Organizing something—a strike, a sickout, a boycott—has to account for, and create systems that protect, your most vulnerable members. Otherwise privileged members will get speaking tours at the end of the action while vulnerable members lose income/housing/healthcare.

I learned a few years back when me and others were organizing an action at our institution. We were pushing for a dramatic action until someone stopped us and asked what would prevent the arrests of people in the group *after* the action was over. So we paused.

I didn’t have an answer to this question from a colleague who came to the institution after years of organizing. I was just filled with the feeling of needing to do something. And I didn’t really think about all that goes into protecting folks when you “do something.”

Which is why before teachers, nurses, farm workers, auto workers, etc. go on strike they spend *months* organizing food pantries, communal banks, phone trees, legal services, building community support. Because they want to enter an action knowing folks will be protected.

An action that does not account for people’s safety and long term protection can get people hurt: literally. And the people who will get hurt aren’t the ones that are privileged. The privileged will be praised for “taking a stand.” The poor and vulnerable will be antagonized.

This is why solidarity, true solidarity, is so key to any action. Because in that moment when you choose to challenge the status quo, the literal only thing you have is each other and the systems you built.