Community, Solidarity, and Organizing: Tales from Two Organizers
Building solidarity is more than a call to action, it’s a journey towards creating a unified front against the challenges that divide us. For Black, Indigenous, and communities of color, division is often a tool used against them to reinforce oppressive systems and weaken collective action.
Leaders of these communities build solidarity as a vital act of resistance and empowerment, centering their histories as they pave the way toward a more just future together. In a one-on-one interview for Nonprofit Quarterly, two organizers discuss the power of solidarity in organizing and activating diverse memberships.
Hazen Board Chair Alberto Retana is the president of Community Coalition (CoCo), a South Los Angeles-based organizing institution that trains activists and organizers to support power building with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color. Jamila Rice is the organizing and membership director at Power California, a Hazen grantee and statewide multi-racial civic engagement organization made up of on-the-ground community partners mobilizing young people and their families in urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the state.
The following is an excerpt from their conversation in which the pair discuss multiracial organizing and explore how they navigate the complexities of coalition-building across racial and cultural lines in California.
“If you’re able to unite and struggle together, you can go after the very thing that is causing oppression in the first place. Whether it’s colonialism, capitalism, or a broken education system. As a leader bringing people together, you have to have the stamina and resilience to withstand the way in which white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormative philosophies are force-fed to us, making us believe in division,” Alberto noted.
Jamila added, “Division is inherent to the founding of our country. Stamina and resilience are key, and I would also add that we can’t give in to hopelessness and despair. Despite the long and rich history of Black farmers and communities in the Central Valley, Black people don’t have a lot of political power and visibility. It’s challenging for organizations to organize and recruit Black youth and create spaces of Black and Latine solidarity in the Valley. I’ve found that it starts with the organizers and the relationships we have with one another. We have to be real and build a deep understanding about how our communities struggle with each other.”
Jamila and Alberto also share their aspirations and examine why California is a unique landscape for social justice and community organizing, reflecting on the current challenges and successes of their work. To read their full conversation, visit Nonprofit Quarterly.
