Resource Bank for New Durham Organizers and Activists

We are so blessed to live in a city so full of people working toward making the lives of others better, from running mutual aid networks to organizing for better policies. Sometimes, it gets overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you plug in? How do we not reinvent the wheel?

I decided to make a bank for myself, a one-stop shop to keep track of all these resources. I love spreadsheets and databases, and as someone who has been organizing for three years in the Durham area, I have amassed a lot of them. 

As my personal database grew, I realized it could be helpful for other people too, so I have linked it here: A Movement Resource Bank for Durham. This is sort of a culmination of things I have learned and seen over my organizing career. There are seven sections, each with different purposes and use cases, but all centered on meaningful and life-giving rather than performative or draining actions. Whether you are starting to take action for the first time (welcome to the movement!) or a seasoned organizer looking for a new event space or merch vendor, I hope that this resource bank is helpful to you.

When I first started organizing, I had a much narrower view of what meaningful action meant: policy change. With my hyper fixation on technical policies and electoral power, I burned out quickly and underwent many mental and physical health crises. However, if we want to make lasting change, we also have to prioritize the other dimensions of social justice in a way that centers joy and belonging, which this resource really tries to emphasize in its seven sections.

The first section is calendars of events, because going to events is a great way to get started on your organizing journey. One-off events are low-stakes, low-commitment, and fun ways to meet like-minded people in your community! Such community gathering events are important in centering joy, love, and belonging in the movement, as well as bringing people together and building relationships. There are a ton of people making cool compilations and calendars of progressive news and events, which I tried to link here. But this section also includes travel blogs, for two reasons. Firstly, building community and fostering belonging is the point of organizing, which is why social events like ice cream parties, arts festivals, and nights out are just as (if not more) critical to the movement as policy memos and phonebanking. Travel blogs contain tons of events to help your volunteers bond! Second, you can’t fight for a place you don’t know and love. There is always more culture and history to explore, wherever you are, and the more you learn, the more you love, the better you organize. 

The second section is local news, which is really important in keeping us all informed of what’s going on in our communities, the places that affect us every day and the places where we can really make a difference. Unfortunately, local news is on the decline. Fortunately, there are a ton of citizen journalists and organization newsletters filling in the gap, and we can still support the local news outlets that exist! This database also includes blogs + social media + influencers, because that is a huge source of information in the digital age and the direction our movement is moving in.

The third section is mutual aid and aid, including food distribution, community gardens, tool libraries, and more. We take care of us! Especially when the long-term policy work gets difficult and we get burnt out, mutual aid and aid are great for re-energizing your soul, restoring your health, and sustaining your hope. Systemic change must also be complemented by short-term relief. Getting involved with these programs are wonderful for community-building and making a meaningful impact in your community.

The fourth section is physical locations; being physically together matters! These locations include progressive-oriented businesses in the Durham area, because they are also part of the movement. Some ways that I have used this list are to find values-aligned event spaces and to garner support from the business community. We love using this list to identify places to drop literature and pamphlets that share information and publicize events. Locations categorized as “Community Centers” in this section are designed to host community events at affordable rates. Many of those spaces are hubs of progressive and community activity, with calendars of events and newsletters of their own. However, even many locations that are not dubbed “Community Centers” are open to hosting events - just ask!

The fifth section is active organizations that do meaningful work with low barriers of entry. Although the best thing to build community power & resilience is to get to know your neighbors, I also tried to curate a list of organizations that you can easily take meaningful action with and feel like you are in a community, where you can also level up your organizing skills. Without meaningful action and community, it is easy to burn out. Therefore, my list is really focused on trying to identify groups that feel effective and supportive for you.

The sixth section is art, because culture is power. This section also contains movement-aligned, local small business vendors for all your movement merch and art build purposes. 

The last section is resource recovery. I couldn’t help adding it because I began as a climate organizer, but being mindful about our physical impact on the world and the ecosystems around us is also an important part of what it means to take care of and respect each other. Let us create regenerative cycles rather than polluting landfills in both the way we treat each other and the way we use material goods.

Finally, there is a comment section because I want to hear what you think! I am sure there are mistakes and I am sure that I have left things out. Let me know what to add, what to change, and what you think can be made better. If it’s helpful, let me know too!