In examining what I can do in light of recent protests and increased dialog, I recently came across the Ring Theory. It’s most easily explained using an image…

The general idea is that in the center, there is an afflicted individual, and a potentially affected or afflicted group. Moving outward, you come across rings that are increasingly further away from that afflicted individual. You move out through that individual’s family, friends, colleagues, and then to outsiders.

The afflicted individual is able to vent, gripe, complain, protest, and lament all the way out, moving outward, from the center of the diagram. Each group, moving outward, serves a listening function to the afflicted individual in the center. The best thing that each group moving outward can do is LISTEN.

When it comes to giving advice and support, the idea is that each group is more or less able to support the next immediate group moving inward. So the idea is that an outsider may better serve a LISTENING function for the afflicted, but would perhaps be most well suited for supporting the function immediately in from them.

The further out you are in the group, the less affected you are. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU’RE LESS NEEDED TO SUPPORT! It just means that you are not directly impacted by the event(s). When you want to act, it’s best to examine your role and location in the Ring Theory diagram, and act accordingly.

While Ring Theory is applicable in many situations, let’s use it within the context of police brutality and the recent (and not so recent) murders of black individuals by law enforcement as an example.

I want to be clear about this – black people are directly and grossly disproportionately affected by police brutality and violence against their race. This puts black people at the center of this diagram. Even more directly, you can (and should) place names at the very center of this diagram. Names such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmed Aubrey.

You can examine your place in this diagram by understanding where you sit. As a white male, I sit squarely in the “outsiders” ring. This means that I should LISTEN to those in the center. But to give SUPPORT, I need to target the next ring in.

So, how can I help? Who can I give advice to? Who can I teach? How do I offer support, and who do I offer it to?

I can advise outer rings, and even my same ring. I can help teach those around me by raising awareness and amplifying the voices further within the diagram. This is important, it’s how we can identify allies and how we affect change given our spheres of influence. What about support though?

Support can be directed to the next sphere in. When I consider the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmed Aubrey; when I consider the afflicted group of black-skinned people, and I try to understand where I sit in their support system, I find myself on the outside. When I look inward, and I consider ” colleagues”, who can I find? Who are “colleagues” of these afflicted individuals? Who do I offer my support to?

You may not be able to offer emotional support going further inward, but when you examine and study the ring moving inward, you can find support groups. You’ll find those who have organized to help those who are afflicted. That is where you can offer your support. You can give your time and march and protest with those who are marching and protesting. You can also give of your substance and give money. With just a little research, you can find the following…

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Black Lives Matter Global Network
• National Police Accountability Project

…among so many others. There’s a good list at https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html#victim-memorial. Of course, please do your research to find who you are most comfortable giving to, with the goal of helping those in the center of the diagram.

The point isn’t to get you to donate to these groups, the point is that by understanding where you exist within the context of those who are afflicted and affected, you can find ways to be an effective ally and offer support where it will be most appreciated and effective.

Please take some time to understand Ring Theory, and where you exist within the context of those who are afflicted and affected. Then take action to make things better.