The importance of being an ally

For anyone who closely watches sports and understands the sports media landscape, it’s no secret that white males dominate sports journalism. Brett Kurland, the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Sports Programs at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism, confirmed the obvious in today’s class, noting that 90% of sports editors are white men. 

And while journalism schools and institutions like the ASU Cronkite School of Journalism are trying to change things from the outside slowly -- Cronkite’s Bachelor of Arts in Sports Journalism is 67.5% white and 32.5% BIPOC as well as 74.9% male and 25.1% female -- it’s essential that white women in journalism change things from the inside out. 

As white women, we must be staunch allies in the fight for diverse, equitable workplaces. Though white women face gender discrimination, we’re protected from the systemic racism that harms our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ counterparts. 

It’s important that, as white women in the journalism industry, we continue to fight for inclusion for our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ colleagues. We should always be actively trying to help our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ colleagues into the workforce, and we must keep fighting with them until they get there.