Solidarity Is is a project of the Building Movement Project created by people affiliated with the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and the Proteus Fund’s Rise Together Fund. Solidarity Is attempts to aid activists and organizations to dismantle white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and xenophobia through equity and inclusion-based activism and resistance activities. ¹

History and Activities

Solidarity Is was created by people affiliated with the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and the Proteus Fund’s Rise Together Fund. Leaders from these organizations reportedly spent five years conducting Solidarity Summits in Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Diego, California; and Albuquerque, New Mexico to “learn from local leaders and to build narratives and strategies to address issues ranging from immigration and Islamophobia to anti-Black racism and violations at the border.” During these summits, attendees would experiment with multiracial activism and “resistance activities” against projects like the border wall and immigration enforcement actions. These activism and resistance activities are what the group calls “solidarity practices.” ¹

Solidarity Is’s goal is to achieve left-wing principles of “mutual liberation, equity, [and] inclusion.” The organization aims to dismantle institutions and policies “of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism and xenophobia,” especially by “addressing anti-Black racism within our movements.” ¹

Solidarity Is attempts to achieve these goals through three primary means: first, by creating tools to promote solidarity through workshops and curricula; second, by promoting left-of-center solidarity narratives through podcasts, writing, and social media; and third, by convening communities to build relationships focused on solidarity. ¹

In 2024, Solidarity Is planned five public programs held either virtual or in person. In its three State of Solidarity programs, Solidarity Is explored “the evolving praxis, demands, and trajectories of solidarity within social justice movements.” In its Rapid Response Ecosystem Lab program, Solidarity Is helps nonprofit staff prepare for crisis responses. In its Solidarity Is Cohort program, Solidarity Is offers a six-week training programs for “emerging activists and organizers working towards a just and equitable world.” ²

Solidarity Is also produces the Solidarity Is This podcast exploring the practice of solidarity and how to build “inclusive schools, campuses, workplaces, and neighborhoods.” ³

Additionally, Solidarity Is also offers training and workshops to organizations, coalitions, and networks on “mapping our social change ecosystem roles,” “sustainability and social change,” “transformative solidarity framework,” and “planning for crisis response: an ecosystem approach.” ⁴

People

The senior director of strategic initiatives for Solidarity Is is Deepa Iyer. Iyer is also a senior fellow at Race Forward, a left-of-center organization advocating for identity politics, and the Center for Social Inclusion, a left-of-center advocacy group that advocates for centering racial identity politics in policy activism. She was previously the executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SALT) and a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). On her LinkedIn profile, as of July 2024, Iyer is listed as the director of strategic initiatives at Building Movement Project, not Solidarity Is. ^{1 5}

The coordinator of movement building programs at Solidarity Is is UyenThi Tran Myhre. Myhre was previously the acting director and assistant director at the University of Minnesota’s Women’s Center, Office for Equity and Diversity. On her LinkedIn profile, as of July 2024, Myhre is listed as a coordinator at Building Movement Project, not Solidarity Is. ^{1 6}

The senior manager of movement building programs at Solidarity Is is Adaku Utah. Utah is also a trainer at Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity and previously worked as an organizing director and movement building leadership manager for the National Network of Abortion Funds. On her LinkedIn profile as of July 2024, Utah is listed as a senior manager at the Building Movement Project, not Solidarity Is. ^{1 7}

Sponsors and Affiliated Organizations

Solidarity Is is a project of the Building Movement Project, a left-of-center consulting firm producing research and offering training to social justice-organizations with a focus on racial equity. The Building Movement Project is fiscally sponsored by TSNE Mission Works, a left-of-center business consulting group focused on personnel management and advocacy for ethnic minorities. All employees on Solidarity Is’s website are also employed by the Building Movement Project. ^{8 9 1 1 1 10}

Solidarity Is also is affiliated with the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and the Proteus Fund’s Rise Together Fund, a left-of-center donor collaborative that represents Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities seen as likely to be targeted by national security activities. ¹

1. “About Us.” Solidarity Is. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.solidarityis.org/about.
2. “Public Programs.” Solidarity Is. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.solidarityis.org/public-programs.
3. “Solidarity Is This Podcast.” Solidarity Is. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.solidarityis.org/podcast.
4. “Trainings and Workshops.” Solidarity Is. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.solidarityis.org/training-and-workshops.
5. “Deepa Iyer.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepa-iyer-3575ba6/details/experience/.
6. “UyenThi T (she/her).” LinkedIn. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/utranmyhre/.
7. “Adaku Utah (all pronouns).” LinkedIn. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaku-utah- 078a5554/.
8. “Solidarity Is.” Solidarity Is. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.solidarityis.org/.
9. “Building Movement Project.” Building Movement Project. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://buildingmovement.org/.
10. “Adaku Utah (all pronouns).” LinkedIn. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaku-utah-078a5554/.