Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. -Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963)
To build authentic, action-centered solidarity relationships among organizers, Proteus Fund invited nine social justice leaders to join the first cohort of the Solidarity Collaborative in 2024. Cohort participants are provided with an opportunity to build relationships and a community rooted in solidarity praxis over three convenings for the first year of their experience. Their participation comes with access to programmatic funding for their organization to launch a solidarity project and additional support including coaching from the Building Movement Project.
The Solidarity Collaborative held its first convening in San Juan, Puerto Rico in December 2024. The cohort leaders who attend the convening included Jamie Beran (Bend the Arc), Alia Bilal (Inner-City Muslim Action Network), Loidymar Duprey González (La Tejedora/The Action Lab); Rev. Deth Im (Faith in Action), Dom Kelly (New Disabled South), Niketa Kumar (Asian Law Caucus), Rima Meroueh (Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services), Rev. Dr. LizTheoharis (Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice), and Nikko Viquiera (Race Forward).
The Collaborative was proud to begin its work on the Island of Puerto Rico, which has endured an ongoing unequal, colonial relationship grounded in racism within the United States. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens without equal access to vote for their representation, and the parallels to the 1960s fight for civil rights—among them, the right to the ballot box—are substantial. The thread from Birmingham to San Juan is palpable. In much the same way that Dr. King and a coalition of faith-based allies fought hate with the counterweight of love anchored in justice, the Collaborative brought the spirit of love and justice to Puerto Rico.
The convening provided cohort participants with the opportunity to strengthen relationships, build community, and share transformative moments where they have experienced solidarity. The leaders explored two key questions: What makes solidarity possible? What makes solidarity challenging? As a response to these questions, wisdom arose. The participants acknowledged the value and importance of long-term relationships they can lean on in a crisis; centering values over issues; engaging their hearts; and acknowledging solidarity does not rely on systems, it is rooted in people and relationships. In reflecting about what makes solidarity challenging, the convening participants acknowledged the reality of trauma and pain within their communities; the narrative about them constructed by forces opposed to progressive social justice values; and the difficulty of collaboration with limited resources and organizational capacity. The nine leaders also wrestled with how to sit with discomfort in moments of crisis, practice courage in moments of real risk, and foster partnerships across faith and cultural traditions to advance the work of solidarity.
Adaku Utah and Deepa Iyer from The Building Movement Project, Joo-Hyun Kang, a seasoned New York-based social justice activist, and leaders from La Tejedora, a movement building initiative in San Juan supporting Puerto Rician self-determination, facilitated the convening with compassionate curiosity. More than a space to find final answers, the convening was a gathering to imagine opportunities for collaboration and identify barriers that might hinder cross-movement collaboration.
During the final day, cohort members shared tangible ways their colleagues could support their work. Puerto Rican cohort member Loidymar Duprey González, co-founder of La Tejedora, for example, asked peers for support in sharing information about the negative impact on Puerto Rican livelihood from Act 22, a tax incentive for the wealthy to invest in Puerto Rico. Nikko Viquiera, from Race Forward, invited his peers to think of ways to support multiracial solidarity in a current political environment ripe with tactics of division and fear-based mongering.
The Solidarity Collaborative’s San Juan convening planted a seed for cohort members to grow together. The nine social justice leaders laughed together and cried together, shed tears of joy and pain, recognizing the troubling times we are in, while also acknowledging the love and support that has allowed them to continue their work and secure hard-fought advocacy victories.
During the convening’s closing ritual, the participants passed each other blank pages, adding words that came to mind when reflecting upon the positive qualities of the cohort member seated next to them. In the background, soothing music provided an atmosphere for connection. Outside, the blue Puerto Rican sky held space for them. In a sign of respect for one another, participants acknowledged the person seated next to them with a nod of appreciation and a thank you until the next gathering.
