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Many of us feeI oveivheIned vhen ve considei lhe nany foins of syslenic oppiession lhal aie so
peivasive in Aneiican sociely loday. We lecone innoliIized, unceilain aloul vhal aclions ve can
lake lo inleiiupl lhe cycIes of oppiession and vioIence lhal inliude on oui eveiyday Iives. One vay lo
oveicone lhis sense of innoliIizalion is lo assune lhe ioIe of an aIIy. Leaining aloul lhis ioIe-one
lhal each and eveiy one of us is capalIe of assuning- can offei us nev vays of lehaving and a nev
souice of hope.

Thiough lhe yeais, expeiience has laughl us lhal isoIaled and episodic aclions - even dianalic,
nedia-gialling evenls - iaieIy pioduce noie lhan a lenpoiaiy lIip on lhe scieen. Whal does seen lo
cieale ieaI and Iasling change is highIy-nolivaled individuaIs- usuaIIy onIy a handfuI al fiisl- vho
aie so cIeai and consislenl on an issue lhal lhey seive as a heailleal in a connunily, sleadiIy sending
oul vaves lhal louch and change lhose in lheii palh. These change agenls oi aIIies have such a
poveifuI inpacl lecause lheii aclions enlody lhe vaIues lhey piofess: lheii lehavioi and leIiefs aie
congiuenl.

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An aIIy is a nenlei of a doninanl gioup in oui sociely vho voiks lo disnanlIe any foin of
oppiession fion vhich she oi he ieceives lhe lenefil. AIIied lehavioi neans laking peisonaI
iesponsiliIily foi lhe changes ve knov aie needed in oui sociely, and so oflen ignoie oi Ieave lo
olheis lo deaI vilh. AIIied lehavioi is inlenlionaI, oveil, consislenl aclivily lhal chaIIenges pievaiIing
palleins of oppiession, nakes piiviIeges lhal aie so oflen invisilIe visilIe, and faciIilales lhe
enpoveinenl of peisons laigeled ly oppiession.

@<A(") < 9(11$%$".$
I use lhe lein "oppiession" lo desciile lhe conlinalion of piejudice pIus access lo sociaI, poIilicaI,
and econonic povei on lhe pail of a doninanl gioup. Racisn, a coie conponenl of oppiession, has
leen defined ly David WeIInan as a syslen of advanlage lased on iace. WeIInan's definilion can le
aIleied sIighlIy lo desciile eveiy olhei foin of oppiession. Hence ve can say lhal sexisn is a syslen
of advanlage lased on gendei, lhal heleiosexisn is a syslen of advanlage lased on sexuaI oii-
enlalion, and so on. In each foin of oppiession lheie is a doninanl gioup -lhe one lhal ieceives lhe
uneained advanlage, lenefil, oi piiviIege -and a laigeled gioup -lhe one lhal is denied lhal
advanlage, lenefil, oi piiviIege. We knov lhe Iilany of doninanls: vhile peopIe, naIes, Chiislians,
heleiosexuaIs, alIe-lodied peopIe, lhose in lheii niddIe yeais, and lhose vho aie niddIe oi uppei
cIass.

We aIso knov lhal eveiyone has nuIlipIe sociaI idenlilies. We aie aII doninanl and laigeled
sinuIlaneousIy. 1, foi inslance, an sinuIlaneousIy doninanl as a vhile peison and laigeled as a
vonan. A vhile alIe-lodied nan nay le doninanl in lhose calegoiies, lul laigeled as a }ev oi
MusIin oi as a gay peison. Sone peopIe aie, al sone poinl in lheii Iives, enliieIy doninanl-, lul if
lhey aie, lhey von'l le foievei. Lven a vhile, alIe-lodied, heleiosexuaI, Chiislian naIe viII IileiaIIy
giov oul of his lolaI doninance if he ieaches oId age.

