We all want the same things: good jobs that pay the bills, safe workplaces, and the ability for our families to thrive. But for too long, those with the most power have tried to divide us—to distract us from their greed—pointing fingers at working families, immigrants, and communities of color.
Union members have known for decades what counters that attempted division: realizing our commonalities, charting joint solutions, and sticking together—improving our workplaces with each union contract. But now, we've got next-level solidarity: digital reach that can unite so many more people, in real time as events are happening.
Making Space, Making Social Change
Digital media creators, many now with massive online audiences (often built while working their own "day jobs"), and working people of every stripe—spanning industries, geographies, and demographics—are connecting the dots between worker rights and justice movements. They're hosting inclusive, interactive conversations, amplifying invisible voices, building on each other's thoughts and ideas, and turning those ideas into impactful actions. The strength of this transformative, artful process: making space for people (on up to movements) to find commonalities/intersection, support each other, and foster that positive energy into creative, collective change.
Such next-level solidarity happened this past July in New Orleans at #EssenceFest (ESSENCE Festival of Culture), with some of the most influential voices in digital media. Established influencer and podcast host Rachel Lindsay (the first Black Bachelorette, an attorney too) connected with SEIU International President April Verrett (the first Black SEIU President) at the Fest's Global Black Economic Forum.
Soon after, on her co-hosted Higher Learning podcast, Rachel enthusiastically shared this about the community building: “It was fantastic. I was there with SEIU, which is the Service Employees International Union. I was with April Verrett and it was a really empowering forum. … I [watched] April, who's the president of the labor union, talk about how businesses and unions are better off when they work together. It was a really interesting conversation, especially in light of the [recent passage of the "Big Beautiful" budget bill], about how things are being taken away from us and how we all need to work together.”
Rachel's followers? 813K+ on Instagram alone. During ESSENCE Fest, April's social media @SEIUPres accounts saw 46,789 impressions, a 196% jump from the same time last year. Yep, it's exciting for people to witness and be part of different movements supporting each other. An example of that support: when Target (a Festival sponsor this year, very controversially) scaled back its DEI initiatives 👀, digital creators were right there connecting corporate accountability to workers’ rights. That’s the kind of rapid-response conversation and content we need.
Last fall, during SEIU's #WomenWillLead24 Summit in Charlotte—where workers and digital creators collaborated in real time, lifted each other's voices on social media, and shared resources—SEIU hit 8.8M+ potential impressions of the hashtag, plus saw its TikTok engagement jump 77.9% compared to the previous week. It's all about building community: powerful, caring community that values and respects all people so that all families and communities can thrive.
Building Power Across All Lines
One of the Summit's digital creators was Alicia Luncheon (also an attorney, criminal defense), whose posts about labor organizing are authentic and accessible —and break down for her 781K+ TikTok followers why these issues matter to all of us, regardless of what we look like or where we’re from.
Preston Mitchum gets it too. An advocate and reality television star with 50K+ followers, he collaborates with workers and shows his community how the same forces trying to divide us by race are the ones keeping all our wages down. He knows that corporate executives and wealthy politicians use the same playbook every time: blame immigrants for job losses, blame Black families for economic problems, blame anyone except themselves for the damage they’re doing to all of us.
Of note, these creators aren’t broadcasting at people; they’re having conversations, helping to build relationships among people who understand that the fight for worker dignity is part of the larger fight for a more just world. One where those of us who work for a living (which is most of us) can unite across all lines to demand what we’ve earned. Whether it’s Alicia breaking down legal concepts on TikTok or Preston connecting civil rights to worker rights, these are influencers using their platforms to create a more equitable world.
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We have new ways to reach each other, new avenues to share our stories, and new allies who understand that our fights are connected. Your voice is key, your thoughts and ideas are critical. What hasn't changed: when we all work together, we win.
