Kwanzaa for White Allies, Day 5: Courageous Introspection

To better serve others, sometimes it’s good to take a hard unblinking look at yourself.

Day 5 of Kwanza focuses on the concept of “Nia” which linguistically translates roughly to “purpose” but conceptually has many layers. One description of Nia is “the collective vocation of constantly building and developing the capacity of our people to bee ourselves and free ourselves to pursue an expansive good and come into the fullness of ourselves.” The concept provides a useful focus for anyone — including white allies — who are reflecting on their developmental journey. Nia directs you to think about the ways that your thoughts and actions are helping you become a better person who is actively and intentionally contributing to a better world.

For white allies, this concept can prompt some important contemplation and discernment around an important question about anti-racism philosophy and practice that allies don’t ask often enough: To what extent is my anti-racism allyship helping me become a better ally and a better person?

Central to your anti-racism philosophy is a vision of the world that the anti-racism movement seeks to create. I would suggest allies focus their anti-racism vision on the notion of the “beloved community”, a term brought…