Story Board
Check out these real stories of allyhood and share one of your own.
We're looking to put together video montages of stories, as well. If you're interested in sharing a story on camera, please contact us at PartnersInChange@umich.edu.
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Movements for CHANGE by Rhian Waters
I have been fortunate enough to experience the collaboration of ally communities in action. At my undergraduate institution, I was part of a collaborative effort by allies of many intersecting identities to end bias actions on campus. In response to increased violence against women, continued biased actions against Queer students, and racist graffiti, allies and activists banned together in solidarity to speak out. We called together, as one voice, to challenge perpetrators to re-examine their action, we called on passive observers to examine their privilege, and we called on each other for support. This action provided visibility for many in our larger community who were never before seen. Those who had never uttered a word about their experiences with bias incidents spoke to a large group that cheered them on.
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A Story Shared by Amy Bowers
I took the course Women in the Community because I was a newly-declared Women's Studies major with little service nor activist experience. Though I had always known that I was capable of helping others, I didn't know where to start. The service opportunities at the University of Michigan are numerous and, as an underclassmen from a tiny town, I was easily overwhelmed.
Women in the Community requrired each student to become involved with a local organization; I chose the Center for the Childbearing Year, an Ann Arbor business that provides doulas to expectant mothers, as well as numerous learning courses, and pre-natal and postpartum care. I enjoyed helping out the busy business in any way I could, but it wasn't until I got involved in their reserach project that I truly began learning how I could be an ally.
