What We’re Reading: The Good Ally by Nova Reid

As Black History Month begins in the US, we thought that The Good Ally: A Guided Anti-Racism Journey from Bystander to Changemaker by Nova Reid, would be the perfect book for our February review.

A creative entrepreneur, producer, TED speaker, and writer, Nova Reid is known for being curious about human behaviour, and channels her professional background in mental health to encourage meaningful change from the inside out. The Good Ally is her first book, and acts as a comprehensive guide to equip individuals – particularly White people – to become effective allies in the fight against racism.

Drawing from her experiences as a Black British woman and an anti-racism campaigner, Reid offers a thoughtful approach to understanding and dismantling systemic racism by delving into the history and policies that have shaped institutional racism in the UK, providing context for present-day issues. Reid explains concepts such as microaggressions, privilege (reframed as advantage), and intergenerational trauma, offering practical examples to illustrate these ideas.

She then goes on to emphasize the importance of self-enquiry, encouraging readers to reflect on their own biases and the discomfort that may arise during this process. We have a responsibility to address the uncomfortable conversations, otherwise they will never be had and there will never be change.

To help readers achieve this goal, Reid provides actionable advice for practicing anti-racism in various aspects of life, including personal relationships, parenting, and the workplace. She also includes some prompts for journaling, as well as drawing on her own experiences on how to model effective allyship.

And the key message that Reid wants everyone to take away is this: the journey toward becoming a good ally is ongoing and requires continuous learning and self-awareness. For employers, it is so important to be consistently addressing unconscious biases in order to ensure that no team members are discriminated against and to ultimately unlock the most out of your people.

If you would like to discuss how we can build a framework for having conversations about race, or if you would like any employer training around the management of unconscious bias and microaggressions in the workplace, please get in touch with us today.

In the meantime, be sure to grab a copy of Nova Reid’s book to begin your journey to being a good ally – you can purchase it here in the US and here in the UK.