Season Finale: An Organizing Revival For 2024 with Sulma Arias, Executive Director, People's Action

On the season finale of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Everette Thompson-Francois, Race Forward’s Vice President of Movement and Capacity Building is joined by Sulma Arias, Executive Director of People’s Action for an illuminating and invigorating conversation inspired by the Organizing Revival project launched one year ago.

As Executive Director of a national organization that houses more than 40 organizations in 30 states, Sulma grounds her leadership in her two decades of rich community organizing experience with grassroots movements, as well as her own journey as a Salvadoran immigrant to Wichita, Kansas. Sulma’s narrative is one that reflects the collective resilience and determination of the thousands of constituents she helps lead in building “the power of the poor and working people in rural, suburban, and urban areas to win change through issue campaigns and elections.”

Sulma and Everette’s conversation centers around the foundational values and forward looking vision of People’s Action, discussing strategic campaigns that empower local communities to create a national movement, the approach deeply rooted in direct action and relational power building. The “Organizing Revival” as it was envisioned, is a testament to the historically enduring spirit of activism for social change. Sulma talks about how this is more than just a strategic reset –– it represents a reaffirmation of community organizing as the bedrock for the large-scale impacts intended to be won, built through the historic wins being created by a new generation of dissenters and organizers. Her insights into the challenges and triumphs of mobilizing communities against the backdrop of at times hostile political and social landscapes offers an important look into the mobilization needed to inspire and sustain movement power.

Sulma and Everette also discuss People’s Action white paper “The Antidote To Authoritarianism”: a report that addresses the question of building a multiracial and pluralistic democracy with an inclusive economy to defeat the rise in authoritarianism. She talks about how the report, written with insights from experienced organizers dedicated to building power contextualize how the various political, social, economic, and environmental crisis compounding each other are a strategy that is eroding democracy –– and how regrounding the movement for social justice is the most effective practices of community organizing to address this escalating crisis at scale is the strategy that is urgently needed.

With the 2024 U.S Presidential Elections approaching, Sulma’s words are a reminder of the power vested in collective action. She invites our listeners and wider audiences to not shy away from, but to engage with the challenges of our times –– from the expansion of the climate crisis to the erosion of democratic norms –– through the venerable tradition of organizing.

As we wrap up this season of Momentum, we want to – thank our listeners for joining us for four incredible seasons of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast. It is our privilege to bring you important conversations from our movement, to be able to create incredible work together.

The next season of Momentum will kick off next month –– and we’re looking forward to having you continuing to join us as a valued listener. In the interim, make sure to follow Race Forward on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/ X, and please support our work by making your donation by texting RFPOD to 44-321.

Resources:

People’s Action [About]

https://bit.ly/44WgDTx

Organizing Revival (via Colorlines)

https://bit.ly/4ayjmDL

Report: The Antidote To Authorianism: How an Organizing Revival Can Build a Multiracial Pluralistic Democracy and an Inclusive Economy

https://bit.ly/3USj9Fy

Sulma’s Writings

Why We Hope

https://bit.ly/3yxiOk7

Training Is How We Transform Society

https://bit.ly/4bPfoHJ

The Organizing Revival Is Here

https://ourfuture.org/20230703/the-organizing-revival-is-here

This Is One Of The Best Times In History To Be An Organizer

https://bit.ly/3wMW4fq

About Race Forward:

Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture. Race Forward imagines a just, multiracial, democratic society, free from oppression and exploitation, in which people of color thrive with power and purpose.

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Executive Producers

Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Cato Blakemore

Associate Producer

Freddie Beckley