Purpose:
This guide offers some places to start exploring issues of allyship, privilege, and oppression. Swarthmore College students have contributed and edited the content for the guide.
All interested members of the Swarthmore College community are invited to look at the resources collected here, to reflect and react, and to send in suggestions. This guide is meant to extend conversations that have been happening on-campus and to facilitate organizing and action. That said, this resource guide is not meant to stifle disagreement with the perspectives offered and the arguments being made.
The Allyship Resource Guide was developed in response to requests from students, faculty, and staff to clarify terminology that has come up in discussions around diversity and inclusion. The guide creators hope to facilitate thinking, conversation, and further learning, rather than serving as the final word on issues of diversity and inclusion.
Background:
During the spring 2013 semester, a group of Swarthmore College students decided that it would be helpful to have a list of definitions and resources for people who wanted to expand their knowledge around issues of privilege and oppression. Many students submitted definitions and links, from which the section editors have assembled this resource guide.
By covering a wide range of issues, the creators of this guide hope to provide a resource for people with all levels of prior knowledge and involvement in anti-oppression and allyship work. In particular, the creators of this guide hope it can be useful for people on campus who are supportive of the organizing that is happening but may feel that they lack certain knowledge or vocabulary.
Questions or comments about the guide?
Simon Elichko (Social Sciences Librarian - selichk1)
This guide could not have been created without the contributions of our Allyship Resource Guide alums:
Abigail Henderson (ahender1)
Eleanor Pratt
Ali Roseberry-Polier
Jay Wu
Sonja Dahl