During the Fall of 2019, in front of an enthusiastic crowd of thousands, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders asked supporters if they are “willing to fight for someone you don't know as much as you are willing to fight for yourself." This statement, echoed in the final days of a political campaign that would leave Sanders’ supporters disappointed in their candidate’s showing at the polls, is explored in depth and with attention to detail in the new book by activists and authors Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor. With numerous examples, case studies, and space given for theoretical thinking, the authors set out to explore how we can go about taking on this task of extending empathy, care, and support to those in our community whom we may not know. Solidarity, as they expertly show and detail, is the ethical principal all concerned members of society should become familiar with, and this text provides an excellent overview of the term.
The book begins with an excellent review of just how much in common the average person has with counterparts across the globe. As opposed to the select few who come from the world’s rich and powerful elite, average people are bound together by their common experiences of operating in a capitalist world. From things like medical, educational, and credit card debt, to the fears and anxiety caused by far-right authoritarianism and climate change, average people are bound together in community by these nefarious social forces.
Too often, however, the answers for how best to “fight back” against the various social problems we face are couched in the language of “individual responsibility.” The authors detail the decline in welfare state provision, care for the older population, and funding for disabled students, as being examples of social problems presented as “personal issues” to be dealt with alone. This notion of “individual responsibility” is exposed in the text as a mask used to keep the solidaristic impulse at bay amongst the wider population.
Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea provides a detailed history and theoretical understanding of the term “solidarity” to help readers think “outside of the box” when it comes to how we can best fight back against the ever-growing social injustices we face. Examples from the early French followers of philosopher and social activist Leon Bourgeois provide historical depth to the importance of collective action in the face of individual suffering. Jewish Freedom Riders in 1960s Mississippi are offered up as examples of cross-cultural organizing that brings together people of different backgrounds in the fight for freedom. And finally, the young activists in Chile, who in 2021 organized to create a more inclusive constitution, show that solidarity, as opposed to “individual agitation,” is always the best way to conceive of societal change. Finding similarity in that which causes us harm can be the first step toward liberation.
Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea offers that when we view the social, economic, and political causes of our individual problems, we naturally open the forces of solidarity. When we go beyond viewing a problem as one that emanates from the “self,” we invite in community to fill the void created by social isolation.
Solidarity is the key to “fighting for someone you don't know as much as fighting for yourself.” This is an important work that all social workers should read, considering current events.
Reviewed by David Hornung, PhD, LMSW, a professor at CUNY York College MSW Program.