The Allies for Change group provides support to the Alaska Black Caucus in the fight to end racism. This partnership with the Alaska Black Caucus helps to proactively dismantle the racist structures that have held many Blacks back in the areas of justice, education, health, and economics. We take direction from Alaska Black Caucus, and we take actions, complete tasks, and do work that supports the Alaska Black Caucus. We distribute that work among this group.
Allies for Change Introduction
Standing up for Equality to End Systemic Racism in Alaska
The Alaska Black Caucus seeks to create change for a truly equitable Alaska by amplifying Black voices and working to expose and address explicit and implicit racism in our education, justice, health, and economic systems statewide. Our country was founded on systems of racism and colonialism, which have remained enduring legacies of our national, state, and local infrastructure throughout the centuries. Alaska is not immune or exempt from the impacts of white supremacy that have created vast inequities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color throughout this country.
The Alaska Black Caucus: Allies for Change group has formed to support the Alaska Black Caucus through direct actions and tasks. We are a diverse group of community members who recognize that we all share responsibility to do the work that it will take to end racism in our culture. It should not be for Black people alone to fight for their human rights.
The Alaska Black Caucus is a non-partisan organization that focuses on the educational, cultural, political, and economic well-being of the African American community. We as a community should support them in organizing wide-spread, diverse involvement in community issues that affect Black people. The Allies for Change group is racially and economically diverse and inclusive. Many of us who are white acknowledge that our privilege has allowed us to hold influential roles in our community, or to have resources available to help— and we recognize that it is especially our responsibility to step up and play a strong support role in the fight for racial equity and justice. Those of us who are non-Black people of color acknowledge that although we too have experienced the impacts of systemic racism, we also benefit from certain privileges and that it is our responsibility to step up as well.
As a group, we take direction from the Alaska Black Caucus. We will be helping organize simple actions such as social-media sharing campaigns for issues that affect Black people in our community, petitions and testimonies for lawmakers’ attention to racial equity and justice, and actions that support Black communities and businesses in Alaska.
Every Sunday evening, the Alaska Black Caucus hosts a community conversation on issues of race. Past conversations have ranged from discussions about policing to an introduction to Black-owned businesses. These Sunday sessions delve into topics such as the fears that parents have raising Black children, having to have “the talk” before they leave home from fear of them being stopped by the police, systemic racism, and more. Citizens of all races in Alaska are invited to listen to these conversations and learn more about why it is so important that we all join together to help fight for racial justice in order to build a beloved community.
To learn more about the Alaska Black Caucus and to join the Allies for Change, readers can visit www.thealaskablackcaucus.com .
Founding Members of Allies for Change:
Nick Bachman
Regan Brooks
Allison Hourigan
Carl Jacobs
Leon Jaimes
Jeannette Lee
Kir Moore
Marge Stoneking
Nithya Thiru
Susan Windgrove-Reed
Lauren Fernandes
