In July 2013, when #BlackLivesMatter was founded, I had just booked a flight to Uganda to volunteer with a micro-loan organization. Before leaving, I marched for Trayvon Martin, changed my Facebook profile to black, and frequently wrestled online with #allLivesMatter trolls. On a scale of zero to woke*, I felt like this Asian American ally was a 10 out of 10.
Then I got to Uganda and for the first time in my life I was regarded as a white person, or mzungu, by locals. Despite being a third-generation Chinese American, being defensive about my privilege was not going to help. I’ve learned that doing the work of an ally means moving through a situation, and not around it. Here are some practical steps for how to be an ally to black liberation struggles that I have learned along the way.
