Listen and Act: A Conversation About Allyship with Maleika J. Brown
By Clare Quirin
Maleika Joubert Brown, Ed.S is the Director of Equity and Inclusion for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, where she began as a math teacher and grew her career in the district for 26 years. WMPRSA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee was pleased to have Brown visit over the summer to speak about her role and how to be an ally for individuals who are a part of marginalized communities.
“Learning is one of the things that I love most about my job, followed closely by using what I learn to be an advocate for the students I serve here in Michigan,” Brown said. “Everything I do is in service of positioning our scholars to have a voice and experience success.”
Her role involves assessing what is happening in the community in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and making sure that GRPS embodies that. Brown explained that her day-by-day experience includes a lot of visioning, planning, and implementation to ensure GRPS scholars feel like they are receiving education in a safe and welcoming environment, and she hopes to touch every department and entity in the school system throughout her career.
Because of her ample experience with launching DEI initiatives and creating welcoming environments for students and staff, the DEI committee asked her how we can become better allies for marginalized communities. Brown responded with two words: listen and act. She explained that everyone can be a listener, but it is what you do after that is crucial to becoming a better ally.
“Part of acting may involve standing at the front of a protest or participating in a walk-out or sit-in. But then what?” Brown asked. We can listen to people’s experiences and show our support through protesting, but what really matters is how we act in a way that challenges and changes the systems that undergird our community. This may look like giving a voice to others who feel they do not have one.
Those who are a part of marginalized communities may experience some sort of imposter syndrome in their surrounding society, which makes it challenging to say something and feel heard. This may look like feeling ignored in a work meeting or feeling unwelcomed by your peers. Either way, if you see this happening in the community around you, act on it so that person feels heard. “Push people toward the front who would not normally be there,” Brown said. “Make sure every person feels empowered.”
As our discussion delved deeper into this idea of acting, Brown said we should aim to “listen with our third ear.” Pay attention to what is not being verbalized. While you are having conversations and actively listening to what is being expressed by people in your community, pay attention to their body language, facial expressions, and overall aura. Nonverbal communication can indicate how someone is truly feeling on the inside, even if they look confident and in high spirits. Listen to what is not being said, check in, and then act.
As an ally, you can show up and do things. However, what are you doing behind the scenes that is elevating those around you, especially those who have been historically marginalized? Brown raised this question to the DEI committee, the population of West Michigan, and beyond.
The DEIA Committee at the West Michigan Public Relations Society will continue to speak with leaders in our surrounding community about DEIA and allyship. As people in the public relations field, DEIA is something that all of us need to learn about and improve on in order to create a safe and welcoming environment for all individuals.