Juliette Hampton Morgan: Becoming an Ally

Overview:

Students learn the importance of being an ally through the story of Juliette Hampton Morgan, a white woman who lived in Montgomery, Alabama, during segregation.

"Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."
-- Elie Wiesel

Objectives

Students will understand the concept of being an ally.
Students will learn examples of allies across different identity groups.
Students will identify groups they want to align with as allies.

Materials

Copy of "I Can Be An Ally" and Five Ways [1] for each student

Juliette Hampton Morgan used her voice to challenge racism in society and among her white peers. As a white woman, she was an ally to black people; she supported and stood up for the rights and dignity of others. Today, there are many social problems that could benefit from an increase in such alliances. White people can follow Morgan's example and support people of color in the continuing struggle against racism. Men can stand up as allies with women in the struggle to end sexism. Straight people can stand up as allies with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the struggle to end anti-gay bigotry.

A contemporary ally example is the Gay Straight Alliance Network [2], which brought attention to the backlash against Arabs and Arab Americans after the 9.11 terrorist attacks. On its website, the organization wrote:

You don't have to be Arab/Arab American to take a stand against the violence, harassment and discrimination that many Arabs/Arab Americans have suffered following the tragedy of 9.11. Many people who are or are perceived to be Arab/Arab American have also suffered violence, harassment, and discrimination. The GSAN commits itself to a multi-issue agenda, which includes being an ally for Arab/Arab Americans. Even if your group doesn't have Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern or South Asian members, you can promote solidarity and tolerance through being an ally.

The GSAN also listed reasons for being an ally and ways to form such an alliance:

How the Recent Hostility Toward Arab/Arab Americans Affects Everyone
1. Hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans can be diverted toward people who aren't Arab/Arab American but who are perceived to be.

2. When hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans is not challenged it sends a message that hate and harassment are tolerated. This degrades the potential for a safe and respectful environment for all people.

3. Hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans puts pressure on people who aren't Arab/Arab American to act aggressively and angrily toward Arabs/Arab Americans.

4. Hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans can make it hard for Arab/Arab Americans and people who aren't Arab/Arab American to be friends and, thus, strains community relationships.

5. Hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans makes it hard to appreciate true diversity and the uniqueness of all cultural backgrounds.

How to Be an Ally to Arab/Arab Americans
1. Organize discussion groups in class or after school to talk about how hostility toward Arabs/Arab Americans affects everyone.

2. Bring up the issue of harassment and discrimination against Arabs/Arab Americans in conversations with friends or discussions in class.

3. Interrupt anti-Arab jokes, comments or any other behaviors making prejudice against Arabs/Arab Americans appear OK.

4. Put pro-solidarity/anti-hate posters in the halls and classrooms or wear shirts, buttons, etc., identifying you as an ally and display a message of solidarity with Arabs/Arab Americans.

5. Don't make assumptions about other peoples' ethnic, religious or cultural backgrounds. Assume that there are Muslims, Arabs, Arab Americans, people of Middle Eastern descent and/or South Asians at your school.

Instructions for Using the Handouts and Conducting the Lessons
Introduce the lesson by talking about Morgan's role as an ally and write the definition of "ally" on the board:

An ally is someone who supports and stands up for the rights and dignity of individuals and identity groups other than their own.

Next, share the GSAN example with students. Then review the lesson objectives. Complete the following steps:

Conduct a think-aloud with students about sexism -- a topic that will generate much discussion in any classroom. Frame sexism as attitudes, conditions or behaviors promoting stereotyping of social roles based on gender. Work with students to identify some examples of how sexism operates, e.g. "Sexism promotes the stereotype that women should work only in the home." Be sure to elicit one or more examples showing how sexism hurts men, e.g. "Sexism promotes the idea men should be 'strong' and not express their emotions." While sexism harms both men and women, society often treats sexism as a "women's issue." How can men work as allies with women to end sexism? Provide some actionable examples to get students thinking, e.g. "Men can be allies with women by discouraging their peers from telling sexist jokes."

Next, brainstorm a list of other social problems, such as racism or homophobia. Give a copy of the I Can Be an Ally handout to each student to be completed individually. Have students form groups with classmates who select the same social problem.

Once students are in small groups, distribute the Five Ways handout. Students should brainstorm ways they can work individually and collectively as allies.

Extension Activity: Writing as an Ally
Using Juliette Hampton Morgan's letter-writing activity as a model, encourage students to combine their writing ability with a desire to be allies. Have them choose a format -- a letter to the local newspaper regarding a civic issue, a letter to a national magazine responding to a specific story or a letter to an elected official regarding a specific issue -- and write 400 words in the voice of an ally.

Step 1: Identify the issue or story to which you want to respond.

Step 2: Write an ally statement to identify the viewpoint being taken: "As a ______ , I will be an ally for ______."

Step 3: Outline the main points of the letter.

Step 4: Write a draft of the letter, and work one-on-one with a classmate for feedback on how to make the letter stronger or clearer.

Step 5: Complete a final draft of the letter.

Step 6 (optional): Encourage students to mail the letters and track any replies or impact the letters have.

Follow-up discussion: Have students read letters aloud in class, then discuss why an ally's voice has power. What dimension does an ally bring to the discussion? Why might some people listen to an ally's voice more than other voices? Are there any negative aspects associated with an ally's voice? If so, what can be done to minimize or overcome those negatives?

Sources

The Gay Straight Alliance Network, Justice For All: How to Be an Effective Ally to Arab/Arab Americans [3]

Definition of [3]ally [4] from Diversity Matters