How a Sudbury woman is helping people understand what it means to be an ally

A new Sudbury initiative is looking to offer a safe space for people to learn about how to best support the local Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) community.

Recent demonstrations through streets across Canada and the U.S. following the death of George Floyd have prompted many to wonder what it means to be a good ally.

As a result, over the last several weeks Kristen O'Neil, who identifies as a mixed race woman, says her inbox became flooded with messages from friends asking her how they could better support the local BIPOC community. 

O'Neil's mother is a Black Mi'Kmaq woman and her father is a white man of Irish decsent. As a result, O'Neil said she appears fair-skinned, which is something she admits has offered her some privilege. She said it's also caused her to assume a role of allyship rather than speak on behalf of the BIPOC community.

The qualities of a good ally [are] ... listening and really hearing what people are saying and really trying to understand what people need.— Kristen O'Neil, founder of Sudbury United

'They really didn't know how to be an ally'

O'Neil said her online interactions with friends prompted her to wonder about the need for local resources on allyship. 

"At the end of May, a lot of people started messaging," she said, " Wondering in part, if I was OK but also wondering if there was anything they could and should be doing." 

"A lot of people really were unsure of how they could be a part of any solution," she said, "They really didn't know how to be an ally to people of colour." 

From there, she launched Sudbury United, a local resource designed to connect and inform people on issues around race and social justice — and how they can help in creating an inclusive community.

"The qualities of a good ally [are] ... listening and really hearing what people are saying and really trying to understand what people need," she said. 

It's good for all of us to step outside of ourselves and to help and to be a part our community.— Kristen O'Neil, founder of Sudbury United

"A large barrier for many people is feeling guilty and wanting to be defensive and wanting to challenge things we don't understand." 

 While the project is still in its infancy, Sudbury United is offering online ally panels, which give community leaders the opportunity to answer questions submitted anonymously by people on topics ranging from allyship, to race, to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

'They can actually make a difference'

"The panel is designed to create an understanding and generate more empathy and to take advantage of the momentum of the civil rights movement that is currently unfolding," O'Neil said. 

"To show people that they can actually make a difference in our local community," she said.

So far, people have submitted questions ranging from how to call out racism without escalating a situation to where they can donate to benefit local community organizations. 

O'Neil said she wants the project to be a safe haven for people to be vulnerable, engage with each other and learn from one another. 

"It's good for all of us to step outside of ourselves and to help and to be a part our community but to also see the results and the change we create," she said. 

Sudbury United's next scheduled ally panel will be announced shortly, O'Neil said.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.