Newsroom

Activism & Allyship Guide

By ·
· ,

This was included in a message to our host and guest community across the United States and prepared by the Black@ Airbnb Employee Resource Group.

Background 

Injustice is something that exists in the world and is faced daily by many different types of people.  For many Black people, it ranges from microaggressions*, like a woman clutching her purse when approaching a Black man or a person telling a Black woman she looks “neat and clean,” to death either at the hands of the police or someone else who believes they are within their right to invalidate a Black person’s life.  When many of these instances come to light by way of social media or the news, people want to find ways that they can be helpful or support the cause.  It is in these moments that you see people engaging in online activism by sharing posts; participating in a solidarity activity like wearing hoodies or buying skittles in support of Trayvon; running in support of Ahmaud; singing “We are not afraid” in support of Breonna Taylor, or participating in marches and spontaneous protests.  While these acts are important, helping to underscore the unity of people who are enraged by these situations, there is more that can be done to truly advance the cause of justice.  Those actions may look different based on how you exist in the world, but ultimately, everyone has a role to play in creating a more equitable society.  

If we are to advance the cause of racial justice, it has to be done both in the moments when we are outraged and in the quiet moments when there isn’t a new hashtag borne out of a specific moment of injustice.  It is about changing attitudes and beliefs that ultimately lead to actions.  It is hard work, to be sure, but it is the real work that will move the needle.  

Purpose of this document 

This document is designed to help people on their Allyship journey and has been designed by Airbnb’s Black@ employee resource group specifically as a guide to how Black Airbnb employees want Allies to show up for them, and it references work from activists and experts in antiracism. Being an ally does not start and stop during moments of convenience and inconvenience. Being an ally is a journey of commitment to understanding the dynamic realities marginalized people face, while confronting the role the privileges you enjoy have played in creating those realities.  

Social privilege is a special, unearned advantage or entitlement, used to one’s own benefit or to the detriment of others. Groups can be advantaged based on social class, age, disability, ethnic or racial category, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion. There are a range of ways to use one’s own privilege to help other marginalized communities. At the start, Phase I, one begins to be an ally, when people with privilege seek to understand the experiences of marginalized people and empathize with those experiences. Phase II begins when people leverage their own privilege to create space for marginalized people where those people might not have been able to exist, or to step back themselves and allow for the marginalized people to step up.  Finally, in Phase III, one is actively working to dismantle the structures of privilege, even your own privilege, that keep other people in a marginalized position.  

Actions 

Immediately

  • Be an active ally 
  • Do not remain silent. Be heard so that others know you do not condone injustice
  • Consider watching the video of George Floyd (trigger warning: it will make you extremely uncomfortable) or read How do you kneel on a neck for nine minutes? If you choose not to, ask yourself why you’re choosing not to, and examine what you can learn from that introspection

In moments of public outcries and uprisings

  • Demand justice by supporting online petitions or making calls to local leaders
  • Leverage your own networks to help educate others about the injustice that has occurred
  • Allies, show up and make your voice heard: If you are a white ally, you can march with Black protesters or form a line to defend them
  • Financially support organizations on the ground in the impacted place(s), especially those that are Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color Led
  • Direct other people to the resources you find and are supporting, including voices who are educating you about the issues
  • Check on your friends and colleagues, particularly those who are Black
  • If you manage Black employees, be sensitive to the trauma that they are dealing with when one of these instances occurs and manage with compassion

In moments of perceived calm

  • Here is a list of anti-racism resources; Educate yourself about the history of inequities that have marginalized Black people
  • Engage in a Daring Discussion with someone about a topic that you don’t understand or would like to understand better
  • Support national and local organizations who are working to uplift, center, empower and liberate Black people and communities – preferably those that are Black led
  • Educate yourself about the laws and policies that will negatively impact Black communities and advocate against them
  • Support elected officials and candidates with agendas that support the voices of the most marginalized people
  • Get civically engaged by voting in every election, but also supporting efforts to protect people’s right to vote (like volunteering for election protection or participating in get-out-the-vote activities)

Active Campaigns

In Support of George Floyd

  • Sign this petition to demand the police officers that strangled George Floyd are charged or text George Floyd to 5515
  • Call (612) 324-4499 to be connected with offices that have the authority to charge the officers in the murder of George Floyd
  • Donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund directly or through Benevity to help provide bail for people protesting against the killing of George Floyd or to learn about other local organizations on the front lines

In Support of Breonna Taylor

In Support of Ahmaud Arbery

  • Sign this petition to remove the local prosecutors from office who failed to move forward with Arbery’s case
  • Donate to Ahmaud’s family with this fundraiser

In support of the Black community

Data Sources

Daring Discussion Guides

The goal of “Daring Discussions” is for participants on different sides of a given issue to learn about one another’s personal experiences and perspectives as a starting place to gain compassion, respect and stronger relationships. Participants are asked to commit to avoiding judgment, defensiveness and anger and to try to express any negative feelings and different views constructively from a place of giving as opposed to being oppositional or needing to be right. 

To become an ally, you must seek understanding of the lived experiences of a particular person or group of people.  Here is the Daring Discussions toolkit to help guide you through meaningful conversations with someone about a topic or set of topics that will help you build empathy and compassion for marginalized people.  

Allyship Interventions

Books/Articles/Media

This list below is not exhaustive and should be considered a starting point for anyone looking to learn more about the history of inequities and how they were created.  There are many other articles, books, podcasts and other media that you can use to further your own self-awareness.

Articles

Books

Podcasts

Films & Videos

Organizations to Support

Here are some of the organizations Airbnb has supported or currently work with:

Here are other great organizations that you can support:

*Microagressions are a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority. 

About Airbnb 

Download logo assets