People’s Solidarity Hub Handbook

In 2010, the impacts of the severe economic collapse that began two years prior were still ravaging communities across North Carolina, the U.S., and the world. A strong and powerful anti-war movement that had been in the streets since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was waning, as new organizing initiatives began springing up in response to the economic crisis and other attacks being brought against our people. The Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter movement sprang up a short time later, and Wake County high school students were in the midst of a powerful campaign to challenge a right-wing majority on the school board that sought to resegregate schools.

In the midst of these and other developments that were radicalizing people and bringing new activists into movements for social change, a group of organizers and community organizations established the Durham Solidarity Center. They observed that, with so many new people coming into the movements and the growth of existing organizations, there were few spaces for activists to gather, work, and build community together. The folks who founded the DSC sought to fill that gap.

What initially began in a small office on the third floor of the Snow Building in downtown Durham quickly grew, and moved to a new home in the basement of the historic Hayti Heritage Center, before settling in its current location in the Lakewood neighborhood. Over the years, the DSC has provided meeting space for community groups and activists, access to materials for signs and printing, equipment rental for demonstrations and other events, a radical community lending library, as well as office space for grassroots groups. The DSC has also hosted community events and game nights to build relationships across networks. In addition, the DSC has initiated and helped to co-sponsor various political activities in Durham and throughout the Triangle. 

Several years after its founding, the DSC became a go to meeting space and resource hub for grassroots movement building, and has been proud to provide support to Occupy encampments, Black organizers who mobilized and built organization in response to the police murder of Mike Brown, community activists who toppled the Confederate monument in front of the old courthouse, the Triangle Unity May Day coalition that initiated International Workers Day demonstrations and people’s assemblies, youth and student organizers fighting budget cuts and tuition hikes, family and friends of Carlos Riley, Jr. who was framed by Durham police, and so much more. The DSC also founded the Freedom Fighter Bond Fund to support activists arrested at political demonstrations, which is now housed within Emancipate NC.

As the world around us and our movements have changed substantially since 2010, so too has the Durham Solidarity Center – moving into a new physical home and adopting a new name, the People’s Solidarity Hub – Durham.

In May 2020, SVA hired two staff members, Jess Jude and Jen Skees, to dedicate their time to cultivating and honing the vision for the People’s Solidarity Hub. In the past, the DSC was largely volunteer run. Though the hub still relies on people power and volunteer input, this new shift allows for more opportunities to actualize the People’s Solidarity Hub into the community solidarity center of our collective dreams. Our vision is to create the infrastructure to expand the solidarity hubs model throughout the south, growing a mycelium network of movement hubs to support and sustain one another and our people.

Mission

We are a movement hub that serves as a nexus of positive energy and solidarity, supports emergent efforts by grassroots groups, and hosts welcoming community building activities. We are an accessible cultural space and creative joining space moving towards collective action and transformation.

People’s Solidarity Hub prioritizes partnerships with low-budget or no-budget projects or organizations that have shared values and seek to advance the Movement by building leadership and power among those most impacted by oppression and repression.

Vision

People’s Solidarity Hub is a central hub for activists and organizers to build collective power, enhance strategy and tactics, dismantle oppressive systems and build new paradigms. PSH is a space in which creativity, vision casting, and relationship building are prioritized – challenging a system that prioritizes productivity over people and uplifting a grassroots and person centered culture. It is a place where we let go, let people be, play and strategize.

Purpose

People’s Solidarity Hub is a convener. We respect all work for liberation and justice.  At the same time we are not about ego – we put the movement first above any individual, personality or organization.  We welcome and encourage all Freedom Fighters and are committed to struggling with each other so that we can better serve and build a movement that leaves no one behind.  We believe in the power of working people to come together to build solidarity and create real change.