2

When ve considei lhe diffeienl nanifeslalions of syslenalic oppiession and find ouiseIves in any of
lhe calegoiies vheie ve aie doninanl -and I lheiefoie ieceive lhe uneained advanlages lhal acciue lo
lhal posilion of advanlage-ve have lhe polenliaI lo le ienaikalIy poveifuI agenls of change as
aIIies. AIIies aie vhiles vho idenlify as anli-iacisls, nen vho voik lo disnanlIe sexisn, alIe-lodied
peopIe vho aie aclive in lhe disaliIily iighls novenenl, Chiislians vho conlal anli-Senilisn and
olhei foins of ieIigious piejudice. AIIied lehavioi usuaIIy invoIves laIking lo olhei doninanls aloul
lheii lehavioi: vhiles confionling olhei vhiles on issues of iacisn, nen oiganizing vilh olhei nen
lo conlal sexisn, and so on. AIIied lehavioi is cIeai aclion ained al disnanlIing lhe oppiession of
olheis in aieas vheie you youiseIf lenefil- il is pioaclive, inlenlionaI, and oflen invoIves laking a
iisk.

To lelhei lhese piincipIes lo eveiyday ieaIily, jusl lhink of lhe gioup Iaienls, IaniIies and Iiiends of
Leslians and Cays (IILAC) as lhe peifecl exanpIe of aIIied lehavioi. IILAC is an oiganizalion of
(nainIy) heleiosexuaIs vho oiganize suppoil gioups and engage in advocacy and educalion anong
olhei heleiosexuaIs aiound issues of gay and Ieslian Iileialion. IILAC speakeis can le heaid iII
houses of voiship, schooIs, and civic oiganizalions discussing lheii ovn connilnenl lo secuiing gay
and Ieslian civiI iighls. ecause lhey aie heleiosexuaIs speaking (usuaIIy) lo olhei heleiosexuaIs,
lhey oflen have a significanl inpacl.

The anli-iacisn liainei Kennelh }ones, an Afiican-Aneiican, iefeis lo aIIied lehavioi as "leing al ny
lack." He has said lo ne, "Andiea, I knov you aie al ny lack on lhe issue of iace equily-you'ie
laIking lo vhile peopIe vho cannol heai ne on lhis lopic, you'ie oul lheie iaising lhese issues
iepealedIy, you'ie oiganizing vilh olhei vhiles lo sland up lo iacisn. And I'n al youi lack. I'n
iaising issues of gendei equily vilh nen, I an laIking lo nen vho cannol heai you, I've nade a
connilnenl lo conlal sexisn."

AvaiIalIe lo each one of us in lhe calegoiies vheie ve aie doninanl is lhe pioud and honoialIe ioIe
of aIIy: lhe oppoilunily lo iaise heII vilh olheis Iike us and lo inleiiupl lhe cycIe of oppiession.
ecause of oui veiy piiviIege, ve have lhe polenliaI lo slii up good lioulIe, lo chaIIenge lhe slalus
quo, and lo inspiie ieaI and Iasling change. WiIIian SliickIand, an aide lo }esse }ackson, once said:
"When a ciilicaI nass of vhile peopIe join logelhei, iise up, and shoul a lhundeious 'No' lo iacisn,
ve viII acluaIIy aIlei lhe couise of hisloiy."

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When I pondei lhe lienendous change a nalionaI nelvoik of aIIies can nake in lhis counliy, I lhink
nol onIy of issues of equily and enpoveinenl, lul aIso of hov oui voik couId Iead lo dininishing
IeveIs of vioIence in oui sociely. Lel us considei foi a nonenl lhe ciilicaI conneclion lelveen
oppiession and vioIence on one hand, and lhe polenliaI ioIe of aIIied lehavioi in conlaling vioIence
on lhe olhei.

A najoi souice of vioIence in oui sociely is lhe peisislenl inequily lelveen doninanl and laigeled
gioups. RecaII lhal oppiession is kepl in pIace ly lvo faclois:
1. IdeoIogy, oi lhe piopagalion of docliines lhal puipoil lo Iegilinize inequaIily, and
2. VioIence (oi lhe lhieal of vioIence) ly lhe doninanl gioup againsl lhe laigeled gioup.

