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Welcome to SnoCoCAN!
This is our grassroots wiki-based collaboration project focused on giving the oppressed a platform in Snohomish County as well as sharing resources to support them.
We highly recommend newcomers to start with the About Us page and the Progressive Groups page (the latter to get to know those involved in activism and politics in Snohomish County we believe are doing good work).
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”
-Angela Davis
(Created in 2021)
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Leftists in Fitness? You Better Believe It!
There is a perception with many folks that left-wing folks folks are not focused on fitness. If you look at health and fitness circles online, many tend to be either apolitical, “moderate”, or right-wing.
There is a lot to discuss regarding the connection between the Right and fitness spaces and we invite y’all to read this article from WorkingClassWhole.com for more info. Also, we suggest y’all check out the “works cited” section of it as well. (“SWOLETARIAT”: THE IMPORTANCE OF LEFT-WING FITNESS CULTURE).
There are also a couple examples of leftist fitness efforts that we believe are worth checking out.
*From the site “Decolonizing Fitness is not a gym, but an incredible educational resource for coaches, trainers, studio owners, and anyone who is interested in unlearning toxic fitness culture. Decolonizing Fitness as a practice is about providing a supportive environment to individuals who have historically not felt welcomed in fitness spaces i.e. people in larger bodies, people with disabilities, people with chronic pain, people over the age of 65 and people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The Swoletariat This is a openly communist private Facebook group that is very positive and supportive. In it, people share their progress, support each other, share relatable memes, and so on. They strongly oppose bigotry and body-shaming among other forms of toxicity associated with many “typical” fitness spaces. Those who struggle with gymtimidation need not worry if they join this group.
As a bonus, we also believe it’s worth sharing Athletes Versus. While it’s technically focused on athletes, not necessarily those simply focused on personal fitness, we feel it’s worth sharing as their goal is to help athletes more easily express their support for marginalized people like women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ folks (they even bring up the infamous “shut up and dribble” line).
Everyone’s health journey is different. People have different goals. Different abilities. Different obstacles. Hopefully being in a left-wing fitness space allows you to have a better outlook on health and fitness if you’ve been in toxic right-wing fitness spaces online and/or in person. There is better out there.
Remember to Consider Requesting Public Records
Simply put, being able to request and access public records allows us to hold government accountable. Statistics data, budgets, ordinances, reports, contracts, and more can be obtained if you make a request through your City's website as well as request records from the County (search for “public records request” on whichever website you choose).
Official Websites of SnoCo Cities/Towns
Snohomish County, WA - Official Website
If you're interested in federal matters, here is a guide on taking advantage of FOIA for activists, organizers, and social movements.
Also worth noting is that record(s) you're searching for may already be available online with no request required so try to search around the website(s) first before you make a request.
Ten Things to do Besides Protesting
If you've been wondering what things you can do to help and support a movement for marginalized folks beyond protesting, here are ten other things to consider.
1. Donate money (to organizations, bail funds, specific projects, etc.)
2. Make art
3. Copwatch
4. Call or e-mail elected officials in your region
5. Volunteer to support protestors (legal support, education, childcare, etc.)
6. Make and/or sign petitions
7. Call out bigots in your own life
8. Educate yourself
9. Share art, stories, and efforts on social media
10. Join an organization/group
There's a lot one can do to help. So go out there, revolutionaries! Let's make the world better!
-The Pink Umbrella Society
Solidarity vs. "All Lives Matter"
The phrase “All Lives Matter” has been used by many people who have opposed/criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. You as a visitor on this site may wonder why we talk about “solidarity” while at the same time, we get frustrated when people say those words towards BLM activists.
It's not the phrase itself that is the problem, it's the way it's used towards those who are oppressed in either ignorance or bad faith to silence them. We of the Pink Umbrella Society recognize that systemic racism and other forms of oppression exist in the United States and beyond. We also recognize it has real consequences for people and their communities when those problems are left unaddressed. Consequences we've seen over and over again even in the State of Washington. Therefore, we cannot in good conscience oppose or disrespect those of an oppressed group expressing their grievances.
This is essentially what the “All Lives Matter” response represents in the context of BLM. It's a refusal to acknowledge the pain and suffering of Black/African people who have experienced racism in this country. It's a refusal to do anything meaningful to address the issue and being in denial that they have every right to speak up about their experiences.
On the other hand, when we talk about solidarity in this site, we're focusing on the different ways people of different groups are oppressed (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergents, disabled folks, etc.) and how we can work together to understand AND address each other's struggles. In addition, we focus on intersectionality to make clearer the complex forms of discrimination that people that belong in multiple categories deal with (for example, a pansexual black woman dealing with queerphobia, racism, and misogyny).
Setting aside that we do support the Black Lives Matter movement on this site, we ALSO want to uplift all the local movements for the oppressed in this region. We do think the lives of human beings matter. However, just like how the phrase “all men are created equal” was used during the days in which chattel slavery was legal in this country, realize that “All Lives Matter” as used by many people in this context is both unhelpful and insulting to those who've seen for themselves that the U.S. as a whole still falls short in that ideal. We say we should show through our words and actions that “All Lives Matter”.
-The Pink Umbrella Society