A clear-eyed look at what solidarity actually requires of us, against the fantasies we hold about it, drawing on ACT UP, queer organizing, Palestine, and feminist movements.
From award-winning writer Sarah Schulman, a longtime social activist and outspoken critic of the Israeli war on Gaza, comes a brilliant examination of the inherent psychological and social challenges to solidarity movements, and what that means for the future.
For those who seek to combat injustice, solidarity with the oppressed is one of the highest ideals, yet it does not come without complication. In this searing yet uplifting book, award-winning writer and cultural critic Sarah Schulman delves into the intricate and often misunderstood concept of solidarity to provide a new vision for what it means to engage in this work and why it matters. By turns challenging, inspiring, pragmatic, and poetic, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity provides a much-needed path for how we can work together to create a more just, more equitable present and future.
We will discuss the book, available for purchase or from your library.
Coming up in the series, all Sundays at 11:30am:
August 30: Catch Up Discussion of the Series to Date
September 20: Means of Control by Byron Tau (rescheduled from August 30)
On post-9/11 data collection, and how the hidden alliance of tech and government built the American surveillance state.
October 18: Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici (rescheduled from September 27)
On the witch hunts as capitalism’s violent birth, and the destruction of women’s autonomy and the commons.
November 15: Duty Free Art by Hito Steyerl
December 20: Less is More by Jason Hickel
January 24, 2027: The Path of Most Resistance by Ivan Marovic
