In the United States, we have become accustomed to bursts of solidarity that show up during movement moments and national crises. In the past few months, people and organizations have gathered for protests against immigration enforcement, No Kings rallies, and mutual aid support. These powerful examples of episodic solidarity—which are often catalyzed by injustice, state violence, or catastrophic events—spread awareness, mobilize people, and make demands to power holders—and underscore the need to build solidarity infrastructure.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Minneapolis, where people of all backgrounds have shown us what it means to organize quickly, center vulnerable immigrants, address survival needs, and speak truth to power.

We have seen this kind of solidarity before: the rallies that followed the murder of Breanna Taylor in Louisville, KY; the local efforts nationwide to push for ceasefire resolutions to end the genocide in Palestine; and the mutual aid and support after the Los Angeles wildfires.

When solidarity arrives in bursts—ignited by movement moments, urgent campaigns, or collective outrage—it tends to recede when the crisis subsides or another one takes its place. But to sustain solidarity beyond the initial spark and to transform it into a meaningful, lasting practice, we must support, organize, and buttress both short-term scaffolding and long-term infrastructure.

The Conditions for Building Transformative Solidarity Infrastructure

At the Building Movement Project, we draw upon Black, Indigenous, labor, disability, and queer transnational traditions, as well as our own work with coalitions and networks on the frontlines, to frame transformative solidarity as a set of practices that are always in conversation and in relationship with each other.

We have identified six identifiable practices of transformative solidarity that often show up in social movements, including:

Connections and Commonalities

The practice of building shared understanding across differences

Centering

The practice of following the leadership and wisdom of those most impacted by oppression and injustice

Co-conspiratorship

The practice of taking risks to fairly redistribute power and resources

Co-liberation

The practice of acknowledging that our freedom is bound together and taking coordinated actions from this understanding

Capacity and Conflict

The practice of navigating harm, tension, and repair within and across organizations and communities

Read the full article about building solidarity infrastructure by Adaku Utah and Deepa Iyer at Nonprofit Quarterly.