Friend -

Unpaid labor is the topic on my mind lately if you can’t tell! One of my last motherhood musings touched on how our public education system exploits unpaid labor. Well, as someone who has been working in the trenches for a while, this is also true about our progressive movement. 

Wait, what!? Yes, the progressive movement also exploits unpaid labor, and sadly it’s mostly the unpaid labor of women and people of color. 

While our shared commitment to justice and equality is admirable, it's disheartening to observe that the very structures advocating for societal change sometimes replicate the same inequalities they seek to dismantle. Women, particularly those of color, contribute significant, often unrecognized, unpaid labor to keep the progressive momentum alive.

In many instances, women and people of color find themselves shouldering the burden of emotional labor, organizational tasks, and community engagement without equitable compensation or acknowledgment. This dynamic not only perpetuates gender and racial disparities but also undermines the authenticity of our movement.

What can we do? A few things:

1. Reassess organizational structures and practices
2. Fairly compensate those in our movement
3. Invest in leadership development tailored specifically for women and people of color
4. Support women and people of color in decision-making roles 

The acknowledgment of this problem is not just a matter of principle but a necessity to build a movement that authentically mirrors the diversity it champions.

Recognizing and valuing the labor of women and people of color is not just a matter of fairness but a strategic imperative. It enhances the credibility of our movement and ensures that we truly embody the principles we advocate for in our pursuit of justice and equality. Together we can create a progressive movement that not only speaks to our ideals but actively embodies them in every aspect.

A progressive mom’s musings. 

Edil Mari De Los Reyes

PowerPAC is a social justice organization that strategically directs financial and human resources to local and state organizations working to deliver wins in legislative fights, ballot initiatives, and more. For years the money we've raised has, dollar for dollar, been given back to the communities we work with. We've made sure that your investments were being used to build power for our communities because too often we are underrepresented and ignored. 

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