Table Of Content000011--000099__AAlllliieess__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd 22 2211//0055//22002211 0077::3322
First American Edition, 2021
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, NewYork, NY 10018
Page and cover design copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
REAL TALK 21 22 23 24 25 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–324016–September/2021
ABOUT
SHOWING UP, “Dana’s Absolutely Perfect Fail-Safe No Mistakes Guaranteed Way to Be an Ally”
Text copyright © Dana Alison Levy, 2021
SCREWING UP, “An Open Letter to the Young Black Queer” Text copyright © Cam Montgomery, 2021
“Hey Kid, Choose Your Battles” Text copyright © Eric Smith, 2021
AND TRYING
“Round and Round We Go” Text copyright © Kayla Whaley, 2021
AGAIN “This Is What It Feels Like” Text copyright © Andrew Sass, 2021
“A Bus, a Poster, and a Mirror” Text copyright © Brendan Kiely, 2021
“Travel Logs of a Black Caribbean Woman: Embracing the Glitches”
Text copyright © Shakirah Bourne, 2021
“Stutter Buddy” Text and Illustration copyright © Derick Brooks, 2021
“The Unsafe Space” Text copyright © Adiba Jaigirdar, 2021
“Dismantling Judgment” Text copyright © Lizzie Huxley-Jones, 2021
“Why Didn’t Anyone Else SayAnything?” Text copyright © Naomi Evans and Natalie Evans, 2021
“From Author, to Ally, to Co-conspirator” Text copyright © Ilene Yi-Zhen Wong, 2021
“Lupe” Text copyright © Aida Salazar, 2021
“Did You Know Gandhi Was Racist?” Text copyright © Sharan Dhaliwal, 2021
“Lifting As She Climbs” Text copyright © Andrea L. Rogers, 2021
“Counting on Esteban” Text copyright © Marietta B. Zacker, 2021
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form,
or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the priorwritten permission of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited
This book is substantially a work of nonfiction based on the experiences and
recollections of the authors. In some cases names of people, places, dates, sequences,
EDITED BY or the detail of events have been changed to protect the privacy of others.
SHAKIRAH BOURNE
Jacket design byAnita Mangan
& DANA ALISON LEVY
A catalog record for this book
is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-7440-3991-7
Printed and bound in Great Britain
For thecurious
www.dk.com
000011--000099__AAlllliieess__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd 33 2211//0055//22002211 0077::3322 000011--000099__AAlllliieess__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd 44 2211//0055//22002211 0077::3322
First American Edition, 2021
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018
Page and cover design copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
21 22 23 24 25 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–324016–September/2021
“Dana’s Absolutely Perfect Fail-Safe No Mistakes Guaranteed Way to Be an Ally”
Text copyright © Dana Alison Levy, 2021
“An Open Letter to the Young Black Queer” Text copyright © Cam Montgomery, 2021
“Hey Kid, Choose Your Battles” Text copyright © Eric Smith, 2021
“Round and Round We Go” Text copyright © Kayla Whaley, 2021
“This Is What It Feels Like” Text copyright © Andrew Sass, 2021
“A Bus, a Poster, and a Mirror” Text copyright © Brendan Kiely, 2021
“Travel Logs of a Black Caribbean Woman: Embracing the Glitches”
Text copyright © Shakirah Bourne, 2021
“Stutter Buddy” Text and Illustration copyright © Derick Brooks, 2021
“The Unsafe Space” Text copyright © Adiba Jaigirdar, 2021
“Dismantling Judgment” Text copyright © Lizzie Huxley-Jones, 2021
“Why Didn’t Anyone Else Say Anything?” Text copyright © Naomi Evans and Natalie Evans, 2021
“From Author, to Ally, to Co-conspirator” Text copyright © Ilene Yi-Zhen Wong, 2021
“Lupe” Text copyright © Aida Salazar, 2021
“Did You Know Gandhi Was Racist?” Text copyright © Sharan Dhaliwal, 2021
“Lifting As She Climbs” Text copyright © Andrea L. Rogers, 2021
“Counting on Esteban” Text copyright © Marietta B. Zacker, 2021
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form,
or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited
This book is substantially a work of nonfiction based on the experiences and
recollections of the authors. In some cases names of people, places, dates, sequences,
or the detail of events have been changed to protect the privacy of others.
Jacket design by Anita Mangan
A catalog record for this book
is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-7440-3991-7
Printed and bound in Great Britain
For the curious
www.dk.com
000011--000099__AAlllliieess__PPrreelliimmss..iinndddd 44 2211//0055//22002211 0077::3322
To Marietta,
thanks for wearing all the hats.
