"Durham is NOT Klan country."
Activists held signs like this as they stood in solidarity and protest against a Ku Klux Klan recruitment rally in downtown Durham in June 1987. After the Klan announced its rally, Durhamites organized to show their opposition to this demonstration of white supremacy.
Solidarity is when different communities increase their power by coming together to take action for a common goal.
Throughout time, diverse Durham community members showed their strength in the face of discrimination by standing in solidarity. In 2017, Latinx community members and their allies closed down businesses, didn't go to school, and joined together in protest to communicate the importance of immigrants in America.
This solidarity wasn't always easily achieved or completely inclusive, however. For example, while Black and white middle class women eventually worked together while creating women's organizations, they left out the voices of working class Black women.
These three events exemplify how solidarity adapts and grows over time. Creating solidarity requires building meaningful relationships. When people unite to fight for each other's concerns, it has a powerful impact.
As you read, think about:
What does solidarity mean for you?
Solidarity requires building relationships and working toward a common goal. This can be difficult and change over time. For example, in the next story, white women at the YWCA worked to build solidarity amongst themselves but they excluded Black women and working class women for many years. Later, in the 1970s, the YWCA's Women's Center became a gathering place for gay and straight women to come together.
Solidarity is unique to every community, but it requires people to stand together to support each other and make their voices heard. Supporters of A Day Without Immigrants bravely risked their jobs and income to boycott work and school, while business owners closed and sacrificed earnings.
Solidarity is when different communities increase their power by coming together to take action for a common goal.
At the A Day Without Immigrants rally, solidarity meant sacrificing profits to show how immigrants are crucial to our daily lives. At the Durham Women's Center, solidarity meant creating a space of learning and celebration to connect women through feminism. At the Unite Against the KKK rally, solidarity meant diverse people speaking out in unity against white supremacy.
These stories in Durham's history show how even though solidarity is complex, our voices are more powerful together.
After reading this story, answer the question:
What does solidarity mean to you?
