Signs of Solidarity
When businesses and communities stand together, we send a powerful message: immigrants are essential and welcome here. This guide will help you organize locally, engage business owners, and build visible, united resistance.
These resources are also available on the No Kings website.
We have two aims:
First, show support for immigrants everywhere.
The goal is to have these public-facing signs up in as many storefronts, windows, and public buildings as possible. We want everyone in your community to see these signs everywhere they go. In addition to small businesses, you can also ask local libraries, community and rec centers, fire departments, museums, and other municipal buildings. Feel free to get creative about where these signs can be displayed!
Second, create private spaces for employees.
ICE agents are allowed to enter any public space, like a lobby or the dining room of a small restaurant, but they need a signed and dated judicial warrant to enter private business areas. The best way to establish a private area is by putting up clear signage that designates it as an employee-only space.
IMPORTANT: We are NOT approaching Latinx-owned businesses at this time. Our partners at Voces de la Frontera has a developed strategy for working with Latinx-owned businesses. Voces looks forward to working with us on strategy for those businesses in the future.
Ready to get started?
STEP ONE: LET US KNOW YOU’RE INTERESTED
We’d like to know who is reaching out to businesses, so we don’t visit any single place too many times. Use this link to indicate you’re excited to help! We can also put you in touch with WDDP members with fantastic advice and firsthand experience on how to do this type of canvassing.
STEP TWO: PRINT SOME SIGNS
Organizers at No Kings! have created a full set of graphics that you can print for businesses to use. (Don’t forget to bring tape!)
Don’t have a printer, or want sticker versions of the privacy signs? Let us know.
STEP THREE: GET THE SCRIPT
Grab a copy of the script you can use to talk to businesses. This excerpt from the full guide includes
- Converation starters
- What to do if they’re not interested
- The basics of the Signs of Solidarity project
- The Ask
- Some Do’s and Don’ts when approaching businesses
STEP FOUR: HIT THE SIDEWALK!
It’s time to start visting businesses. We want everyone in your community to see these signs everywhere they go. In addition to small businesses, you can also ask local libraries, community and rec centers, fire departments, museums, and other municipal buildings. Feel free to get creative about where these signs can be displayed!
Remember, we are NOT approaching Latinx-owned businesses at this time.
