Carolina Federation Co-Director Sendolo Diaminah Details 2024 Federation GOTV Goals
DURHAM, NC – The Carolina Federation is a statewide organization that brings people together across races to build a new political majority in North Carolina – one rooted in a culture of belonging and strong enough to win elections and wield governing power in our state.
Sendolo Diaminah is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Carolina Federation. S/he is a long-time community and electoral organizer including serving as the training director for Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity (BOLD). Carolina Federation members organize to improve tenant rights, access to quality health care, access to affordable housing, climate change, and reduce violence in communities.
Sendolo follows the long tradition of his female ancestors who “lived independently and ferociously,” s/he says, escaping slavery, organizing for the desegregation of schools, and obtaining professional government employment.
“My family has a history of folks stepping into uncertain and challenging circumstances in order to create possibilities for more people to live full and dignified lives,” Sendolo said. “Growing up as a closeted queer person, I spent most of my early life terrified of being found out. Because the cost could be belonging. The cost could be violence.” After time living in New York City s/he chose to live life authentically and powerfully.
The words of Audre Lorde continue to inspire Sendolo. “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” Sendolo carries this choice to live authentically and powerfully into work with the Carolina Federation.
The 2024 Federation GOTV goals include reaching 700,000 voters, organizing a “Power to the Polls” event, and working closely with coalition partners, including UNITE, NC Asian Americans Together, and Siembra NC, to turn out voters in the Fall.
“We’re really trying to generate a different culture around voting,” Sendolo said. “Voting is not an individual activity. It’s something that we do together. And so Power to the Polls is a way for us to practice voting as a community and as a community celebration.“
The Power to the Polls march will occur during early voting which allows entire groups to vote at the same early voting site. Carolina Federation organizers will then follow up with any members who pledged to vote but didn’t attend the Power to the Polls march, helping everyone create plans to vote.
This article first appeared in the All In For NC.