized identity considers me an ally or should! Trust is something earned through concerted action, not given simply because of our actions in a particular arena or context. Sometimes doing ally work is nonverbal – it could just be standing next to someone in solidarity Sometimes ally work is just asking “You good?” Know not to text later and be like “Did I do a good job?” You are an ally TO people like you.
• #22: Everyone has their own experiences and their own cultural lens that they see through. The experiences we have shape and color our lenses.
• #24: When white people refuse to use their privilege and voice to fight against a society that disproportionately victimizes people of color, they are in fact contributing to a racist and unjust society.