PSH hosts events and programs depending on what you as the community want to see in the space. Here are some of the activities you can organize or attend!: 

Political Education Offerings 

Leadership Development Trainings

Fundraising and Development Trainings 

Organizing Trainings

Staff Retreats

Film Screenings 

Book Talks 

Game Nights 

Dance Parties 

Shared Potlucks & Relational Space 

Art Shows & Production 

Skillshares

Children/Youth Activities

Know Your Rights Workshops

De-escalation Workshops

Movement Resiliency Events

Accessible Comms Trainings 

Performances

Mutual Aid & Rapid Response 

Booking the Space:  PSH makes space available to individuals and organizations to use through an affordable sliding scale. If you’d like to host a one-time event or run a workshop series or set of offerings, fill out the request form on our website and we’ll be in touch! 

Rates:  We offer an accessible SLIDING SCALE RATE OF $5-120 per hour

• Lowest Rate : groups, orgs, and individuals that have zero to low operating budget and/or the event is free and open to the public
• Low Rate: Groups, orgs, individuals that have a small operating budget of up to $90,000 year and/or are charging a fee for the event 
• Mid-Range: Groups, orgs, individuals with a grassroots-moderate budget of $90,000 – 200,000
• High: Groups, orgs with bigger budgets of 200k+ , private events, fee based events, or  individuals with wealth

When you book PSH space in our Skedda booking app, you will be able to share the amount that you would like to pay based on your organizational budget, or access to wealth and privilege. We will then get back with you to confirm before sending you an invoice, that you can pay via bill.com. 

If you are an individual and are having trouble finding where on this scale you’re able to pay- we recommend looking at Catalyst Project’s Class Characteristics to gauge. In addition, please consider your life circumstances like: any chronic health needs you have, how many people your income is supporting, any outstanding debt you have, and if you have direct access to financial resources through individuals, groups or networks you’re connected with. We strongly encourage people who are middle, managerial or owning class to pay as high on the scale as you’re able in order to support poor and working class leaders’ ability to use the space at little or no cost. 

If you’re still having trouble assessing where you fall on the sliding scale, please reach out to info@solidarityhubs.com for support. 

Booking Info:

• Booking requests are processed Monday – Thursday 10AM-12PM. We will try to confirm or deny all requests within 48 hours of booking. 
• We make our staffing schedules based on the times you request. Please include the full time needed for setting up/setting down in your booking request.
• If you want to know availability, visit our Skedda app: https://svahqdurham.skedda.com. You can see everything that is booked or on hold in real-time.
• Once your booking is confirmed, we will schedule a time with you to meet with our on-site Hubs Team to get your key code access and be oriented to the space.

CLEANING & RESPECT OF SPACE: All groups  who use the space are responsible for leaving the building clean when they leave. This includes returning all furniture and items to where they were found, cleaning all surfaces, cleaning and putting away all dishes you used, taking anything that was brought to the space back out with you (leaving nothing behind), turning off all electronics and lights, shutting all doors, disposing of trash in the outdoor dumpster, and setting the exit alarm. 

BUILDING ACCESS & SECURITY: The contact person (the person who books on skedda.com) for groups will be given the combination for the keybox to the building as well as a code to disarm and arm the alarm. These combinations will be changed after each use. The codes must be kept confidential by the contact person and not shared with a larger group of attendees.

Once inside, the contact person can unlock the door of the main building for access by group members. That contact person is responsible for locking the doors and setting the alarm before leaving. 

COVID: Each event requires one person to be a COVID monitor to collect contact tracing information, ensure high touch surfaces are sanitized, and to prevent overcrowding. We ask that folks regularly wash their hands when entering and in the space. Masks are required indoors and are supplied if you need any. Please do not come to the space if you are not feeling well or have been in direct contact with someone exhibiting COVID symptoms within 10 days. There are three different air purifiers within the space that space users can use throughout their event. 

INSURANCE:  Space users agree to hold People’s Solidarity Hub harmless in the event that the People’s Solidarity Hub is sued for harm caused by the event. People’s Solidarity Hub does not accept liability for any injuries that occur in connection with the activity while using our facilities. 

DAMAGES: If damage to the People’s Solidarity Hub property occurs as a direct or indirect result of your event, the person who booked the space will be responsible for any repair costs incurred. Repairs will be done by contractors chosen by the People’s Solidarity Hub. Such repairs may include services such as glass replacement, floor refinishing, painting, plumbing, replacement of electrical fixtures, or appliance repair.

