Rejection of Allyship Fatigue - Sagal Mahamud

The revolution will not be televised. We cannot capture the raw passion and frustrations from which revolutions are born on film. Similarly, we cannot adequately express these sentiments on social media. But that does not mean we can't utilise these platforms to further our message; platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have allowed for easy access to a wide spread of resources and information. Activists have taken to breaking down complex social issues into threads and colourful infographics, which can be circulated swiftly.

A few weeks ago, I saw a viral post from a big Instagram account. It broke down a new term: “ally-ship fatigue”, and included tips on mindfulness, and acknowledgments of how difficult it is to "make yourself uncomfortable". It is a phrase that has been circulating social media a lot since George Floyd's murder, and was one I viewed with slight suspicion. It describes the feeling of exhaustion, and the overwhelming emotions of guilt, tiredness and sadness that are the direct result of allyship work. With its growing traction, my suspicions proved fair; now, it is a term I now perceive as not only problematic but counterproductive.

Fatigue may not feel sufficient in alluding to the exhaustion we feel; the world is a weary place, and with the dystopian turn this year has taken, fatigue is felt by us all. What's more: we are all entitled to this feeling. However, when one adds “ally-ship” in front of "fatigue", placing emphasis on the specific fatigue felt by non-black folks, it separates their suffering in a manner which detracts attention and validity from the suffering of black folk. Let me elaborate: “ally-ship fatigue" is a tone-deaf phrase; it is insensitive to black folks who have been fighting consistently, emphasising that this new-found struggle is too heavy a weight to bear. By coining and utilising this phrase we are, in effect, redirecting sympathy towards non-black folx. When the next hashtag arrives- another faceless name on an ever-growing list, it begs- "This is too much, I simply cannot take this anymore, may I please sit this one out?" By focusing on your feelings of guilt, or asking for reassurances, or emotional labour, or permission to sit out of this fight, you are centring the conversation to yourself and prioritising your comfort over black lives.

It took three weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd for allies to adopt this phrase- as if finally realising how much work must be done, to accordingly schedule their reprieve, and excuse themselves when overwhelmed. It is white fragility in its relentless glory; “ally-ship fatigue” coddles white and non-black people of colour that have yet to feel a modicum of the trauma black folx have been suffering from. Black folk exist in an inescapable, perpetual state of exhaustion, one that transcends bodily fatigue. The systemic oppression black folx experience begins before birth and sullies our graves long after we are gone. We look at Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and see no amount of innocence or respectability can keep us safe. Activist and essayist Sherronda J Brown wrote: "White people should also feel like they have no choice but to fight. They should feel responsible and duty-bound to resolve what they unfairly benefit from. They don’t feel this responsibility, and it’s why they are so eager to embrace a term like “allyship fatigue” to make themselves into sufferers for doing what they should have always been doing". Educating friends and families is no easy feat, and to be frank, nothing about tackling systemic racism is but- and this is crucial- it pales in comparison to what black folx endure on a daily basis. For allies, George Floyd's murder, the catalyst of this revolution, is a shocking indictment of the systemically oppressive systems our society enables. For black folk, it is not only our reality but a glimpse into a very possible future.

As this revolution grows in power, we must, of course, continue to extend compassion and empathy to one another. But there is no excuse for selective activism, and there are ways to be mindful of your mental health without derailing the movement or patting yourself on the back for the bare minimum. Armed with this mindfulness, we must abandon individualistic frames and embrace the opportunity for liberation that the Black Lives Matter movement is presenting us with. Let us replace “allyship fatigue” with "allyship exhilaration"; if we adopt a frame of solidarity and humanity, we can perceive this movement as a collective joy, and orchestrate enduring, poignant change.

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I am a poet and essayist studying for an English specialist BA at the University of Toronto. I’ve been previously published in the Varsity newspaper, and am the recipient of the 2020-21 Avie Bennett Prize in Canadian Literature, and am currently working on my first chapbook.