This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter.

Over the past few weeks there have been many hateful incidents targeting the African American community on campus. Here is some advice on how you can be a white ally to black students at Michigan, although this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Understand the truth behind the racialized history of America. Much of what our high school history books have told us about racism in American history is whitewashed. Take an African American history or literature course to help cultivate your understanding on the racial background of our society and how it continues to impact people and events to this day.
Promote the Black Lives Matter movement. Yes, all lives matter, but black lives are ones that are specifically being targeted on campus at this moment. Therefore, we need to focus our attention on the racial injustices impacting the African American community on campus currently, and overtly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement will help do so.
Be proactive. You don’t need to wait for a hateful incident to occur in order to enact change within your community. Start dialogues, peaceful protests, marches, and even media campaigns. If you want to support anti-racism, don’t wait – now is the time to start.
Never Stop Fighting. Whether you’re kneeling on the Diag, marching on State Street, or hanging diversity flyers in Mason Hall, there are many, many ways in which you can be a white ally to the African American community on campus. However, recognize that this fight for equality and social justice will take time, and even if you don’t see a direct impact now, understand that change begins with the individual, and together we can resist oppression.