LOCATION OF FIRST AID & FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:

PARKING: Parking is available behind the People’s Solidarity Hub Building and to the left of the People’s Solidarity Hub Building in front of 1803 Chapel HIll Road. There is an ADA parking spot directly in front of the building for easeful access. 

USAGE & FEES: Payment for the space is due at least 3 days before the event.

DRUG & ALCOHOL USE: There can be no drugs or alcohol in the People’s Solidarity Hub space. 

NOISE: Please respect our neighbors by keeping noise levels at a reasonable volume for the time of day. During the day, light outdoor activities and music is permitted. After 10PM, please keep all noise indoors and at a low level, that will not disturb our neighbors.

COMMUNITY SAFETY:  In the event of a medical emergency, please call 911 and ask specifically for an EMT to be dispatched. In the case of an emergency situation where de-escalation is needed, we ask that you do not call the police. Please consider de-escalating and neutralizing the situation with the people around you first, and also please contact someone from our NC hubs team.

SPACE & MAXIMUM OCCUPANCIES: People’s Solidarity Hub has a maximum capacity of 50 people. All users of the space cannot exceed 50 people indoors at their event at any given time.

When booking space through Skedda, you attest that you have read and understood the People’s Solidarity Hub Use policies. You agree that the People’s Solidarity Hub will be used in accordance with the Building Use Policies.

People’s Solidarity Hub  is a people-powered project run by Southern Vision Alliance staff, our PSH Advisory Council, our volunteer Collective and a slew of other friends, collaborators, and area residents. 

The PSH Advisory Council is responsible for PSH’s overall health and advancing our social justice mission and vision. The Council nominates new members to join, and green-lights major programming proposals. They help PSH stay in alignment with values and the needs and desires of the collective community. 

Staff are hired to carry out specific work functions to help PSH achieve our goals and coordinate daily tasks in consultation with relevant stakeholders. 

Monthly Sustainers are PSH  financial supporters who help us maximize our impact, grow our movements and offer our space at low or no cost to more grassroots groups in need of a place to connect, organize and build power. 

The Programming, Hospitality & Leisure Caucus meets monthly to plan PSH’s upcoming calendar of community events hosted by community members and organizations, community meals, fundraiser parties and our annual PSH Potluck. They also organize fun, low-lift, social activities for PSH volunteers and our extended community… ranging from movie nights, game nights, BBQs, and anything else that builds intentional bonds amongst our base. Each year, this team hosts a Brainstorm where we dream up programming ideas to fill PSH’s calendar in the year to come. 

The Fundraising Team develops and executes plans to recruit new monthly-giving members and major donors, and to apply for grants and other institutional funding sources that align with our mission and programmatic priorities.

Neighborhood Base – events specifically towards bringing neighbors together

There are so many ways for you to get involved! You can:

Host an Event/Program: Have a skill or talent you want to share with the community? Is there a community conversation you want to host? PSH is open to a variety of programs and events. Check out the PSH programs sections of this handbook to learn more about the topics and events we’re looking to support or join us at our event planning meetups!

Become a Monthly Sustainer: Monthly Sustainers are co-conspirators who also get PSH merch, discounts, and invitations to special events. To sign up as a Member for as little as $5/month, go to our website at solidarityhubs.org.

Volunteer: We are always looking for people to help set up and host events at the space, conduct outreach, support building improvements, join our fundraising team, and organize PSH’s programming. A great way to start is to reach out to jen@southernvision.org so we get a better sense of your interests, skills, and capacity:

When you enter PSH and use the space, you are agreeing to the following commitments to ensure we’re creating a safe and welcoming space. 

• We commit to making PSH physically accessible to all.
• We commit to listening and hearing each other and creating spaces for all voices to be heard, especially those who have been historically marginalized or silenced. 
• We commit to respecting everyone’s names, preferred gender pronouns, and expressed identities. 
• We commit to accountability and conflict resolution practices.
• We commit to developing creative and transformative ways to address harm. 
• We commit to not engaging in violence or threats of violence in this space.
• We commit to striving to make PSH a space of belonging and safety, prioritizing conflict de-escalation over police involvement.