Carolina Federation
The Carolina Federation is a statewide organization that brings local people together across race and the rural-urban divide to build political and electoral power in their own communities and across North Carolina.
- Our goal is a fundamental shift in the policies and rules that govern our state. We are building an independent political movement that forges a new political and economic agenda for North Carolina, rooted in a culture of dignity and belonging. Through our organizing, we can build permanent, progressive majorities at the local and state level.
- Our approach to building power is defined by our relentless commitment to bringing new people into political action, our deep investment in local leadership, and our intentional integration of cultural work with community and electoral organizing. Together we will realize the promise of a democracy that is truly of, by, and for all people.
Carolina Federation is based in Durham and is a front for Liberation Road.[1]
2020 Statewide endorsements
Carolina Federation 2020 Statewide endorsements.
- Cheri Beasley - Running for Chief Justice, NC Supreme Court.
- Yvonne Holly - Running for Lieutenant Governor.
- Jessica Holmes - Running for Commissioner of Labor
- Jenna Wadsworth - Running for Commissioner of Agriculture
- Jen Mangrum - Running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Roy Cooper - Running for Re-election as Governor
- Cal Cunningham - Running for U.S. Senate
- Joe Biden / Kamala Harris, President and Vice-President of the United States
People's Platform
Join us to launch our People's Platform process. We’ll meet people from across North Carolina committed to this vision - we’ll share with each other our struggles and hopes - and we’ll commit together to take action to build a People’s Platform.
Between now and November, we’ll be deciding on concrete policy proposals for our seven platform planks: -Democracy for All -Economy for All -Safety and Justice for All -Healthcare for All -Education for All -Homes for All -Environment for All
English-Spanish interpretation for event by the Language Justice Cooperative.
Organizations convening this process: Carolina Federation, Siembra, Raise Up, Down Home North Carolina, Durham for All, North Carolina Association of Educators.
Affiliates
- Down Home North Carolina
- Durham For All
- Durham People's Alliance
- Forsyth Freedom Federation
- Guilford For All
- New Hanover For All
Personnel
Carolina Federation Council, 2023
Carolina Federation Council is the executive body of the Carolina Federation's Delegate Assembly and serves as the legal board of directors of the Carolina Federation. Elected to serve two year terms from the Delegate Assembly (Convention), the Federation Council is the guardian of the public trust and is accountable to the organization’s staff, leaders, and members. The Federation Council stewards the values and health of the organization and is responsible for ensuring that the organization serves its mission and that its activities are legal and proper.
- Vanessa Gonzalez - COUNCIL MEMBER (NEW HANOVER)
- Sharlee Hainesworth - COUNCIL MEMBER (FORSYTH COUNTY)
- Kaji Reyes - FEDERATION COUNCIL (DURHAM COUNTY)
- Jasmine Whaley - FEDERATION COUNCIL (GUILFORD COUNTY)
- Sendolo Diaminah - FEDERATION COUNCIL (CO-DIRECTOR)
- Theo Luebke - FEDERATION COUNCIL (CO-DIRECTOR)[2]
Staff 2023
- CO-DIRECTOR - Sendolo Diaminah
- CO-DIRECTOR - Jenn Frye
- CHIEF OF STAFF - Natasha Smith
- PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR - Theo Luebke
- MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR - Brandon Wrencher
- MOVEMENT POLITICS DIRECTOR - Gabriel Gold Hodgkin
- ORGANIZING DIRECTOR - Sam Wohns
- OPERATIONS DIRECTOR - Melissa Norton
- ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR - Ashley Evans
- SENIOR ORGANIZER - Aaron Gamal
- GUILFORD CHAPTER ORGANIZER - Shante Woody
- FORSYTH CHAPTER ORGANIZER - Pharod Dunn
- MOVEMENT POLITICS ORGANIZER - Micah Jenkins
- REGIONAL OFFICE DIRECTOR - SheQuita Ross
- REGIONAL OFFICE DIRECTOR - Ben O'Connor
- OPERATIONS COORDINATOR - LaToya Skinner
- MOVEMENT POLITICS SENIOR ORGANIZER - Tabitha Bayne-Petree
Staff 2021
Carolina Federation staff, September 2021.
- Sendolo Diaminah co-director
- Theo Luebke co-director
- Aaron Gamal Regional Organizer
- Valerie Morales Data Organizer
- Ucha David Triad Regional Organizer
- Gabriel Gold Hodgkin Field Director
- Melissa Norton - Operations Manager had joined by November 2020
- Ryan Staggers -Regional Organizer had joined by May 2021
- Jenn Frye Training Director
- Darnell Tingle Engagement Director
- Sam Wohns Organizing Director
- Azuree Bateman Lead Political Organizer
- Tyler Walker Distributive Organizer[3]
Carolina Federation staff, August 2020.
- Sendolo Diaminah co-director
- Theo Luebke co-director[4]
- Ashley Daniels South East Regional Organizer
- Aaron Gamal Regional Organizer
- Valerie Morales Data Organizer
- Ucha David Triad Regional Organizer
- Gabriel Gold Hodgkin Field Director
- Steve Nunez Coordinator for Training and Communications
- Melissa Norton - Operations Manager had joined by November 2020
- Ryan Staggers -Regional Organizer had joined by May 2021.
Staff
Carolina Federation staff, August 2020.
- Sendolo Diaminah co-director
- Theo Luebke co-director[5]
- Ashley Daniels South East Regional Organizer
- Aaron Gamal Regional Organizer
- Valerie Morales Data Organizer
- Ucha David Triad Regional Organizer
- Gabriel Gold Hodgkin Field Director
- Steve Nunez Coordinator for Training and Communications
- Melissa Norton - Operations Manager had joined by November 2020
- Ryan Staggers -Regional Organizer had joined by May 2021.
Sponsoring committee
Carolina Federation sponsoring committee, November 2019.
- Cesar Leyva - Communications Workers of America
- Brigid Flaherty - Down Home North Carolina
- Hashim Benford - Durham for All
- Khalilah Karim - Durham for All
- Magan Gonzales-Smith - Durham People's Alliance
- John Davis - Durham People's Alliance[6]
Sponsoring Committee Individuals
Carolina Federation sponsoring committee individuals, November 2019.
"Freedom in the Fall"
According to Janet Tucker "Freedom in the Fall" was held October 3-8 2020 virtually in North Carolina.. This was sponsored by the Left Inside/Outside Project. While initially planned as an in person event, as many other things, had to go virtual.
This event was hosted by Durham For All, Carolina Federation, and Down Home North Carolina. A broad array of members and friends of the sponsoring organizations came together to do deep canvassing phone banking. Saturday October 3 was a day of orientation, presentations from the hosting groups, and small group discussions of sharing experience.
Whitney Maxey from Liberation Road and the Left Inside/Outside Project opened the day with a moment of silence for those lost to COVID and police violence. People were encouraged to put the names in the chat.
After this she went on to explain that the Left Inside/Outside Project is looking at what a longer term impact would look like by creating more space for the left to develop strategy and tactics. The goals of the program are:
- Provide theoretical skills and praxis training for the broad left
- Working to build independent political organizatioons (IPO) and defeat the far right.
- Freedom in the Fall"Serve as a basis of shared praxis for putting the inside/outside ideas into practice
- Freedom in the Fall"attract new layers of politically active organizers and activists to the strategic importance of the electoral arenas
- Part of a larger plan to cohere the socialist left and advance electoral strategy[8]