Advocate
noun /ˈadvəkət/
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
I’ve always heard that God was our advocate. He was on our side. He understood our pain. He felt our pain. He was human as much as he was God. He gets it. I’ve made comparisons about the plight of the African- American with Christ. They are very similar. Innocence didn’t stop the murder of Christ or any of the African American people who have died at the hand of law enforcement. In fact, religion and politics have played a very large role in both murders. This is not the season for quiet support. This is not the season for backroom checks. We need accomplices. We need people who are truly down with the cause. We need more than posterboards and catchy chants. ( I do like the catchy chants.) We need policies. We need reform. We need economic support. We need a change in how we indoctrinate racism systematically on all levels. We need advocates.
Ally
I’ve heard that we need allies. Ally comes from the Latin word alligare, meaning "to bind to," like nations who are allies in wartime — they will act together, and protect one another. Allies form alliances. They unite. They function on one accord. We do need unity. We do need voices of all creeds and cultures. We do need to act together. We must understand that if one group is suffering then we are suffering. If you are grieving, we are all grieving. If you hurt, I hurt. It's humanity. It’s brotherhood. Are we all not God's children? So let’s act like it. Then, we are allies.
Allegiance
We live in a country where allegiances are undefined and unclear. We have presidential ties to Russia. We are uncertain of our future and that is disconcerting. We have allegiances to people, places, and things that are of no benefit to us. What are you committed to? Where do your allegiances lie? Are your allegiances beneficial?