On Saturday, March 15th, we had the opportunity to introduce GROWW to 3,000 people at a rally in Altoona, Wisconsin, with Senator Bernie Sanders. It was quite an experience to stand on that stage and share the stories of our work: communities standing up to corporate agribusiness, working class people running for elected office, tenants organizing against slumlords, regular people building power where we live.

Judging from the moments of applause in that gymnasium, our message landed. It was clear that people are hungry for a different kind of politics, one that isn’t controlled by party elites or corporate donors, but by us, everyday people. 

When I was invited to introduce the Senator, I paused. I asked myself, why speak at a rally with a politician like Bernie Sanders? Would some mistake it as an endorsement? But, I also saw an opportunity: not to endorse a politician, but to speak directly to thousands of people about GROWW’s work and vision.

It was an opportunity to say what needs to be said:

• Corporate power is harming our communities. From the housing crisis, to industrial agriculture, to the stripping away of authority from local governments.
• Local organizing matters. Our towns and counties are where we can win concrete change and build bonds with each other as neighbors, unified and organized. 
• What we need is independent political power for everyday people. Because neither party will do it for us, we have to do it for ourselves.
• We have more in common than we may realize. Because we all want the same things: to make ends meet, to raise our families, to be safe, to be respected. 

That’s why I stood on that stage and did so proudly.

At GROWW, we will work with any elected official who supports our vision. Whether they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent, so long as they are serving the interests of people, not the bidding of corporate donors, industry lobbyists, or private equity investors.

We build power not by fighting each other, but by fighting the forces that threaten to divide our communities. That’s why we knock on every door. That’s why we hold community listening sessions. That’s why we sit down, one-on-one, with people across the political spectrum. That’s why we took the stage in Altoona.

This moment wasn’t about a rally: it was about growing our movement from the bottom-up. Thousands of people heard our message and learned about our work. Some people asked how they could get involved. Others joined and became our newest members. 

If you were not at the rally, I invite you to watch the speech:

This was a big moment for GROWW, but it was just one moment. The real work continues every day, in our towns, on the doors, and in our neighborhoods. This is our organization. Let’s keep building it.

Bill Hogseth