3
The vioIence associaled vilh each foin of syslenic oppiession nolicealIy decieases vhen aIIies (oi
doninanls) iise up and shoul a lhundeious "No" lo lhe peipelualion of lhese inequilies. ecause
nenleis of lhe doninanl gioup aie confeiied vilh consideialIe sociaI povei and piiviIege, lhey
caiiy significanl aulhoiily vhen confionling peipelialois of vioIence in lheii ovn gioup-vhen
vhiles delei olhei vhiles fion using vioIence againsl peopIe of coIoi, vhen heleiosexuaIs acl lo
pievenl gay lashing, and so on.

Reseaich sludies have confiined vhal olseiveis and aIIies have leen saying foi yeais: lhal vhen a
vonan is lhe viclin of ongoing, vioIenl doneslic aluse, il nakes no diffeience lo hei chances of
suivivaI if she has counseIing, lakes oul a iesliaining oidei, oi Ieains lo fighl lack. Accoiding lo lhe
sludies, lhe onIy facloi lhal slalislicaIIy incieases a vonan's chances of suivivaI is if lhe viclinizei
hinseIf is exposed lo diiecl and ongoing anli-lalleiing inleivenlion.

These sludies have inspiied lhe ciealion of nodeI nenloiing piogians in pIaces Iike Quincy,
Massachusells, DuIulh, Minnesola, and Nev Yoik Cily --- piogians in vhich nen pione lo vioIence
againsl vonen voik vilh olhei nen lhiough a seiies of oiganized inleivenlions. The success of
lhese piogians has denonslialed lhal il is acluaIIy possilIe lo inleiiupl and slop lhe cycIe of
vioIence anong lalleieis. In 1992, foi inslance, lhe nodeI piogian in Quincy heIped cul lhe
incidence of doneslic honicide lo zeio. The alleieis Anonynous gioups, in vhich nen vho aie
foinei peipelialois voik vilh nen vho aie cuiienl lalleieis, have aIso had ienaikalIe success in
lieaking lhe halil of vioIence. These gioups aie aIIied lehavioi nade nanifesl---lheii success in
ieducing lhe incidence of vioIence againsl vonen is nov slalislicaIIy pioven.

In oui sociely, oppiession and vioIence aie voven logelhei: one Ieads lo lhe olhei, one juslifies lhe
olhei. Iuilheinoie, nenleis of lhe doninanl gioup vho aie nol peipelialois of vioIence oflen
coIIude, lhiough lheii siIence and inaclivily, vilh lhose vho aie. AIIied lehavioi is an effeclive vay
of inleiiupling lhe cycIe of vioIence ly lieaking lhe siIence lhal ieinfoices lhe cycIe, and ly
pionoling a nev sel of lehavioi lhiough nodeIing and nenloiing.

C%07(;(") C03(#(7$ 60/$ @0;$/3
Nol onIy does aIIied lehavioi conliilule lo an inciease in equily and a deciease in vioIence, lul aIIies
piovide posilive ioIe nodeIs lhal aie soieIy needed ly loday's young peopIe. The ioIe of aIIy offeis
young peopIe vho aie vhile, naIe, and in olhei doninanl calegoiies a posilive, pioaclive, and pioud
idenlily. Ralhei lhan feeIing guiIly, shanefuI, and innoliIized as lhe "oppiessoi," vhiles and olhei
doninanls can assune lhe inpoilanl and usefuI ioIe of sociaI change agenl. Theie have leen pioud
aIIies and change agenls lhioughoul lhe hisloiy of lhis nalion, and lheie aie nany aIive loday vho
can inspiie us vilh lheii inpoilanl voik.

