Learning the ABCs of Allyship

Did you know that someone proposed a new “Alphabet Song”? One that rids us of the famed LMNOP (read “ellemenopee”) in favor of each letter getting its shine in the song.

Of the few things that brought me joy this 2020, watching people on social media mourning the loss of LMNOP and questioning life’s cruelties over this change was pretty high on my list.

While I was squarely in the camp of the outraged who felt like a part of their childhood was taken away, it did make me think — what a perfect analogy to allyship.

What are the ABCs we are practicing and have internalized when it comes to showing up as an ally? Maybe we have developed a routine so familiar that we can recite it without thinking and practice it on autopilot. However, if there is a different way, a better way, that someone proposes, it sparks a visceral reaction.

It’s not easy to change. We are creatures of habit and change can be ugly, especially when we are confronting the uncertainty that comes with new decisions. In addition to that, I think opening up to change also means confronting who we currently are and accepting that we aren’t where we could be, or worse, where we thought we were. Regarding allyship, I think many of us take pride in our commitment…