When we think of an Assembly, we think of people coming together to protect life, to make space to think radically about how we organize, and move together. Gathering is part of the work.

This summer, more than 160 members & partners of the New Economy Coalition gathered in Durham, North Carolina for four days for the Solidarity Economy Assembly for our Futures.   

We gathered in Durham because we believe liberation can only happen if we reckon with and acknowledge the histories that brought us here in the first place, and learn from the legacies of those who came and fought before us.

The South carries a rich and living legacy of movement organizing, and over the past two years, it has also become an important place of connection for our network. We have gathered here with grantees and working group members of the Black Solidarity Economy Fund, with our Black Radical Democracy Working Group, with NEC staff for an intensive, and with our board.

For four days we learned, built in place, connected and felt the joy and magic that just happens when people gather. We made time to hear what is happening across our members’ regions, share what we are learning, and begin taking steps toward a renewed strategic orientation for NEC as a coalition.

And we left with full hearts <3

What We Built

Day 1: Arriving & Grounding

We kicked off the Assembly by reconnecting with old friends & welcoming new faces. Some community gatherings happened:

• Participants gathered for the screening of A Collective Future, produced by NEC member Center for Economic Democracy. 
• Folks had the time to connect through affinity spaces like Black Caucus!

Day 2: Learning from Black & Indigenous Leadership

We were deeply moved by the Black & Indigenous Solidarity Economies panel. Speakers challenged us to explore our relationships to land, to honor those who came before us and imagine what polyrhythmic solidarity (different rhythms coming together to create one song) can look like in our movements.

During the afternoon we explored the possibilities of solidarity economies & learned directly from one another through inspiring member-led sessions.

Some of the sessions included a workshop with Creative Wildfire by Rad Pereira “Build The Village, Break the Empire” that weaved together speculative fiction, Theater of the Liberated/Oppressed, improvisation, political performance and other body based tools for collective narrative creation; “From Shock to Climate Survival a session led by Dogbane Farm, Movement Hub, and Retreat Center and Climate Mobilization Project; and “Democratizing Your Org Budget” with Sustainable Economies Law Center. 

Day 3: Solidarity Excursions across Durham! 

Participants chose from three different excursions to learn from local organizers, histories, and community spaces across Durham!

Planted by Our Ancestors: We visited Historic Stagville Plantation, where Georie Bryant offered historical memories on land & struggle, and how that connects to labor struggles. The visit included learning about native plants with Beverly Johnson and powerful chants and energy from the Union of Southern Service Workers.   

“Our time in Durham reminded us that there can be no conversation about building liberatory futures without reckoning with the histories that produced our current material conditions. We visited the Stagville plantation where the interpretation centers the lives, labor, resistance, and culture of the enslaved rather than the lives of enslavers. Grounding Durham’s rich history of movement organizing in the plantation underscored that the struggle to build life-affirming economies is inseparable from confronting the racial capitalist foundations upon which this country was built.” — Decolonial Feminist Collective.

People’s Solidarity Hub: We toured a vibrant community space and heard from organizers working with farm workers, labor unions, immigrant communities resisting ICE, and Black trans media. People engaged in conversations about the struggles and opportunities of community hub spaces.

 Whistle Stop Black History Tour: We visited historic sites including the Hayti Heritage Center, a cultural anchor preserving the legacy, creativity, and contributions of Durham’s historic Black Hayti community, and the Pauli Murray Center, the childhood home of civil rights organizer, lawyer, and scholar Pauli Murray.

Day 4: Grounding with Alexis Pauline Gumbs & Assembly Day! 

We felt deeply grateful for the presence of Alexis Pauline Gumbs, whose prophetic wisdom and medicine helped open our final Assembly day by reconnecting us to our collective spirit and the deeper reasons we gather.

During this day, we came together in regional groups to reflect on shared needs, possibilities, and the tools needed to strengthen our movement. We closed with a collective session to share reflections and begin imagining the path ahead, marking the first steps toward conversations about NEC’s strategic orientation and where we want to move together as a coalition.

What We Learned

The key words we heard include convene + connect + resource + facilitate + strengthen + build + sustain: 

• Strengthen regional connection & organizing. Again and again, members called for opportunities to connect across regions, share knowledge and skills, problem-solve together, and strengthen the relationships that can carry our work forward.
• Make knowledge & skills among the network accessible & available. From peer skillshares and offers-and-needs markets to legal cafés, movement resourcing office hours,
• Center accessibility & humility. Grounding in our principles. Coming into relationships ready to listen and learn, recognizing that NEC often has more to learn than to teach, and building toward relationships rooted in care.