The Trump Administration’s Linguistic Overhaul
The Trump administration has launched a comprehensive campaign targeting over 200 words, aiming to eliminate them from government websites and educational programs.
Words such as inclusion and identity have been marked, with directives to avoid or remove them, as part of a broader movement to dismantle diversity and inclusion efforts within public arenas. Surprisingly, even seemingly neutral terms like belong and women have come under scrutiny, alongside more controversial, performative terms such as allyship.
Amidst this linguistic purge, the term ‘solidarity’ has managed to evade censorship, retaining its ethical significance and historical weight. Originating from the old left, solidarity is being revitalized to align with contemporary aspirations.
Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor, prominent organizers, advocate for a transformative solidarity on the left, one that grants dignity universally, contrasting it with the reactionary solidarity on the right, which thrives on exclusionary politics.
The Cultural and Intellectual Reclamation of Solidarity
A wave of recent scholarship and activism has centered around the notion of solidarity, charting its evolution and potential. Works like Hunt-Hendrix and Taylor’s Solidarity, and Eszter Szakács and Naeem Mohaiemen’s Solidarity Must Be Defended, delve into its historical significance and aesthetic expressions. Books such as Sarah Schulman’s The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity and Aruna D’Souza’s Imperfect Solidarities explore its inherent contradictions and potential for growth.
Case studies like Daisy Pitkin’s On the Line and oral histories such as the Pinko Collective’s After Accountability provide real-world insights into solidarity campaigns. Documentaries including Plan C, The Strike, and the Oscar-winning No Other Land, alongside theatrical productions like Bess Wohl’s Liberation, further illuminate this complex theme.
Though fiction is omitted here, notable authors like South Korean Nobel laureate Han Kang and Irish writer Claire Keegan grapple with fundamental questions of solidarity, contemplating its implications and risks.
Exploring Solidarity as Intimacy
These scholarly pursuits consider solidarity not merely as abstract philosophy but as a unique, nuanced form of intimacy. Solidarity is recognized as the art of sharing in another’s struggles and forging common cause.
While traditional images of solidarity often depict unified workers advocating collectively, recent explorations focus on its inner workings—the meetings, difficult conversations, earnest efforts, and inevitable missteps.
These examinations arise from a paradox: in recent years, massive protests have swept the United States. The 2017 Women’s March witnessed millions mobilizing, many for the first time, and by 2020, around 26 million people protested George Floyd’s murder.
Since late 2023, countless student-led demonstrations have called for a Gaza cease-fire, underscoring solidarity’s enduring and evolving relevance.
