Los-Angeles based Ally2Action’s mission is to accelerate racial reconciliation through education, connection and collective action. The project is one of nine organisations to benefit from Reed Exhibitions 2020 $1 million donation to selected not-for-profit partners around the world who are committed to promoting racial equity. Matt Coulter tells us about their work. 

When and why was Ally2Action founded? 

Ally2Action was founded in July of 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd and the racial injustices living inside humanity as a whole. Our founder Courtney Carter knew it was time to take action, there was no other option. Constructing an incredible group of scholars and experts, we set out to create a curriculum that would provide the platform to transform fear of engagement into courageous action.  One thing we realised very early on is that progress to learning about anti-racism is stunted by the fear of ‘saying the wrong thing.’ We wanted to create a place where people from diverse backgrounds could have uncomfortable conversations to learn, unlearn and relearn, in hopes of a better tomorrow. We certainly don’t have all the answers but we’re committed to the mission at hand, being better than the day before.    

‘Who’ is Ally2Action. Can you tell us a little about yourselves? 

Ally2Action is made up of a diverse network of humans dedicated to taking action. Our experts and scholars are the backbone of all that we do. Their knowledge and leadership allows us the opportunity to learn, grow, and hopefully leave this place better than we found it.  

How do you define an ‘ally’? 

‘A human of any colour and creed, that is committed to loving all others, no matter their differences.’ We can all agree, there’s room for improvement, and as the world slowly comes back from the devastation of 2020/2021 it’s vital to remember the importance of our mission and to never lose momentum.  

What is the 10 and 21 day journey? 

Our curriculum, the 10 day and 21 journey, is the catalyst of all the work we do. We understand that people will be experiencing this journey with unique perspectives; our hope is to reach people in all walks of life and open the dialogue about how we can all be better. So for us, the experience created is hopefully the starting line, leading us all to a brighter future. Each day we’ve carefully constructed content built to inspire, educate, empower and expand. However this content reaches our network, we hope it helps produce inclusiveness and the growth humanity needs: STIMULATING A WORLD IN WHICH DEEP COMPASSION DRIVES COLLECTIVE ACTION.  

How has the programme been received? 

From our initial public facing curriculum, nearly 10,000 people have engaged with our 21 day journey, and since then the feedback has been nothing short of incredible. This gives us the guidance we need. As I mentioned above, we don’t have all the answers, but we’re willing to do the work. Between our curated experts, scholars, and the rest of our Ally2Action team, we comprehend the importance of providing reliable, insightful and thought provoking content. It’s feedback from partners like you that make Ally2Action the best version of itself. 

In what other ways are you working to further education around allyship? 

All aspects of Ally2Action are built on continuing the work and furthering our reach. The most important work is making sure the journeys we provide and the curriculum within our 10/21 day experiences are as up to the minute and accurate as possible. Our world operates a million miles an hour and 15 seconds at a time, so it really becomes about meeting people where they’re at. That leads us into the next phase of Ally2Action, our A2A Podcast, launching at the end of the month. We must tell the stories that have been ignored and marginalized for decades ‒ it’s on us to fix the problems we’ve created. Utilizing the network we’ve built, we’ll continue to articulate the triumphs and opportunities for us to be better together. We can’t wait for all of you to take a listen. 

How is RX’s donation supporting your work? 

Plain and simple, Ally2Action doesn’t happen without partners like you. The world isn’t changed by words or even opinions, the only thing that will push humanity forward is for all of us to take action. The generous donation from RX was a super boost, there is no other way to describe it. Without the love and support of our mission the work is left undone. We have a long way to go, but we find hope in partners like you. It gives us great pride to stand shoulder-to-shoulder; it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work!