Solidarity Book Project Timeline
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2020
August
- Sonya Clark ’89 envisions the Solidarity Book Project in partnership with Amherst College in order to commemorate the College’s Bicentennial, the fifth anniversary of the Amherst Uprising, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Black Studies Department. The project is composed of three Calls to Action which ask participants from all across the globe to reflect on solidarity. Each call to action is matched by a monetary gift from Amherst College to Black and Indigenous nonprofits.
November
- Solidarity Calls to Action are released, beginning with Challenge #1 – #SolidarityReflection. All submissions to this call are matched with $25. Participants post audio, video, or written response to “What does solidarity mean to you?” or “How has someone in your life been a model of solidarity for you or for others?”
2021
January
- Challenge #2 is released. Each #SolidarityReading submission is matched by $50. Participants share an excerpt or read and record (audio or video) from a book that shaped their understanding of solidarity.
February
- Challenge #3, #SolidaritySculpting is released. Participants sculpt the iconic solidarity fist into pages of books that have shaped their understanding of solidarity, then mail the sculpted books in to be featured in a final exhibition; a communal monument to solidarity. Each sculpted book is matched by $200.
August
- GOAL REACHED. Thousands of people shared reflections, excerpts, and sculpted books in solidarity. Amherst College matched every single one of the submissions with small gifts toward nonprofit organizations supporting the educational needs of Black and Indigenous communities. Because of the sheer amount of our contributions we have met our goal and raised $100,000!
- Participants nominate nonprofits that support the educational needs of Black and Indigenous communities
- The Solidarity Monument, made up of hundreds of sculpted books from Challenge #3, is raised at Frost Library at Amherst College.
- The #SolidaritySculpting deadline is extended to gather more books for the monument.