To everyone reading,
thank you for taking this journey with us.
— Shakirah and Dana
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CONTENTS
1 Dana’s Absolutely Perfect Fail-Safe No
WAIT! Mistakes Guaranteed Way to Be an Ally
BY DANA ALISON LEVY..................................................10
We’re so glad you’re here, and we wanted to share
some important information with you before you read
on. Each of the personal essays in this book explores 2 An Open Letter to the Young Black Queer
experiences about real things that happened to real BY CAM MONTGOMERY ...............................................24
people. Some of them cover topics that could make
you feel anxious or upset. These experiences might
3 Hey Kid, Choose Your Battles
remind you of things you’ve been through, or things
BY ERIC SMITH ...............................................................36
that people you care about have been through. It’s okay
to put the book down, clear your head, and come back
whenever you feel ready to read some more. 4 Round and Round We Go
BY KAYLA WHALEY ........................................................46
If you need support around any of the issues described
in this book, check out the “Stuff to think about, further
reading, and more resources” section at the back of 5 This Is What It Feels Like
the book where you can find out about some great BY A.J. SASS .....................................................................58
organizations and get more information.
6 A Bus, a Poster, and a Mirror
BY BRENDAN KIELY ........................................................76
7 Travel Logs of a Black Caribbean Woman:
Embracing the Glitches
BY SHAKIRAH BOURNE ................................................90
8 Stutter Buddy
BY DERICK BROOKS ....................................................108
9 The Unsafe Space
BY ADIBA JAIGIRDAR ..................................................120
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CONTENTS
1 Dana’s Absolutely Perfect Fail-Safe No
Mistakes Guaranteed Way to Be an Ally
BY DANA ALISON LEVY..................................................10
2 An Open Letter to the Young Black Queer
BY CAM MONTGOMERY ...............................................24
3 Hey Kid, Choose Your Battles
BY ERIC SMITH ...............................................................36
4 Round and Round We Go
BY KAYLA WHALEY ........................................................46
5 This Is What It Feels Like
BY A.J. SASS .....................................................................58
6 A Bus, a Poster, and a Mirror
BY BRENDAN KIELY ........................................................76
7 Travel Logs of a Black Caribbean Woman:
Embracing the Glitches
BY SHAKIRAH BOURNE ................................................90
8 Stutter Buddy
BY DERICK BROOKS ....................................................108
9 The Unsafe Space
BY ADIBA JAIGIRDAR ..................................................120
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1
10 Dismantling Judgment
BY LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONES ..........................................134 DANA’S ABSOLUTELY
11 “Why Didn’t Anyone Else Say Anything?” PERFECT FAIL-SAFE
BY NAOMI AND NATALIE EVANS................................146
NO MISTAKES
12 From Author, to Ally, to Co-conspirator
BY I.W. GREGORIO .......................................................160 GUARANTEED WAY
13 Lupe TO BE AN ALLY
BY AIDA SALAZAR .........................................................172
14 “Did You Know Gandhi Was Racist?” DANA ALISON LEVY
BY SHARAN DHALIWAL ..............................................180
Hahahahaha! That’s so . . . oh. Wait. You thought I was serious
15 Lifting As She Climbs
with that title?
BY ANDREA L. ROGERS................................................192
Yeah, sorry about that.
16 Counting on Esteban
Being a good ally without making mistakes is like eating popcorn
BY MARIETTA B. ZACKER............................................202 without dropping any on the floor: it’s possible, but let’s be
honest, it rarely happens.
For instance, let’s try this quiz:
Stuff to think about, further reading, 1. You (an able-bodied person) see someone in a wheelchair
and more resources ...................................................215 moving through a doorway. Should you:
a. Rush to open the door for them
About the authors .....................................................234
b. Leave them alone
Acknowledgments ....................................................239
10
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1
DANA’S ABSOLUTELY
PERFECT FAIL-SAFE
NO MISTAKES
GUARANTEED WAY
TO BE AN ALLY
DANA ALISON LEVY
Hahahahaha! That’s so . . . oh. Wait. You thought I was serious
with that title?
Yeah, sorry about that.
Being a good ally without making mistakes is like eating popcorn
without dropping any on the floor: it’s possible, but let’s be
honest, it rarely happens.
For instance, let’s try this quiz:
1. You (an able-bodied person) see someone in a wheelchair
moving through a doorway. Should you:
a. Rush to open the door for them
b. Leave them alone
10
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