Performative Allyship

As of lately, more and more companies have claimed to be in support of “inclusion”, claiming to stand with the communities they claim to endorse. However, there’s a difference between supporting a cause and just sounding like you support it. Social media campaigns, hashtags, reposts, and awareness days have become common tools for businesses to appear socially conscious and supportive. However, when it’s actually time to actively include and assist those communities, they’re nowhere to be found. Too often, companies’ support is performative and empty, lacking the structural backup needed to help create genuine change. Performative allyship is the act of outwardly appearing devoted to a cause while declining to take any major actions to support it - and it isn’t just fake, its harmful to the very communities it claims to assist.

To start, it reinforces exclusion rather than dismantling it, as performative allyship gives the illusion that progress and change is being made within a community, when none exists. Furthermore, it simplifies and silences the voices that it claims to uplift. Essentially, performative allyship reduces the complex identities of individuals into “feel-good” moments and stories, destroying the truth that is supposed to shared. Being turned into props for branding rather than stories of change, communities are distorted and used only to monetize and center the supporter. This results in discouragement of genuine systematic change, as accountability and action is avoided while performative gestures are found everywhere. Additionally, this can even cheapen the concept of real allyship itself. As more and more organizations make their support performative, it waters down the change it’s supposed to bring while destroying the image of organizations who actually devote themselves to allyship.

Real allyship, in contrast, is authentic and grounded in action, centering the cause itself rather than the supporter. More than just symbolic gestures and performative acts, genuine allyship shows up in decisions consistently and thoughtfully, as it doesn’t need to be loud in order to be meaningful. Real allyship starts with listening. Too many times, decisions about inclusion are made without the voices of those who are actually affected. Allies who genuinely care take the time to ask questions, understand lived experiences, and let their community take lead. It’s not about assuming you know what’s best, but rather about slowing down and learning what’s best for one’s community. Even more importantly, real support isn’t always public. Some of the most impactful actions happen quietly and behind the scenes. Donating to local disability organizations, volunteering with a passion of helping others, and making uncomfortable decisions in order to prioritize the community doesn’t require an audience to matter. It’s not about visibility, it’s about doing what’s right behind the scenes.

Here at Candles for William, we acknowledge that we’re not perfect, but we’re committed to doing our job authentically and to our very best ability As a small business founded by two high school students, we strive to ally with the special needs community in a way that is genuine and understanding. Whether it be donating a portion of our profits to varying nonprofit organizations, or volunteering whenever the opportunity rises, our organization promises that we will ALWAYS try our best reflect what we believe. We’re growing, we’re learning, and we hope our actions speak louder than our words here at Candles for William!