'We need more unity': Summit County woman brings monthly 'Solidarity Talk' to Colorado State Capitol
DENVER — Community discussions about racism, Critical Race Theory and other topics at the forefront of the public discourse made their way to the steps of Colorado’s State Capitol.
On Saturday, September 18, Alexandria Nicole hosted one of her Solidarity Talks in the city.
Nicole, a Breckenridge business owner, is the founder of the Solidarity Nation Facebook group. During the height of the racial justice movement in 2020, Nicole found her passion for bridging communities together through “Solidarity Talks”— open-to-the-public discussions on complex topics like racial injustice, mental health and education, to name a few.
The talks have become a monthly occurrence since then, taking place in Breckenridge, Silverthorne, and Dillon. The talks often span several topics, and they’re not always about race. The public is invited to the event this Saturday—the first in Denver—to express themselves and discuss whatever they feel is a vital issue in their communities. The hope is that others in attendance may have ideas or solutions to those topics.
“That’s one of the things I love about the Solidarity Talks. They’re organic, and they go in many different directions regardless of what the topic is about,” Nicole said. “During the talks, people are generally vocal and express what they feel is needed for their community and in their world.”
The inspiration for Nicole’s Solidarity Talks came from another Summit County woman: Evin Harris. In June 2020, after the national coverage of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, Harris started solidarity walks.
Harris and her partner realized Summit County needed to start having honest conversations about race, white supremacy, and equity. On June 1 last year, in downtown Breckenridge, they organized a public protest/walk to support and stand with Arbery. Over 120 people participated.
“In Breckenridge, often the residents here say, ‘Racism doesn’t exist!’ Or that certain things don’t happen in small mountain towns, and that’s simply not true,” said Harris.
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Harris, originally from Denver, said she is excited to see what crowd Saturday’s Solidarity Talk will bring.
“I enjoy Alexandria’s Solidarity Talks. It’s inspiring to see that these talks bring together so many different members of society. No one ever has the same opinions at these talks,” Harris said. “I grew up in Denver and things have changed quite a bit. It’s great to see what people want to bring up and talk about.”
Nicole added: “Surprisingly, the Solidarity Talks have been peaceful and very pleasant. There will always be people with varying opinions, and that’s what it’s all about, but it always stays respectful. The foundation of the talks is for people to express themselves respectfully.”
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Since the talks have taken off, Solidarity Nation has partnered with many local organizations, such as the Breckenridge Tourism Office, Breck Film Fest, and Lake Dillon Theatre. Nicole shares that she was also selected for the Breckenridge Social Equity Advisory Commission and now serves as the Chair of the Commission.
Nicole’s big plan for Solidarity Nation is to create a documentary film named “After the Protest.” The film will document the community members who attended June’s Solidarity Walk. The film’s goal is to encourage people to stand up for what they believe in, which will hopefully lead to stronger and more unified communities. There is a GoFundMe set up to help fundraise the $100,000 needed to create the film.
Lindsey Ford is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at lindseyford@rmpbs.org.