Welcome, we are glad you are here!
Our mission is to center Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Newtown, Connecticut.
What is an Ally?
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What is an Ally? ❊
Well, to start, let’s talk about what an ally isn’t.
An ally is NEVER a name you can claim yourself.
It is not a badge or a pin that we can wear.
It is not a status we give ourselves.
Why can’t we call ourselves allies? Allyship is a verb, and is an ongoing action. When you focus on your “allyship” as opposed to just labeling yourself an ally, it forces you to look at what work you are actually doing to support BIPOC.
So, why did we name ourselves Newtown Allies For Change? Our name refers to the work we do, not the members who join us. Our mission is to center BIPOC through community engagement and education, it is not to give people ally status and pats on the back. Our work is ongoing, and claiming that any one of our members has reached “ally level” means we are done with the work, and no one person is ever done with their ally journey.
There is always more to learn, more educational opportunities to dive into, and more self reflection that we can take part in to show allyship and that we are working in solidarity with BIPOC to create a better Newtown for all.
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Recognize that racism is not an issue of the past, but rather an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.
Research, read, and repeat (educating yourself is THE most important, and it is ongoing).
Listen to what BIPOC in Newtown are telling you, and ask to support where you can.
Amplify the voices and messages of BIPOC. Speak up when you hear racism (no matter how uncomfortable it may be).
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Join our leadership team to help make change in our town! Send us an email to find out more: takeaction@newtownallies.org
Participate in the book discussions at the C.H. Booth Library.
Get involved at the town level (attend meetings, write emails) and make sure our representatives are supporting BIPOC.
Participate in the educational opportunities created by our Learning Committee (book discussions, readings, projects).
SPEAK UP when you hear something racist in town and let others know where you heard it.
Find out who is running for local town positions and which candidates do and do not support our mission and vote in every town election.
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White Fragility – discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted with information about racial inequality and injustice
Tone Policing – the action or practice of criticizing the angry or emotional manner in which a person has expressed a point of view, rather than addressing the substance of the point itself
White Silence – “when people with white privilege stay complicity silent when it comes to issues of race and white supremacy” – Layla Saad
White Saviorism – “the belief that people with white privilege have an obligation to “save” BIPOC from their supposed inferiority and helplessness” – Layla Saad
Optical Allyship – making a statement for showing solidarity for mere appearances, without doing any actual work to make change
To do this work effectively (and to not harm the work), it is important that you understand common pitfalls. If you want to learn more about how to avoid taking part in any of the pitfalls above (and many others), please take the time to read Layla Saad’s book Me and White Supremacy, and be sure to participate in every journaling question at the end of each chapter. Layla does a great job helping the reader dive into each concept, and gives you a chance to see how you may be complicit in each, and how to make changes moving forward.
This work is not just about changing how things look but how things actually are — from the inside out, one person, one family, one business, and one community at a time.
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– Layla Saad
Ready to put in the work?Now that you’ve learned about allyship and started your ally journey, it’s time to get to work.
Join our Team
Our team is always looking for people to take the next step and volunteer their time and energy to our work. Send us an email to find out more about how you can use your skills and experience to make change: takeaction@newtownallies.org
Please note that at this time, we are not a nonprofit organization.
Contact Us
Not sure how to get involved? We’re happy to speak with you. Contact us any time at takeaction@newtownallies.org.
Take Action
❊ Learning Resources ❊
It is so easy in this work to point your finger outward, and see the change that needs to happen in others and in society in general, but the most important thing you can do as an ally is to never stop educating yourself. There are so many great resources out there from books and articles to documentaries and podcasts. View our ally resources to find the one for you and get started on your educational journey to become a stronger ally.
Parent and Child Resources
It is never too early to talk about race! Looking for help in starting those conversations with your future ally? We have a list of board books and picture books to help you get started, as well as videos to prepare you for those conversations.
And don’t forget, in order to educate your littles, you need to start with educating yourself!
Adult Resources
There are so many great resources out there, but we recommend you start your journey with the following two books: White Fragility and Me and White Supremacy. This will help you get a better feel for where you are on your journey, and will give you the language and background that you need to begin.
C. H. Booth Library
Our local library has also done an amazing job to incorporate social justice in their schedule with webinars, book clubs and activities for youth.
Visit the library’s events page and see what they have coming up!
NAFC Youth get involved too!
NAFC youth working hard on a service project for Newtown
‘We Rise by Lifting Others’ project created by our NAFC Youth
Some great conversations have happened