WHAT IS SOLIDARITY?
The large systems that we operate in today use hierarchy, compensation, and scarcity to promote individualism and competition. But, as Heather McGhee reminds us, cross-racial solidarity yields “dividends,” from higher wages to cleaner air.
We think solidarity & mutuality can be designed into our systems and guide us to a future in which solidarity is a default cultural norm.
TOWARDS DEFINITION
According to Emerson College, solidarity is a practice of connecting meaningfully across groups and silos and working intersectionally to unravel intertwined oppressions
We think of solidarity as the capacity of people and groups to come together, work together, and support one another quickly and trustfully when anyone of their members is in need, experiencing harm, or at risk. Solidarity is also resistance to divide & conquer strategies intended to play on our individual fears of loss and scarcity.
We’re working toward designing systems that enable and inspire individuals to act, share, take risks, and give things up in service to the well-being of a collective.
CHARACTERISTICS
We think systems in which solidarity becomes a norm might have these characteristics. However, for people to come together in mutual support, capacities for loving care and justice may also need to also be implicit. We’re looking closely at where values intersect.