The Good Ally: A Guided Anti-racism Journey from Bystander to Changemaker

Product Information

I was intrigued by an article in The Guardian(?) written by the author about not needing a "white savior." I did not know about her previous work. I was impressed by her thoroughness (history, statistics, personal stories) and was not expecting such raw, powerful, sometimes hard-to-face realities, especially since the book mainly covers racism in Britain. As an American (who lived in London for a few years), I found the British focus interesting, and helpful; an almost-clinical way to have an arms-length distance while still understanding the horrible stories, policies, and statistics that would probably be much, much worse in my own country.

What I’m writing, reading or thinking and what other people have written or thought, painted, made or designed: things I would love to have made, in a parallel universe where time is infinite and all things are possible. Being an ally to my closest friends, I think that's where it starts - and my social media platforms. Use any platform you have to de-centre your voice and amplify the voices of people who are less heard,” says Richie. Many would-be allies fear making mistakes that could have them labeled as “-ist” or “-ic” (racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc). But as an ally, you’re also affected by a system of oppression. This means that as an ally, there is much to unlearn and learn—mistakes are expected. You need to own this as fact and should be willing to embrace the daily work of doing better. Upset, I couldn’t understand what happened. Did the conversation we had not get through? What didn’t they step up? Then it dawned on me:One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is learning how to create closure within rather than expecting other people to give it to us. Being a good ally means realising your privilege exists - whether that’s because of your race, class, gender or something else - and that pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t change anything,” says presenter Richie Brave. “We all have an obligation to do something to make sure that society is better for everybody.” Nova’s book for me is a mental health manual for dealing with the everyday issues that arise when navigating a system that seeks to deny the existence of structural racism. She not only gives the reader detailed examples of the things that can and do arise, she also expertly offers solutions that help deal with them.’ If you are serious about anti racism, unlearning and becoming aware of how you are complicit, you simply must read this book. Buy it, read it, buy one for a friend.”

There is still a lot to be done, of course - a lot of people who will not read this book and actual legislation that needs to be campaigned about for change (e.g. race discrimination cases do not work in the same way as sex discrimination cases, with less time to raise them and unequal treatment if the claim is upheld). As a whole, the chapter on allyship at work is excellent, laying out exactly the process of how to create a safe space for a colleague or employee. Being comfortable talking about race is also a key element of a good ally. As the BITC guide highlights, only 38% of employees said they were comfortable talking about race in the workplace. Saying you’re an ally is much easier than actually being an ally. Saying you’re an ally looks good on paper, especially if you’re never questioned about your inaction.If you are a white person reading this review, I want to remind you that self-care is very important. Shame and guilt will definitely surface when reading this book (especially if you are a White woman), and you need to treat yourself with compassion. Having a group of like-minded people to reflect together is very helpful. Finally, this is a resource to help anyone considering allyship better understand the pros and cons of what being an ally entails. Allies understand their role in collaboration with people whose lives are affected daily by systemic oppression.

The writing style was easy, straightforward and structured in a helpful way, Nova Reid has nailed a perfect conversational style to her writing that makes even difficult subjects like this easy to follow and understand on a personal level. The originating impulse for Rankine’s play, The White Card, a distillation of racial divisions and an exploration of the invisibility of whiteness, came from this man’s question. (Words above from Rankin’s article in the Soho Theatre’s programme for a recent production of The White Card.) Nova Reid is one of the most generous, open-hearted, energising writers working today. The Good Ally is a beautiful, bold and no-BS guide to getting uncomfortable, digging deep and being fully human. It will be the best and hardest work you ever do. You will not regret it.' Emma Gannon

Apologies aren’t a magic fix and won’t solve mistakes of the past, but there are a few attributes that make for a good apology. One particularly fine piece of work in the book is Reid's reframing of privilege as advantage, privilege as a word having a class-based response in the UK that is not helpful. There is also some useful information about trauma epigenetics - that trauma is passed down through generations so that when something awful happens now, it can trigger "deep-rooted historical trauma we were not even witness to" (p. 175). I was aware there was some work going on about intergenerational trauma that's come out in books I've seen others read so it was useful to see a summary of the topic presented so clearly and understandably here. Because we can think more clearly about stepping on someone’s literal toes than we usually do when it comes to oppression, the problems with many common responses are obvious: Nova makes a dedicated effort in explaining racism within the British context and experience. This alongside her use of data, case studies, empathy, reflective questions and inspirational quotes makes this book stand out to me.