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A review by girlnouns
Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade
4.0
The book is 1/4 explaining mutual aid, 1/2 explaining how to make sure the work done in mutual aid meets the needs of the people, and 1/4 how to improve the group dynamics of mutual aid programs.
Mutual aid is defined as the collective coordination to meet each other's needs while recognizing the failures of current systems in place. It is different than non-profit/charity organizations since it (1) provides resources people need and dismantles oppressive systems through education. (2) It mobilizes people and expands solidarity within movements. (3) Is proactive and gives agency, skills, and ways of resistance for the people.
I also enjoyed Spade's critiques on charities and non-profits. He points out that those groups usually operate under the rich, are used as tax breaks to concentrate wealth, and focus on university-educated saviors instead of empowering the people. Reading this section reminded me of a particular climbing gym in Long Beach that participates in charity, but still serves the interests of the rich through gentrification. Painting "Black Lives Matters" murals and donating to local organizations doesn't erase the unaffordable membership prices, non-diverse staff, and the fact that they don't provide jobs to the local community. This section helped me better differentiate between acts done in solidarity/liberation versus acts done in self-interest.
COVID and graduating made it hard for me to reflect on the group dynamic in my life and challenge those systems. However, since it is an approachable resource, I'm sure I will visit it back in the future. I think it is interesting how using a non-hierarchical structure is framed as an active radical practice, but I question the effectiveness of a decentralized group.
Mutual aid is defined as the collective coordination to meet each other's needs while recognizing the failures of current systems in place. It is different than non-profit/charity organizations since it (1) provides resources people need and dismantles oppressive systems through education. (2) It mobilizes people and expands solidarity within movements. (3) Is proactive and gives agency, skills, and ways of resistance for the people.
I also enjoyed Spade's critiques on charities and non-profits. He points out that those groups usually operate under the rich, are used as tax breaks to concentrate wealth, and focus on university-educated saviors instead of empowering the people. Reading this section reminded me of a particular climbing gym in Long Beach that participates in charity, but still serves the interests of the rich through gentrification. Painting "Black Lives Matters" murals and donating to local organizations doesn't erase the unaffordable membership prices, non-diverse staff, and the fact that they don't provide jobs to the local community. This section helped me better differentiate between acts done in solidarity/liberation versus acts done in self-interest.
COVID and graduating made it hard for me to reflect on the group dynamic in my life and challenge those systems. However, since it is an approachable resource, I'm sure I will visit it back in the future. I think it is interesting how using a non-hierarchical structure is framed as an active radical practice, but I question the effectiveness of a decentralized group.