Gathering Ourselves for the Long Haul: Post-Election Convening Reflection

When we planned our Post-Election Convening, we didn’t predict the importance of what it means - in this moment, to not be reactionary but truly invest in the long arc of justice. 

While many of us are grappling with the current political realities of our country and how to move forward, we are reminded of the importance of holding a bold and affirmative, long-term vision for a just multi-racial democracy. 

This past Monday, we gathered in downtown Oakland with 124 attendees to do some meaning-making, gain a sharper shared analysis, fellowship, and mobilize towards action. Through the support of the NCG team, our speakers, participants, sponsors, and vendors we did what we set out to do. From the opening plenary with Steve Phillips, we were inspired at holding onto the distinction between “persuading” a base versus “mobilizing” a base, and the role of local and county-level organizing in taking back our country. As our speaker Lydia Avila, Director of Power-Building at California Calls shared on the panel with other movement leaders, as a sector philanthropy needs to organize and mobilize itself to invest in a robust infrastructure for social movements not just during election cycles, but for the long-term. 

We are not in an exceptional moment of history, though the extent of the current and forthcoming challenges we face are immense and require us to think, plan, and swiftly move resources. We must contextualize this moment to build further alignment and coordination in our field. As a participant wrote in our Building Alignment, Moving to Action Collectively break-out, “this is an opportunity to tend to our broken hearts to let light come in” and “push forward with the power” we hold as a sector.  

The political urgency of these times requires us to go deeper in our relationships, our risk-taking, solidarity and our capacity to be transformed. The storm has been here and we need to tap into our rainy day funds. 

Thank you for being in practice of all of this on Monday.  
 
We are so grateful to our movement partners for illuminating the challenges and dynamics on the ground and naming how philanthropy must not just gather and educate ourselves, but move towards action to invest in those on the frontlines fighting for the long arc of justice.  

Please reach out to Liana at [email protected] if you’re interested in engaging with NCG’s policy and movement committee to help inform our work in the weeks and months to come.   

Thank you, 
NCG’s Democracy Team