In this episode of The Forum Podcast, Dr. Theodora Philip (TAP Consultants, LLC) and Xaulanda Simmonds-Emmanuel (The XaySky Group) explore being an ally as Black Caribbean women, and, through storytelling, they share strategies to advocate and promote equity at work and in society.

While much of the focus in recent times have been on racial, ethic, and LGBTQ+ discrimination and disparities, who is an ally, how to be one and the actions that should be taken to promote equity of the marginalized they support is more complex than the headlines. Fundamentally, discrimination and inequities are related to a spectrum of characteristics that involves just being human. These include but are not limited to age, culture, disabilities (innate or acquired), gender, indigenous heritage, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic, political views, among others. The challenge becomes when the ally themselves show up in society or are perceived as a member of the marginalized group under attack.

Learning Outcomes

• Define ally from the perspective of a marginalized person, who seeks equity at work & in society
• Share ally stories and strategies that promote self-reflection, understanding & clarity of role
• Explore ally-ship (identified & assumed) with targeted, context and culture specific interventions