Allyship and the anti-racist campus

Despite the best efforts of allyship movements over the past decade, issues around equity – particularly racial equity on campuses persist. Further, many universities are now engaging in conversations about racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion; and some (cl)aim to be ‘anti-racist’; while this is promising, the evidence of this vision is often hazy. What therefore is an anti-racist campus and how do we get there? Is ‘allyship’ part of the problem – or an integral part of the solution? In seeking to respond to these questions, this session uses allyship as a starting point to action; and proposes that for lasting change to take place in race equity, stakeholders must move beyond a general understanding of allyship to understanding this within the context of race. We aim therefore to provide a space to deepen our understanding of allyship so that these conversations can be turned into action.