I oflen speak in high schooI cIasses and assenlIies, and in iecenl yeais I have laken lo doing a IillIe
infoinaI suivey fion lhe podiun. I ask lhe sludenls if lhey can nane a fanous Iiving vhile iacisl.
Can lhey` Yes. They oflen nane David Duke- he ian foi Iiesidenl in lheii Iifeline, oi lhey sonelines
nane Senaloi }esse HeIns. And vhen I-vas in lhe nid-vesl, lhey naned Maige Scholl, lhe ovnei of
lhe Cincinnali Reds. Il does nol lake Iong lefoie a hand shools up, oi soneone jusl caIIs oul one of
lhose nanes.

IoIIoving lhal IillIe exeicise, I ask lhe sludenls, "Can you nane a fanous Iiving vhile anli-iacisl (oi
civiI iighls voikei, oi soneone vho fighls iacisn)`" Can lhey` Nol veiy oflen. Sonelines lheie is a
4
vhispei oi lvo, lul geneiaIIy lhe ioon is veiy quiel. So, iecenlIy, I have leen saying: foigel lhe
fanous pail. }usl nane foi ne any vhile peison you knov in youi connunily, oi soneone you have
heaid of, vho has laken a sland againsl iacisn. Can lhey` Sonelines. OccasionaIIy soneone says
"ny non," oi "ny dad." I have aIso heaid "ny ialli, ny leachei, ny ninislei." ul nol oflen
enough. I leIieve lhal il is difficuIl foi young peopIe lo giov up and lecone sonelhing lhey have
nevei heaid of. Il is haid foi a giiI lo giov up and lecone a conneiciaI aiiIine piIol if il has nevei
occuiied lo hei lhal vonan can and do fIy jel pIanes. SiniIaiIy, il is haid foi young peopIe lo giov
up and fighl iacisn if lhey have nevei nel anyone vho does.

And lheie aie nany ienaikalIe ioIe nodeIs vhon ve can cIain vilh piide, and nodeI ouiseIves
aflei. IeopIe Iike Lauia HaviIand, vho vas a conducloi on lhe Undeigiound RaiIioad and
peifoined unleIievalIy liave acls vhiIe lhe sIave-calcheis veie iighl on hei liaiI, Viiginia Ioslei
Duii, a soulhein leIIe iaised vilh gieal veaIlh and piiviIege vho, as an aduIl, liieIessIy diove lIack
voikeis lo and fion lheii jols duiing lhe Monlgoneiy lus loycoll, lhe Rev. }anes Reel, vho venl
soulh duiing lhe Mississippi Iieedon Sunnei of 1964 lo oiganize and naich, Hodding Cailei, }i.,
ediloi and pulIishei of a nevspapei in lhe Mississippi DeIla vho used his papei lo lallIe foi iaciaI
equily and vho look consideialIe heal foi his aclions. And noie: lhe Ciinke sisleis, Lucielia Moll,
WiIIian LIoyd Caiiison, }ohn iovn, VioIa Liuzzo.

Theie aie aIso nany conlenpoiaiy anli-iacisls Iike Moiiis Dees, vho gave up a Iucialive Iav piaclice
lo slail lhe Soulhein Ioveily Lav Cenlei and KIan Walch in AIalana and liing vhile supienacisls
lo liiaI, Anne iaden, aclive foi decades in lhe civiI iighls sliuggIe in Kenlucky, Rev. }oseph aindl,
voiking vilhin lhe ieIigious connunily lo nake individuaI chuiches and enliie denoninalions
piocIain lhenseIves as anli-iacisl inslilulions. And Ieggy McInlosh, }udilh Kalz, and MyIes Hoilon.
And so nany olheis. Why don'l oui young peopIe knov lhese nanes` If young peopIe knev noie
aloul lhese dedicaled aIIies, peihaps lhey vouId le inspiied lo engage in noie anli-iacisl aclivilies
lhenseIves.

,+003(") 2&% 2D" 60/$3
We aIso need lo considei oui ioIe as aIIies. In oui ovn connunilies, vouId young peopIe, if asked
lhe sane queslions, caII oul oui nanes as anli-iacisls` In aieas vheie ve aie doninanl, is oui
sliuggIe foi equily and juslice evidenl` When ve lhink aloul oui polenliaI ioIe as aIIies, ve need lo
iecaII a Quakei expiession: "Lel youi Iife le youi leaching." The Quakeis undeisland lhal oui voids
caiiy onIy so nuch veighl, lhal il is oui aclions, oui daiIy lehaviois lhal leII lhe liue sloiy.

