Thinking of @Pacinthe, @KathleenNB, @balkissoon and so many other courageous journalists speaking up, there's another important lesson for newsrooms trying to be "better" allies: you are NOT an ally until the groups in question recognize your actions are indeed allyship.

"Diversity" in the newsroom requires allyship. And as @nirushika says, allyship is not self-defined, your "work and efforts must be recognized by those you are seeking to ally with." Newsrooms don't get to be self-congratulatory if they think their anti-racism strategies are

effective but have never checked in with journalists of colour, have ignored all racial issues in their newsroom, or treat JOCs with hostility and aggression for speaking up. Not to mention demoting or not promoting/hiring JOCs, especially into senior management.

So unless Black journos and and journalists of colour recognize and feel that the work that newsrooms are doing is genuine, action-based and consistent, it is nothing more than performative allyship, which we're seeing a whole lot of these days.