WHY AUTHENTIC SOLIDARITY?
WHY AUTHENTIC SOLIDARITY?
While I’ve worked in social equity for twenty years, the work has rarely been explicitly anti-racist. I felt a lot of pressure to “get it right” as a white person but knew deep down that “the right words” weren’t the answer. In social change culture, many of us — across race and identity — find ourselves performing, calling each other out, or playing it safe out of fear of critique.
Authentic Solidarity is an invitation to do this work differently.
WHY AUTHENTIC?
Authenticity is about TRUTH. Not just the facts, but the essential, deeper, oftentimes hidden, truth. Authenticity invites you to look at what’s underneath the mask and find your true passion and purpose in racial equity work. Authenticity is about knowing yourself on a deep level. Authenticity also challenges you to notice and name systems of oppression, often intentionally hidden, for what they are.
WHY SOLIDARITY?
Solidarity is about ACTION. While authenticity honors the self, solidarity honors others and our interdependence. If you value diversity, equity, and inclusion, then WHO are you taking a stand on behalf of? What is your relationship to people in your community who do not benefit from the same privileges as you? What actions can you take in your community or in your organization to truly stand in solidarity with those most affected by systemic inequality?
Authentic Solidarity is a guide for community impact work, organizational development, your personal life, and/or your political work.
Will you step into the fold and join the Authentic Solidarity movement?