Solidarity Rising, Neighbor

Solidarity Rising is building a coalition of progressive, working-class candidates and movements to grow the power of long-underserved workers and communities in our Commonwealth, both electorally and through direct action and political education. In the short term, we are searching for champions of economic, racial, and democratic justice to run at the city council level and to volunteer in the greater North Shore area in 2023. As a group, we will share movement goals and strategies, knowledge and resources, and volunteers and donors in an effort to increase organizing and electoral success in pursuit of systemic change.

In our electoral work, potential candidates will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to assess their views on a variety of issues, ranging from Unions, Healthcare, and Housing for all to climate justice and bold democracy reform. Endorsed candidates who are endorsed will be expected to volunteer for fellow group members whenever possible, as well as engage in direct actions consistent with the group’s values. The group will build on existing and develop new technical capacity and materials, over time providing training on canvas software, voter outreach, literature design, data collection, speech writing, and more. Non-candidate volunteers will provide additional support for candidates and progressive causes as well as vote on group decisions.

Additionally, we are committed to the deep, long-term organizing and electoral mobilization of long-underserved working class and marginalized communities. We will build power, solidarity, and economic and social justice and democracy in communities that feel the pain of current injustices and have the strongest stake in change, from workers and low-income residents to immigrants and people of color, young people to women and LGBTQ folks. It is these people who have the greatest desire for change and are most willing to persistently struggle in the face of powerful interests. In this way, mobilizing communities with skin in the game will help power our movements to overcome intractable political obstacles. The goal is to recognize, build, and collectively wield our power in tangible, strategic ways that can dislodge the solidly entrenched obstacles to justice that are in our way. Examples include everything from active support for union organizing and strikes and labor support campaigns to demonstrations and marches, media-savvy direct action, including civil disobedience, sit-ins, and walk-outs, grassroots pressure campaigns, and more.

By building worker power, growing grassroots movements, and wagering and winning city council races across the North Shore, we will create the foundation we will need to overcome corporate dominance of politics and shift political dynamics and narratives in our favor. Over time, this will allow us to elect bold progressive leaders to the state legislature and U.S. Congress so that we can finally enact major, systemic changes to intractable challenges. Focusing on City Council races for 2023 will also allow us to center issues rather than political parties, as these races are non-partisan. We also see this work as a way to encourage people to be engaged beyond the two-year election cycle, building education and progressive power that can be sustained year-round. Our long-term goal is to create a structure for movements to effect systemic change and candidates on the left to run and win at all levels of government, without being reliant on big money or the backing of the two major parties.