Groundwork Massachusetts

To the outside, Massachusetts may appear to be an improbable fit for Groundwork's mission. With its liberal reputation and wealth of progressive representation, it's easy to assume that our state lacks little when it comes to blue infrastructure, coalitions and capacity. That reality is much more complicated and reveals a state wrestling with profound racial, social, economic and political disparities.

Consider this: In 2020, wealthy, white suburbs around Boston saw voter turnout hovering as high as 90 percent. Meanwhile, communities of color and Gateway Cities saw two-thirds of that, at best. In 2018, people of color made up nearly 20 percent of eligible voters, but cast only around 10 percent of all ballots - a power gap of nearly 50 percent.

We believe that dramatic investment in community organizing is the only way for Massachusetts to address this systemic divide in political power and build a Commonwealth that is as inclusive, representative and innovative as its reputation leads the nation to believe.