Defining and Practicing Solidarity
The concept of solidarity is central to "May Day," but what is it and how do we act on it?
I’ve recently finished reading the absolutely phenomenal book Solidarity: The Past, Present & Future of a World-Changing Idea by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor. It may be the most quotable book I’ve ever read, but the following offers a good summation from the text of the book’s central thesis:
“Successfully resisting plutocratic efforts to split people apart in order to dominate public life requires creating new coalitions that have the power to influence our laws and institutions, and developing the stamina to sustain these new political forms. By conceiving of ourselves as intrinsically bound in relationships of mutuality and care that span generations, we can understand our obligation to provide a secure and dignified life to others while also recognizing that we are entitled to such an existence ourselves.”
When most of us, myself included, think about the concept of solidarity, it seems the first place our minds go is to organized labor. That makes sense; the concept seems to align best with organizing the working classes to use our collective power to attain more for ourselves, in spite of the best efforts of the ruling classes to deny us all they can. But labor solidarity is only one aspect of the broader idea.
I love that the authors ask us to “conceive of ourselves as intrinsically bound in relationships of mutuality and care that span generations.” The authors similarly discuss the idea that we are born with inherited or intrinsic obligations to each other. This notion that we are born obligated to one another and to all life offers what I feel is an important counterbalance to the notion of being born alone and dying alone. For many, the idea of original sin is easier to accept that an idea of original responsibility for others. I find that truly sad.
What does it mean, then, to stand in solidarity or to exhibit solidarity? To me, working from the definition of solidarity offered above, I think acting on this concept begins with recognizing that capitalist, neoliberal hyper-individualism is a perversion of what it means to be human. Once we recognize the isolating and disempowering nature of hyper-individualism and begin to think about our inherent or intrinsic obligations to each other, we start to realize what acting in solidarity entails.
Some examples of solidaristic thinking include the recognition that race is an arbitrary construct created to uphold and expand white supremacy over racialized non-whites; that the imposition of the heteronormative and a gender binary is also a form of arbitrary hierarchical alignment of humankind meant to uphold and expand patriarchal power structures; that favoring and protecting capital and its endless accumulation over all else is a rapacious and unsustainable economics rooted in domination of the few over the many; that cooperation, not competition, should be central to our economies, cultures and bodies politic if we want to not only survive but thrive on our only home in the cosmos (Earth).
What can we do with these recognitions and understandings? What actions can we take to live them and actually practice solidarity? Such actions can include those planned for May Day (aka International Worker’s Day) like refusing to work, go to school, or make purchases on a particular day. Some other examples include but are not limited to: starting a union drive to organize your workplace; deciding as a union to go on strike; defending public schools and public libraries against the constant onslaughts they face; supporting an abortion fund; helping a trans friend pay for and access hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery; helping establish and support mutual aid and reciprocity networks to help debtors or folks lacking access to potable water or folks living in food deserts; helping others understand how to compost, recycle, increase their home’s energy efficiency or affordably go solar, and much more.
Sometimes solidarity looks like risking arrest or getting arrested. Sometimes it looks like speaking up at the holidays when a family member is engaging in racist, sexist, xenophobic or ableist behavior, even if there is no one else there to witness your act of defiance against such behavior. Sometimes it looks like putting your body and life on the line to protect others who are part of marginalized and oppressed communities against harm. Sometimes it looks like becoming a plaintiff in a lawsuit or a witness in a criminal action to help try to obtain justice through the courts.
Solidarity is both a principle and a practice, which Leah and Astra elaborate on brilliantly. It’s not something you achieve permanently. It’s not some state of nirvana or bringing into existence a utopia. It’s something to be lived daily. It something we will all occasionally fail at, just like anything else humans attempt to do. No one will ever be perfectly solidaristic in their thoughts, words and deeds. We all have instincts of self-preservation and will, at least at times, feel the allure of immense wealth. We all crave creature comforts and should all engage in self-care routinely for our own well-being.
I wish everyone a safe and satisfying May Day tomorrow (May 1st) if you’re engaging in May Day activities. I’d encourage you not to overthink it if you can help it. Solidarity is first and foremost about love and empathy. Lead with your heart and follow the hearts of others looking to engage in solidarity.