Meet the Incoming Provost of Morehouse College: Dr. Kendrick Brown

As mentioned in his video interview, Dr. Brown’s current scholarship addresses how Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) see the allies in their lives. Allies are individuals committed to supporting people who do not belong to the same racial/ethnic group. As well, allies dedicate themselves to acting against injustice directed at those not belonging to their own racial or ethnic group. His investigations indicate allies have much in common with friendships. However, allies are focused more on supporting people one-on-one on a daily basis and less on engaging in formal confrontations, such as letter-writing campaigns, than activists.

His research indicates that allies have two critical characteristics. First, they display “affiliation” or respectful, non-judgmental support. Second, allies demonstrate “informed action” or a willingness to act grounded in self-awareness of their own racial identity and consciousness of others’ racial identity. His studies also indicate allies can be more than just White people trying to aid BIPOC.