Being an ally

Allyship is above all about care and hope” 

Join Fiona Summerfield and Suzi Gould as they kōrero about their experiences of trying to be a good ally as pākehā in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Fiona and Suzi both describe lived experiences where they realised their privilege as pākehā in Aotearoa New Zealand, ranging from starting to understand that the education system was geared towards pākehā, and learning about the discrimination that exists in something as basic as finding a rental property. They also discuss how it can be difficult for those who are benefited by a system to see the inequities within that system.

Suzi and Fiona talk about how your actions make you an authentic ally to Māori, Pacific peoples, and other marginalised groups. They go on to acknowledge the hard parts about being a pākehā ally, such as calling out racism and using your voice in places where these groups are excluded. Suzi recommends being open minded by exploring media from groups that you don’t belong to and Fiona suggests being brave and vulnerable to learn how to be a better ally.