Mutual Aid
A study guide of Dean Spade’s 2020 book ‘Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next).’
This study guide was written by August Devore Welles and edited by Gari De Ramos, Katya Zabelski, and Worcester Free Fridge
Mutual aid is a collective effort to meet the community’s needs––usually with the understanding that the existing power structures are not meeting these needs. The book Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade is a roadmap to understanding, participating in, and maintaining strong mutual aid networks.
Spade explains that “The contemporary political moment is defined by emergency” (p. 9). During these recent emergencies, more “ordinary” people feel the urge to get involved in their communities. Spade calls it survival work; mutual aid once it is done in conjunction with social movements. This idea provides the backdrop for Spade’s thesis, which is that mutual aid is fundamental to revolution; choosing to help others, pool resources, and care for the most vulnerable––within the context of capitalism, colonialism, and forced dependency on a hostile system––is a radical act. Spade defends this thesis through examples (we will refer to them as case studies for this guide) such as the Hong Kong protests, the Black Panther Party’s (BPP) Survival Programs, the 2011 Occupy Movements, Hurricane Sandy 2012, and more.
The book is split up into three parts. Part 1, “What is Mutual Aid?” explains the three key elements of mutual aid, the differences between mutual aid and charity or federal relief agencies, and the realities of being on the frontlines of mutual aid efforts. Part 2, “Working Together on Purpose,” is a practical guide for building sustainable mutual aid networks. Finally, Part 3 will discuss pitfalls mutual aid movements should avoid.
There will be a list of terms or concepts covered in this study guide in the comprehension section. In addition to that, there will be illustrative case studies sprinkled throughout to contextualize the topics covered.
Navigate our study guide using the table of contents below.
Source
Spade, D. (2020). Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) [E-reader; Apple Books]. Retrieved from https://www.versobooks.com/books/3713-mutual-aid
Note: Page numbers may be inaccurate due to e-reader formatting.