On Being an Ally

It's been over a month since the George Floyd and BLM Protests started,
but that does not mean our work is over

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Rashima Sonson - SONSON

Oakland, CA based designer, Rashima Sonson is the owner of SONSON® (an E-commerce traditional and luxury bow tie brand). The brand offers bow ties made of African wax print fabric, lamb leather, pearls, and Swarovski® stones.

Guest Post by Sarah Page, Owner of Earth Love Cosmetics

As I'm sure everyone that’s reading this knows, the United States is experiencing growing pains in regards to race. The process of growth or self-improvement in an area can take many forms, but it starts with self-awareness and a desire for change. To be an ally to Black people during this time is to have the self-awareness that you’re not going to get it right all the time, and to have the humility and desire to change. And I’m not going to lie, that change can sometimes be painful. It’s imperative to lend support in whatever ways each of us can to this important movement that’s shaping the future of our nation.

Recently I shared a Google doc with the SF Etsy community to create a list of Black artists and makers in the Bay Area. I was inspired to do this by similar lists I’ve seen encouraging people to support Black-owned businesses in support of the Black Lives Movement. The Google doc took on a life of its own with many people contributing to and sharing it. When I was asked by SF Etsy leadership to write a guest blog post to bring more attention to the list, I agreed, but then hesitated because I didn’t want to be another white woman taking the spotlight for something where I didn’t really do anything but make space for something that others contributed to. That gave me the idea to write for SF Etsy about being an ally. 

I also recently responded to the Facebook post of a friend in the city who suggested there should be a protest in support of Black Lives Matter in my neighborhood, the Marina District. This is a predominantly white upper-class neighborhood with an express bus right to the financial district. In 2011, I was involved in organizing the initial Occupy protests in San Francisco and I had wanted to organize a protest in this neighborhood, but never did. So I enthusiastically lent support to this friend, reached out to some local activist friends for advice, and supported her in planning a successful protest in less than a week.

We didn’t do much more than create event pages on Facebook and Nextdoor, plan a march route, and share the event information with local publications like SF Funcheap and BrokeAssStuart. Neither of us had time to reach out to Black Lives Matter activists to get their guidance - which would have been ideal - but we hoped that people of color would take the lead of the protest, and that is exactly what happened. In this case, the act of making space for something to occur was all that was needed to be allies (along with lending my megaphone).
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Taylor Jay ​- Taylor Jay  Collection

The Taylor Jay Collection is both made and designed in Oakland Ca. Her clothing empowers women with beautiful, versatile, comfortable, sustainable fashion basics that easily adapts to any lifestyle.

The Art of Robert  Liu-Trujillo

​Rob Liu-Trujillo is a co-founder of The Trust Your Struggle Collective, a contributor to The Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair, The Bull Horn Blog, Rad Dad, Muphoric Sounds, and the founder of Come Bien Books.

There are other ways that being an ally to this movement which take more effort. Listening to Black people share their experiences and frustrations is an important one. Recently my workplace held a Zoom meeting where Black colleagues were asked to share their reactions related to the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests. It was enlightening and very moving to hear colleagues share openly about their experiences as Black Americans, learning about micro-racism, the fears they share, and how even a trip to the grocery store requires deliberation in regards to choosing which store to go to based on how they’re likely to be received there.

Responding to family and friends who take issue with the protests or with the concept of Black Lives Matter is another way of being an ally. It’s not easy to stand up for what you believe in with family and friends who have beliefs and perspectives that differ from yours. I know from experience that it can be painful to feel that your family and friends don’t respect your point of view or that they dislike you because you challenge them on their beliefs. In the current environment where people on different sides of issues may only hear news and discourse that supports their perspective, it can be particularly difficult to share a totally opposite viewpoint and face ridicule. But this makes it all the more important to do just that, because if we don’t challenge their beliefs, who will? 


​There are lots of ways one can be an ally to people of color as they demand justice at this time. I’ve shared a few, from fairly simple acts like listening and making space to support the movement, to the more challenging act of confronting people close to you. You can also educate yourself on the history of race in America and the Civil Rights Movement, advocate for better treatment of people of color in everyday interactions such as at stores or restaurants, and buy from Black business owners. To this last point, check out the list of Black Bay Area Artists and Makers and show your support to the Black community during this important time.

We'd love to hear your ideas on other ways people can be allies to the Black community.

Hope Henson-Lehman  Fresh to Def ​

Fresh to Def Collective CEO Hope Henson-Lehman is an Oakland Emerging 100 entrepreneur who's work has been honored by Essence, Shondaland, and Public Allies. Her accomplishments include building teams and financially supporting other women of color ages 18 - 30 locally as independent contractors, interns, and co-owners.

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Author

Sarah Page is a maker of natural, nontoxic and eco-friendly skincare. When she's not challenging the status quo or making skincare for her brand, Earth Love Cosmetics, she enjoys reading, hiking and traveling. ​