What is York County Rising?
We are a group of progressive organizers, activists, advocates, and concerned citizens in South Carolina. We know the only way through it together. And we know that we are worth fighting for.
Overview
The billionaires in DC wants us to think we don’t have any power. We don’t buy that lie. Half the country didn’t vote. The remaining half split almost evenly between Trump and Kamala. He does not have a mandate. He doesn’t even have half the country. We know public turnout is a show of power, and it scares the hell out of the right.
In states like ours, a lot of folks are progressives-in-hiding. The Trump supporters are loud, and we’ve all been propagandized to believe progressives are a minority in so-called red states, so progressives tend to be quieter. Let’s change that. Let’s get loud.
Goals
Our goals include bringing more of our neighbors into conversation, building community with each other, and taking action to build power from the ground up.
How we achieve those goals
Relational and community-based organizing: We have to start talking to each other and taking action together. A not insignificant part of organizing is making human connections, following up, and tending relationships. This is something our increasingly fast-paced lives has made harder, so for a lot of us, this takes effort.
Ally with local groups to apply pressure.
The boycott example: If 1 person boycotts A, 2 people boycott B, and 3 people boycott C, the effect is muffled and the impact is minimal. If all 6 of those people band together and focus their efforts, that’s where movement happens. Apply that at scale, and you’ve got collective power that moves the needle.
Similarly, if there are 50 different groups working separately toward the same goal, the efforts are less effective than if those groups build a coalition and work together.
Build community
Not just for public actions and political change, but because there is joy and healing and love and so.much.goodness to be found in community.
The only way forward is together.
Group Norms
There’s no room for ego — there’s too much work to do.
We are a collaborative group. Brian, Eric, and Jess are organizers and facilitators, not bosses.
Trust: Ourselves and each other. Trust is earned but it is also given. Some of the building blocks of trust include: Assume good intent of each other. Do our best not to make assumptions about someone’s tone, idea, what we think they think, etc. Listen to understand (not respond), ask questions when we’re unclear or don’t know something, check our internal biases and assumptions. Remain open to feedback.
Discretion: We can gossip and snark about Nancy Mace or the billionaire clown car up at the White House, but not each other. Gossip undermines community and starts drama and dysfunction. Drama and dysfunction get in the way of the work. If there’s a problem, we solve it. We can ask for feedback, we can talk about things that bother us, we can seek resolution when we’re frustrated. Tip to know if it’s gossip: Is it seeking a resolution or just telling spin-cycling a story?
Zero tolerance for abuse, assault, harassment, or putting each others in situations that could cause non consensual harm. We understand every action carries an inherent risk of harm, and we understand some actions will carry more risk. We take measures to mitigate the risks, and we don’t put others in harm’s way. (The example we discussed: No one is getting dragged from a town hall meeting — or anywhere else — without attempts at intervention and protection.)
We are going to have personality differences and conflict. Unless in cases of abuse or harm that cannot be repaired, we as a group aren’t going to kick people out or leave people out just because we disagree. Focus on repair, not punishment.
Other ideas for norms? Please email info@YorkCoRising.com so we can add them to the agenda for the next meeting.
Welcome
While we are based in York County, South Carolina, we welcome friends and comrades from outside the county, and we collaborate with groups in other areas as well as national orgs.
Community. Solidarity. Action, together ✊
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