Blue Bracelets & the Need for Genuine Allyship: An Opinion Piece

Over the past few days, a peculiar, and yet somehow unsurprising trend has gained traction: white women both making and buying little blue bracelets as a purported show of solidarity with the Black community, People of Color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. On the surface, these actions might appear to be well-meaning gestures, small acts of allyship that signal support and empathy. However, beneath the glossy veneer lies a deeper frustration rooted in performative allyship—the kind that serves to soothe the conscience of the wearer more than it meaningfully aids the communities in question.

The proliferation of these blue bracelets carries an unmistakable echo of another familiar refrain: “Not all men.” Just as that phrase attempts to deflect attention from systemic issues by shifting the focus onto individual exceptions, these bracelets act as a silent plea for validation. “Look,” they seem to say, “I’m not like those other people. I’m different. I care.” The problem is, this type of signaling is inherently self-serving. While it might momentarily soothe the guilt or discomfort of the person wearing the bracelet, it does little to tackle the root causes of injustice or contribute to tangible progress.

For those unfamiliar with the idea of performative allyship: performative allyship is frustrating because it prioritizes optics over action. It draws attention away from systemic problems and redirects it toward individuals seeking recognition for their supposed awareness. Wearing a bracelet may generate conversation, but it cannot substitute for the hard work of meaningful allyship: listening, learning, leveraging privilege, and taking action. Real solidarity requires pushing past the superficial and embracing the uncomfortable truth that allyship is not a one-time purchase or a simple accessory but an ongoing commitment to dismantling harmful systems.

The blue bracelet trend raises an essential question: Who benefits from these gestures? If the answer leans more toward the comfort of the wearer than the empowerment of marginalized communities, then we must reassess. Allyship should not be performative; it should be purposeful. It should uplift voices that have long been silenced and create spaces for those voices to be heard, not simply serve as an aesthetic choice signaling, “I’m one of the good ones.”

To move beyond performative displays, genuine allies need to shift from symbolic gestures to substantive actions—donating to organizations led by marginalized groups, attending protests, amplifying voices, and confronting uncomfortable truths within their own circles. Buying from Black-owned businesses, supporting organizations that uplift POC and LGBTQIA+ voices, and volunteering time and resources to community initiatives are just a few of the ways to make a real impact. Only then can acts of solidarity become more than just a trend, transforming into the meaningful change that marginalized communities truly need and deserve.