Pflugerville librarian: Library can use some allies, co-conspirators
In a time where people protest the way we learn and exist and even implement bans and censorships, we need people on the outside of information spaces and places of learning to support people who are on the inside fighting to defend the First Amendment for all of us.
It takes more than money and voting (which also are very important) to keep the freedoms we’ve won and the places and spaces we are allowed to be ourselves intact. These people on the ground are our saviors and we couldn’t do it without them. Our allies and co-conspirators make the world run and we couldn’t keep it running without them. To become our allies and co-conspirators, you first must know what you’re getting into. Both can overlap but the differences are vast.
The term ally is defined as someone who advocates for groups or individuals who do not come from the same place of privilege as the ally. Being an ally is considered one of the first steps in race and social justice work. The term co-conspirator encompasses allyship but goes beyond into advocacy. A co-conspirator uses their privilege to challenge existing conditions at the risk of their own comfort and well-being.
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Whereas an ally might work to make changes on an individual level, a co-conspirator aims to tackle injustices on an institutional level. In social justice and bias trainings, becoming an ally is one of the first actionable items given. But becoming an ally does not happen overnight. It is a process of self-awareness and work toward unlearning social constructs. An ally is asked to accept that mistakes may be made along the way and commit to continuing their education every day. Anyone has the potential to be an ally. Allies acknowledge that though they’re not a member of the underinvested and oppressed communities they support, they make a determined effort to better understand the struggle, every single day. Because an ally might have more privilege and recognizes privilege, they are powerful voices alongside repressed ones.
Alongside is a key word when it comes to allyship. Being an ally is about recognizing your privilege, then using it in solidarity with marginalized groups to challenge the present circumstances. It involves working through discomfort, listening and learning from mistakes. Activist, comedian and YouTube personality Franchesca Ramsey, also known as @chescaleigh, advocates that sometimes people misunderstand and get hung up on the word privilege. “Privilege does not mean that you are rich, that you’ve had an easy life," she said. "All it means is that there are some things in life that you will not experience or ever have to think about simply because of who you are.”
So how do you move from being an ally to a co-conspirator? In a court of law, the word co-conspirator has negative connotations, someone who has assisted someone else in wrongdoing. In the perspective of library advocacy, a co-conspirator is someone who assists others in creating a space of inclusion, equity and safety for all, often at the risk of their own social and/or professional standing and physical well-being. An ally will volunteer at a local library or write a letter on behalf of the library to win an award, while a co-conspirator will join a library or equity commission with the explicit aim of naming and disrupting injustice in and around the organization or show up to a city council meeting and speak in support of the impact the library has and how they will continue to help support the library and its staff.
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Being a co-conspirator is more than just listening to others talk about their struggle. It is about setting a course of action that helps you commit to undoing harmful actions. This course of action is often uncomfortable, challenging and filled with confrontation. It is a constant commitment to disrupting the present circumstances. Ultimately, being a co-conspirator is the true goal of allyship, despite the challenges involved.
What I’m hoping to impress upon people that have not joined in support of libraries and institutions of learning is that the work of being a Co-conspirator might cost you your comfort zone, social or community standing, or even your safety. Real advocacy work and those comforts rarely go together.
So, are you ready to join in? We’ve been waiting for you!
Chermaine Burleson is a senior librarian at the Pflugerville Public Library.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Pflugerville librarian: Library can use some allies, co-conspirators