In ny ovn Iife I sliuggIe vilh vhal aclions lo lake, hov lo nake ny leIiefs and ny lehaviois
congiuenl. One snaII slep lhal has had inleiesling iepeicussions ovei lhe Iasl decade is lhe facl lhal
ny pailnei (vho is naIe) and I have chosen nol lo le IegaIIy naiiied unliI gay and Ieslian coupIes
can le naiiied and ieceive lhe sane lenefils and IegaI pioleclion lhal naiiied heleiosexuaI coupIes
enjoy. A snaII slep, lul il has aIIoved us lo laIk vilh foIks al lhe YMCA aloul lheii definilion of
"faniIy" vhen deciding vho quaIifies foi lheii "faniIy pIan", lo chaIIenge peopIe al Anliak aloul
vhy sone "faniIy unils" ieceive discounls vhen liaveIing logelhei and olheis do nol, and lo iaise
queslions in lhe ieIigious connunily aloul vho can ieceive foinaI sanclion foi lheii Ioving unions
and vho cannol. These aie nol eailh-shalleiing sleps in lhe Iaigei picluie, lul ve leIieve lhal snaII
sleps laken ly lhousands of peopIe viII evenluaIIy change lhe chaiaclei of oui connunilies.

5
When ve slop coIIuding and speak oul aloul lhe uneained piiviIeges ve enjoy as nenleis of a
doninanl gioup -piiviIeges ve have leen laughl foi so Iong lo deny oi ignoie-ve have lhe polenliaI
lo undeigo and inspiie slunning liansfoinalion. Considei lhe voids of Candhi: "As hunan leings,
oui giealness Iies nol so nuch in leing alIe lo ienake lhe voiId, as in leing alIe lo ienake
ouiseIves."
In ny ovn connunily, I have leen inpiessed ly lhe effoils of lhiee niddIe-aged naIes vho have
ienade lhenseIves inlo slaunch aIIies foi vonen. Sleven olkin eslalIished lhe Men's Resouice
Cenlei in Anheisl, Massachusells lveIve yeais ago and pul a connilnenl lo eIininaling sexisn in
ils veiy fiisl nission slalenenl. Anolhei Anheisl iesidenl, MichaeI uikail, liaveIs nalionvide and
voiks vilh lop execulives in Ioilune 5OO conpanies on lhe issue of gendei equily in lheii
coipoialions. And Ceoff Lolensline, a sociaI voikei vho idenlifies as an anli-sexisl naIe, liings
lhese issues lo his voik in HoIyoke, Massachusells.

ChaiIie Iaikei once said lhis aloul nusic: "Music is youi ovn expeiience, youi lhoughls, youi
visdon. If you don'l Iive il, il von'l cone oul of youi hoin." I lhink lhe sane is liue aloul us in oui
ioIe as aIIies -il is oui ovn expeiience, oui lhoughls, oui visdon. If ve don'l Iive il, il von'l cone oul
of oui hoin.

C%$'<%(") 10% #+$ E0") F<&/
Nov I vouId le lhe fiisl lo adnil lhal peisonaIIy and piofessionaIIy lhe ioIe of aIIy is oflen
exhausling. I knov lhal il invoIves chaIIenges -leing an aIIy is difficuIl voik, and il can oflen le
IoneIy. We nusl ienenlei lo lake caie of ouiseIves aIong lhis jouiney, lo suslain oui eneigy and oui
zesl foi lhose ongoing chaIIenges.

