When Movement Building Meets Revolutionary Care: Lessons from Little Rock
What the Praxis Project taught us about creating gatherings that heal instead of harm
How do we sustain ourselves through the long arc of social transformation? This question has been weighing on many of us as funding cuts and political attacks intensify the pressure on our movements.
The Praxis Project offered a powerful answer at their Roots and Remedies Convening in Little Rock, Arkansas—not through theory, but through practice.
Why This Model Matters for All of Us
For years, the Praxis Project has quietly revolutionized movement building by asking a deeper question: What if the how of our organizing is just as important as the what?
Their approach challenges everything we've been taught about effective gatherings. No keynote speakers positioning themselves as experts. No packed schedules that leave participants exhausted. Instead, they create "learning circles" where everyone's wisdom is valued and cross-sector dialogue generates the innovative solutions our communities need.
This isn't just about better conferences—it's about modeling the collaborative, caring leadership our movements require to sustain decades of change.
The Architecture of Revolutionary Care
What made this gathering different was how thoughtfully they wove care into every element:
They started with relationship. Before formal programming, they hosted dinner for early arrivals. By the time workshops began, we weren't strangers listening to presentations; we were a community learning together.
They honored our full humanity. Day two included site visits grounding our work in historical context. Standing in Little Rock Central High School, hearing directly from one of the original Little Rock Nine students, we drew direct lines between past struggles and present challenges—not just education, but ancestral connection.
They celebrated our gifts. Cultural night revealed the profound connection between art and organizing as participants shared poetry, music, and comedy. One person beside me, moved by a poem about ICE raids, whispered, "For a moment, I forgot about what's happening outside." That's the power of creating sanctuary within struggle.
They trusted our capacity. Facilitators made clear that if we needed to rest, they would support that choice. There was no expectation to extract from us—only offerings of learning and connection.
What We Can All Implement
Their model offers concrete lessons for any gathering:
Lead with connection before content - relationships carry people through intense learning
Design for the whole person - we're not just brains absorbing information
Trust community wisdom - cross-sector dialogue generates solutions no single expert could provide
Make care structural, not optional - weave restoration into the gathering's architecture
The Hidden Crisis These Conversations Revealed
The most valuable insights came from informal conversations throughout the weekend. As I shared AllThrive's burnout work, the same pattern emerged seven times:
"Oh no, I'm not burned out," frontline organizers would initially say. But as we really talked about capacity and sustainability, recognition would dawn. "Actually... Jesus, I am burned out. I just hadn't labeled it that way."
This is mission-critical burnout. When you're fueled by love for community, depletion doesn't look like traditional workplace exhaustion. It requires different language, different awareness, and most importantly, different solutions designed specifically for those who run toward the fire instead of away from it.
The Ripple Effects Continue
I returned energized rather than depleted—a rare conference outcome. More importantly, I came back with new relationships already generating collaborations and deeper understanding of what our community needs.
Those conversations have informed everything we're building at AllThrive, from specialized assessment tools to our gathering spaces. They've reminded us why this work matters: people running toward the fire need support systems as revolutionary as the change they're creating.
A Blueprint for Sustainable Movements
To the Praxis Project: Thank you for proving we can gather in ways that honor both the urgency of our work and the humanity of our people. Your learning circle model, cross-sector dialogue, and integration of rest into serious movement work aren't just conference innovations—they're blueprints for the sustainable movement culture we desperately need.
You've shown that caring for each other as fiercely as we fight for justice isn't just possible—it's essential for movements built to last.
The conference ended, but the community it created lives on. And in that continuation, I see the future of our movements: sustainable, caring, and unstoppable.
Ready to experience this kind of gathering yourself? Join us for AllThrive's Virtual Sanctuary sessions, where we create carefully curated spaces for connection, reflection, and renewal within the demands of social justice work. [Learn more about our upcoming "I Am From" session →]
