Our quarterly DMV Community Book Group closed out the year with a lively discussion with Dr. Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at University of Southern California and co-author of Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter.
“For 250 years now, our major economic and political institutions have rewarded those who act in self-interest over those who act out of mutuality,” Dr. Pastor explained.
“But we know that that’s not how most people operate – we know that in our own lives, communities do better when everyone feels connected.”
“This book is an attempt to move the middle – to present a common-sense perspective of why systemic change benefits everyone.”
Dr. Pastor kicked off the webinar with a reminder about language usage.
“We have been brainwashed into thinking that equity is bad for the economy,” Dr. Pastor explained. “But the reality is that it’s not ‘the economy’; it’s ‘our economy’.”
“When we talk about ‘the economy’, we make it sound like it’s an extraterrestrial force that can’t be impacted. Our economy is something that we are constantly involved with.”
“This simple language shift is incredibly important because it changes how we look at issues in our society – especially those that impact African-Americans, Latinos, and other groups that have been systematically marginalized and disenfranchised.”
Dr. Pastor quoted one of the DMV Book Club’s past reads, Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of Us, challenging participants to consider “the sum of us” instead of just “some of us” when it comes to combating racism and its consequences.
“Equity is not a ‘special-interest’ issue,” Dr. Pastor continued. “It’s not something that is only beneficial for communities of color. It’s something that can grow our economy in ways that benefit most, if not all of us.”
However, he was also realistic about the need for systemic change.
“There are still those who benefit from the current state of affairs,” Dr. Pastor explained. “Because of this, we need more social movements that can change the constellation of power.”
“These movements are critical,” he added. “Just as markets reward and teach us to pursue self-interest, movements reward and teach us to act mutually. When you become part of a movement for social change, you build bridges to other communities and help find the uncommon common ground between those groups.”
When asked how to build those bridges, Dr. Pastor highlighted the need to have real conversations with community members about what they are actually feeling.
Citing another book of his, South Central Dreams, Dr. Pastor highlighted community organizing efforts in South Los Angeles – a community which has transformed from a historically Black neighborhood into a predominantly Latinx one. The book outlines how organizers helped community members to develop a sense of place or spatial identity – as well as racial identity.
“It’s not just expressing commonality,” he said. “It’s about exploring the ways that we are ignorant of one another. It’s about creating a conversation where people can say what they are thinking – including the myths or misconceptions they have – and having a dialogue so we can work to dispel them.”
“We need to help people understand the history of their communities,” he continued. “We need them to realize that the terrain of inequalities and deprivation that they face today has been set by centuries of anti-Black racism.”
Dr. Pastor concluded the discussion responding to a question about the role that philanthropy can play in advancing the concept of Solidarity Economics.
“We need to invest in more fundamental power-building – at a community and movement level,” Dr. Pastor explained.
“Foundations often look at their work across three progressive dimensions -- projects, policy, and power. Projects demonstrate what’s possible. Policies canonize projects and establish standard operating procedures – but it’s power that actually moves policy.”
“Movement [power] efforts aren’t just instrumental to policy change – they are fundamental to community change,” he added. “When you invest in organizing and movements, you are empowering community members to take actions in their own lives. Rather than enlisting them in a cause, you empower them to choose and advocate for the issues that make the most difference in their lives, allowing them to pivot from issue to issue in ways that make sense. THAT is what sparks lasting change.”
Click here to watch a full recording of the December 2022 DMV Community Book Club.
Our next DMV Community Book Club will be in early 2023, when we will discuss Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice by Jessica Gordan Nembhard.