PODCAST EPISODES

Are you guilty of performative allyship? Today’s guest, Dr. Maxine Davis, a scholar, activist, and author, breaks down the pitfalls of performative allyship and how even well-meaning professionals can perpetuate oppression and social harms in the workplace. In early 2021, Dr. Davis authored an article in Nature Human Behavior, Anti-black practices take heavy toll on mental health. We chat about Dr. Davis’s own experiences with anti-black practices in the workplace and recommendations for a more inclusive workplace.

Topics Covered: 

• Defining cultural appropriation and how it shows up in the workplace
• How cultural appropriation causes harm
• Distinguishing cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation
• Defining performative allyship and how it shows up at work
• Tips for moving beyond performative allyship
• How professionals in helping professions can perpetuate oppression and social harms
• Finding a mental health therapist/social worker 
• Holding organizations accountable for moving beyond performative allyship
• Dr. Davis’s experiences with anti-black practices in academia
• Why it’s difficult for some to talk about race and interrogate their practices
• How institutions can address anti-Black practices 

Highlights:

• “Performative allyship is doing just enough to give the illusion that you’re supportive of a targeted group without actually taking risks that are needed to upend oppressive practices and procedures.”
• “The question is not if I’m perpetuating white supremacist ideals or supremacy, but how anti-black racism is expressed across my daily life.”
• “If you are not engaged in any risk-taking and you’re doing just what feels safe and comfortable for you to maintain the power you have, then you might not be speaking up enough, especially in arenas where you have the space to do that.”
• “Experiencing anti-Black racism is stressful.”
• “You cannot have the conversation about racism and sexism without having the conversation about the misuse of power.”
• “Your value and worth as a human being is not tied to what people say or do in an oppressive situation. Sometimes you have to go outside in order to be reminded and appreciated for what you bring to the world.” 

Connect with Dr. Maxine: 

On her website: https://www.drmaxinedavis.com

On Twitter: @drmaxinedavis

Other References: 

• Dr. Maxine Davis and Dr. LaShawnda Fields, Are You a Social Worker Guilty of Performative Allyship for Black Lives Matter?, The New Social Worker,  
• The George Washington University Health Workforce Institute and School of Nursing, Profile of the Social Workforce, October 2017.
• Dr. Maxine Davis, Anti-black practices take heavy toll on mental health, Nature Human Behavior, Feb. 2021.
• Robert Livingston, How to Promote Racial Equity in the Workplace, Harvard Business Review, Oct. 2020.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! Leave a review and rating on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, or Audible. Reviews and ratings are really important to the ranking of the show. And feel free to send feedback and questions to breakconcrete@gmail.com.