“Y’all are the ones I need to carry this torch!” These are the words Tracie Adams from VOCAL-NY used to fire up the more than 150 People’s Action members, from 30 different groups in 25 states, who gathered for three days of reflection, strategy development, and of course, direct action at our Strategy Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota this July.
Following hot on the heels of last year’s convention in Washington, D.C., this Strategy Summit was a deeper dive for People’s Action members and organizers to develop the issue areas and campaign priorities we share.
Participants alternated between plenary sessions on People’s Action’s long-term agenda and movement politics strategy with small group reflections and issue tracks, where different groups from across the country could develop together their best practices to advance campaigns around housing, healthcare and climate.
Member-leaders and organizers from around the country, including Franky Echols and Natasha Chapman from Down Home North Carolina, Mohamed Khalid from Maine People’s Alliance, Rev. Majadi Baruto and Clarke Gocker from PUSH Buffalo and Laxmi Palde from Hoosier Action, told inspiring stories of their own hard-fought wins.
“I realized that one of the things that holds me back from moving strong strategic campaigns is an ‘all or nothing’ attitude — feeling like if we can’t get it all, why even bother,” said Hannah Gelder from ONE Northside in Chicago. “In the world ‘as it is,’ we will win some and lose some – but if we’re running strong strategic campaigns, we’ll be building our power – and our wins – as we go!”
LaTanya Lane, a senior trainer for People’s Action, introduced our new Strategic Campaigns toolkit, which member groups can use and adapt to develop their own campaign strategies around our shared priorities.
Sulma Arias, executive director of People’s Action, shared her own experiences growing up under an authoritarian regime in El Salvador, and the importance of organizing to ensure the United States doesn’t follow a similar path. Yet she also encouraged all those present to never lose hope, and the courage that comes from hope.
“it’s a must for any of us organizers who want to do this work in a way that is transformative, that is joyful for us and for those around us,” Arias shared. “We can’t do this work without hope, without being hopeful and feeling hopeful, especially when progress on what we are trying to do seems so slow.”
Patty Snee and Mike Walsh of Progressive Maryland shared news of their victory against private health insurers in their state, who must now start to disclose their denials of claims. Snee and Walsh both play key roles in People’s Action Institute’s Care Over Cost campaign, which seeks to end the practice by private insurers of delaying and denying claims to boost profits.
Indeed Patty, Mike and all who attended then took this message to headquarters of United Healthcare in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where eleven People’s Action members faced arrest in a peaceful protest to demand an end to claims denials.
Despite the pouring rain, and heart-wrenching stories of denials of care by Jenn Coffey from Rights and Democracy New Hampshire, Gina Morin from Maine People’s Alliance and others, we also had some fun. Lev Hirschhorn from Progressive Maryland donned a suit and tie to lead a mock game show, “The Price Is Wrong!” to highlight some of the shameful ways UnitedHealth executives spend millions on mansions and yachts, instead of providing care.
As we all headed home, inspired and with new friends, new tools and a new outlook on our shared path towards achieving our long-term goals for a more just and equitable society, Adams’ words still rang in our ears.
This plan is an awesome plan, an awesome strategy!” she said. “You need to take it to your state, and your city, and push it… to educate these young people to get out to vote, stand in your power, and be who we want to be.”