I would say that trying to measure or determine where I am at on the Ally Continuum depends a lot on which issue we are addressing. Before this training, I was probably aware (perhaps mildly, it turns out) of the atrocities our country has committed on the Native American / Indigenous population. And it was one of the most painful histories for me to learn about thus far - perhaps because I was somehow so shallow in my knowledge and understanding before that it was a much bigger wave of information, processing, and subsequent guilt. When speaking to the Black American or Latinx American populations, I probably fall somewhere among active and advocate. As a counselor for teens in a variety of settings for the past few years, I have become much more aware of the intricacies of microaggressions in the education system and the role schools play in institutionalized racism (such as the school to prison pipeline). And looking back, I believe I took on an advocate role at times, but also could have done much more. I hope to always continue observing and learning so I can implement specific actions of advocacy in the future. And expand this work from an individual level (focusing on one student - though I do find this very important and probably a good starting place) to a broader scale, working towards systemic change in some way.
