the STORY

Originating in August 2014, The People's Assembly (formerly known as Tacoma Stands Up) was formed in response to a call for solidarity with organizers in Ferguson following the shooting of Michael Brown. TPA’s first action involved organizing a demonstration in downtown Tacoma to protest police brutality and anti-Black violence, which sparked a series of ongoing efforts ranging from vigils, community forums, arts and advocacy events, to a summer-long campaign of marches. These efforts have culminated into an ongoing movement of creative resistance and community power-building for justice and freedom.

In September 2016, Tacoma Stands Up changed our name to The People’s Assembly, in light of a deepened understanding of the power of language and the way in which language both shapes and is reflective of access to various communities. In recognition of the ableist nature of the terms “stand up”, we moved to adopt the name of our summer-long campaign of marches (The People’s Assembly) as our organizational name. As we continue our work, we commit to continuing to examine and adapt our language, approaches, and strategies to expand access and strengthen connections across different communities.

the dream

Building a cross-cultural and intersectional movement grounded in anti-racism and directed at advancing Black liberation and social justice for all. We do this through people power. We organize by means of direct action, creative resistance, and collective care.

core values

Abolition: the complete uprooting and elimination of structures and institutions of policing, imprisonment, and oppression and the creation of people-led systems of care, safety, and well-being that promote freedom of all people. To enable transformation, abolition must be preceded by the restoration of power to survivors of oppression and violence to define and receive accountability and reparations.

Antiracism: the active dismantling of cultures and systems that directly and indirectly foster white supremacy, colonization, and anti-Black violence.

Black liberation: freedom, uplift, and autonomy for all Black lives and social, legal, cultural, and economic reparations for centuries of systemic genocide, criminalization, and marginalization of Black lives and bodies.

Community: valuing relationship-building as the foundation of movement-building, nurturing and engaging relationships with honor and care.

Community organizing: Mobilizing community voice and power for deliberate and strategic action towards the goal of systemic change, justice, and freedom.

Imagination: as a tool of organizing, imagination is the act of deliberately dreaming. It is articulating and envisioning the actualization of freedom, joy, and justice.

Intersectionality: the recognition that each individual simultaneously holds a variety of identities which have varying power implications and which bring complex lived narratives. This means capturing our stories and framing our strategies in ways that recognize the nuanced experiences of oppression across and within communities.

Mutual aid: building and drawing on people power, strengths, and resources for community survival, sustenance, and resilience.

Queer & trans freedom: the affirmation, celebration, and centering of queer, trans, gender nonconforming, and non-binary folx and stories (particularly Black LGBTQIA+ folx and stories) as a part of intersectional organizing.

Solidarity: honoring those who’ve come before us and rooting ourselves in the interdependent struggle for all of our liberation.

Social justice: fair access to dignity, freedom, and quality life for all people. This includes the divestment of power from current systems and cultures of white cis-heteronormativity and organizing, action, and policy for Black liberation and social justice for all.

Transformative justice: the practice of accountability and repair as defined by those who are harmed and upheld by structures that facilitate healing at all levels of life and society.

the revolution will not be funded

The People’s Assembly is not a 501(c)3 organization. We do not subscribe to or aspire to replicate or participate in the capitalistic and white supremacist non-profit industrial complex.

Ancestor Audre Lorde says “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” In the struggle for liberation, we desire not a seat at the table nor a reformed house, but liberation from economies and systems that have long oppressed us.

We are a grassroots group of friends and comrades who believe in the power of the people. We resist, build, and organize to get free. And we insist on a world where we all can access joy, life, fullness, and longevity.