During our time at the No Kings 2.0 protest in Chicago, we had the pleasure of hearing an address from Mayor Brandon Johnson. He highlighted the importance of a general strike and called for his people and the people of America to take action:
“If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do it too!” “I’m calling on Black people, white people, Brown people, Asian people, immigrants, gay people, from around this country to stand up… We are going to make them pay their fair share in taxes to fund our school, to fund jobs, to fund healthcare, to fund transportation. Democracy will live on because of this generation. Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?”
Mayor Johnson is not alone in his fervor. Several spaces I have personally been active in (e.g., left-leaning Signal groups and chats) have been buzzing about when and how to execute a general strike for months. The tension is rising, and the need for action is palpable. However, one thread of logic seems to pop up every time a conversation about a strike starts: "How do we expect the majority of working-class Americans to participate in a strike when they can't even afford to miss a day of work for being sick?" This question highlights the very real need for a large, interconnected network of mutual aid to support those who will fall through the cracks without it.
Indeed, the times are getting hard enough for everyone that not having a robust system of mutual aid is almost impossible and is certainly irresponsible. We should be supported by our government. Instead, we are having some of the most popular socialist programs stolen from us as we struggle just to live our lives. The recent government shutdown, purported by many Republicans to be the Democrats' fault, is putting extra pressure on the American people and causing massive amounts of anxiety around surrounding questions like: Where will our healthcare come from? Will we have options in the future? How am I supposed to feed my family without basic government assistance?
To this end, we are composing a series of mutual aid and community-building resources. We understand that the uncertainty of the future is leaving Americans feeling defeated, scared, and lost. It's time to give the power and agency back to the public. In this series, we will explore how to build sustainable gardens, how to get involved in and lead community efforts like donation drives, and so much more.
Nobody is coming to save us, but we are not helpless. We will not go quietly into the dark. We will become the community we were always meant to be, and we will save ourselves.