We nusl aIso ienenlei lhal il is haid lo go il aIone: aIIies need aIIies. As vilh any olhei sliuggIe in
oui Iives, ve need suppoilive peopIe aiound us lo heIp us lo peiseveie. Olhei aIIies viII heIp us lake
lhe snaII, daiIy sleps lhal viII, in line aIlei lhe chaiaclei of oui connunilies. We knov lhal aIIied
lehavioi usuaIIy consisls of snaII sleps and ungIanoious voik. As Molhei Teiesa once said: "I don'l
do any gieal lhings. I do snaII lhings vilh gieal Iove."

IinaIIy lvo addilionaI poinls aloul us in oui ioIe as aIIies: Iiisl, ve donl aIvays see lhe iesuIls of
oui effoils. Sonelines ve do, lul oflen ve louch and change Iives vilhoul evei knoving il.
ConsequenlIy, ve cannol neasuie oui success in quanlilalive leins. Like vaves upon lhe shoie, ve
aie aIleiing lhe Iandscape - lul exaclIy hov, nay le haid lo discein.

Doulls inevilalIy cieep up aloul oui effecliveness, aloul oui appioach, and lhe posilions ve assune
oi lhe aclions ve lake. ul ve nove foivaid, ignoiing lhe doulls, lhe unceilainly, and oflen lhe Iack
of visilIe iesuIls. In oui office ve have a fanous WiIIian }anes quole on lhe vaII lo suslain us: "I
viII acl as if vhal I do nakes a diffeience." And, speaking peisonaIIy, aIlhough I nay sonelines le
iallIed, I liy lo acl as lhough vhal I do does nake a diffeience.

Second, lheie is no such lhing as a peifecl aIIy. Ieifeclion is nol oui goaI. When I asked ny coIIeague
Kennelh }ones vhal slood oul foi hin as lhe nosl inpoilanl chaiacleiislic of a sliong aIIy, he said
sinpIy: "leing consislenlIy conscious." He didn'l say, Nevei slunlIing," oi Nevei naking
nislakes." He said, eing consislenlIy conscious." And so ve do oui lesl: laking iisks, leing snail,
naking eiiois, feeIing fooIish. doing vhal ve leIieve is iighl, lased on oui lesl judgnenl al lhe line.
We aie inpeifecl, lul ve aie sleady. We aie couiageous lul nol fauIlIess. As Lani Cuiniei said, "Il is
6
lellei lo le vagueIy iighl lhan pieciseIy viong." If ve olsess aloul Iooking good inslead of doing
good, ve viII gel caughl in a spiiaI of ineffeclive aclion. Lel's nol gel side-liacked oi defealed lecause
ve aie liying lo le peifecl.

And so ve nove ahead, pushing ouiseIves foivaid on oui gioving edge. We knov lhal aIlhough
none of us aie leginneis in deaIing vilh issues of oppiession and enpoveinenl- none of us aie
expeils eilhei. These issues aie loo conpIex, loo painfuI, and loo peivasive foi us lo achieve a slale of
cIaiily and cIosuie once and foi aII. The lesl ve can hope foi is lo sliive each day lo le oui sliongesl
and cIeaiesl seIves, liansfoining lhe voiId one individuaI al a line, one faniIy al a line, one
connunily al a line. May ve sunnon lhe visdon lo le devoled aIIies loday. May ve vaIk lhe
vaIk, Iiving as lhough equily, juslice and fieedon foi aII have aIieady aiiived.
Like nosl aclivisls. I caiiy a diean inside ne. As I liaveI nalionvide foi ny voik, I can acluaIIy
see signs of il leconing liue. The diean is lhal ve viII cieale in lhis counliy a nonvioIenl ainy of
aIIies lhal viII chaIIenge and lieak lhe cycIe of oppiession and ushei in a nev eia of Iileialion,
enpoveinenl, and equily foi peisons hisloiicaIIy laigeled ly syslenic oppiession. Wilhin each
individuaI is lhe polenliaI lo effecl enoinous change. May ve nove foivaid, cIaining vilh piide oui
idenlilies as aIIies inleiiupling lhe cycIe of oppiession, and nodeIing a nev vay of lehaving and
leIieving.





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