One main takeaway from Nita Mosby Tyler’s speech in her Ted Talk was that unlikely allies are people who are not expected to speak on certain situations, mainly because the situations do not directly affect or involve them. I discovered this meaning once she provided examples such as “What is heterosexual people led the fight for LGBTQ issues?” and “What if able-bodied people advocated for people with disabilities?” In both of these questions, she is subtly asking for heterosexual people, who have certain rights rights that the LGBTQ community do not have, like marraige at one point, to stand up for the LGBTQ community. She is also bringing to attention that those who do not have disabilities should advocate for those who do. Another takeaway is that collective work brings about success. “Unlikely allies” must be willing to break their silence and those who are being discriminated against must be willing to accept the help of the unlikely allies. This will then bring justice to those who deserve it. 

In the “The Air We Breathe: Implicit Bias And Police Shootings” podcast, I learned many people’s thoughts on the 2020 presidential election. One interesting thought was that one person believed that people were voting out of fear. People are not voting for the one of the candidates because they are excited for the policies of that candidate to be put into action, but they are scared of what the candidate whom they voted against would do if elected. Another takeaway from the podcast was one of the host’s, Tanzina Vega, points about the reason that people are voting. She claimed that some people may be voting for themselves and others may be voting for other communities, like those who are undocumented. The idea of people voting for interests outside of their community correlates with the idea of the unlikely ally. A person who votes to help those who are less fortunate is an unlikely ally. Another point that was brought up that I found interesting is that some people may be voting for self interest, but their self interest includes taking care of others.  

I can apply the idea of “unlikely allies” through leadership positions. Whether it be in school or in my community I found that having a leadership role means providing a voice for members who do not have a leadership role. While in some instances the opinions of those in leadership positions matter the most, it is also important to remember the needs of the rest of the members. The two pieces did not shift my thinking because I had this ideology since I started high school. I have been taught, through community service, to help others who are not as fortunate as I am. Though it was required, the experiences helped me to understand that the needs of others also matter.