The Journey from allyship to co-disruption

The movements for decolonization, anti-racism, data sovereignty and epistemic justice must entail the fostering of relationships between people with diverse points of intersectionality if they are to ultimately succeed. Models of allyship, however, often fallen short, perpetuating unhelpful logics of separation. In this article, we engage with the central question: How might individuals and communities work together across identities to co-disrupt the intertwining and mutually reinforcing systems of colonialism and racism without reproducing the hierarchies and power relations that are inherent to these systems? The authors – who are African Caribbean Black (ACB), Indigenous and White-European settler – explore and embrace the inherent contradictions that this work entails, drawing on their experiences engaging in decolonizing research, community-based anti-racism work, and teaching Indigenous leadership. Instead of seeking to resolve these contradictions, they put forth that the most co-disruptive transformative changes can happen by staying unsettled in the diverse experiences, perspectives and truths that these contradictions reveal. Using relational accountability as a compass, the authors show that the journey is not singular or pre-determined, but instead consists of multiple pathways that unfold through relationally engaging with one another , within the distinct contexts in which we find ourselves, and in relationship with the lands where we are rooted.