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The problem with ‘allyship’


Last updated May 3, 2021

By Tina Underwood

Evan Meyers ’21

In an article he penned for National Review, Furman University senior Evan Meyers makes an argument against “allyship” and the “Black friends” approach as models for interracial relations, especially in light of the murder of George Floyd. Trusting in the “transformative power of true friendships,” Meyers says both approaches are “two sides of the same coin,” and that “both the ‘Black friends’ argument and allyship ultimately make people of color props, mere means to ends.”

Instead, Meyers encourages “complete friendship” and adds, “Today, in the wake of the Derek Chauvin verdict and the Ma’Khia Bryant shooting, students seeking to fight racism should stop performing sacraments of social justice on Instagram and reject allyship as it is currently understood. Making friends is far better – though admittedly far more difficult – than mere allyship.”

From Birmingham, Alabama, Meyers is the former editor-in-chief of The Paladin, host of the ZoomUni podcast, and will graduate with a bachelor’s in politics and international affairs with a minor in Latin American Studies.

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