Alianza Spartanburg is driven to promote the participatory inclusion of Latinx residents in improving the quality of life in South Carolina’s Spartanburg County. Founded in 2012 in response to a growing Latinx community, the organization works to build on the strengths and aspirations of the Latinx population, and to dismantle legacies and practices of exclusion that threaten health, safety, and wellbeing. Many Latinx residents in Spartanburg live in historically marginalized neighborhoods and work in sectors with exposure to high heat and other environmental hazards. Language barriers and an absence of representation have historically made it difficult for Latinx residents to access resources related to mitigating risks and effectively advocating for their rights and needs. Alianza Spartanburg fosters equity for a thriving community for all by furthering language justice, mental health outreach, culturally responsive services by community health workers, direct assistance, and research-informed, collaborative action.
Alianza Spartanburg hosted ‘Familias Unidas/Families Belong Together’ event at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Spartanburg on Sept. 27, 2020. The vigil was held to support immigrants who have been affected by family separation and detention.
Alianza means “alliance,” and it is that spirit that guides the Alianza Spartanburg organization. Led by a steering team, including founding organizer Laura Barbas Rhoden, Alianza Spartanburg works in a fast-growing, multilingual, multiethnic community, including Indigenous peoples from Mexico and Central America. These communities face exclusion, discrimination, and neglect that threaten their health, safety, and well-being. As a grassroots social impact network that relies on the passion of its volunteers, Alianza Spartanburg has made profound impacts in support of its mission by facilitating a direct assistance fund during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the launch of El Centro Latino at the University of South Carolina, collaborating with the Spartanburg Initiative for Racial Equity Now and Upstate Action Alliance on voter education efforts, and championing the work of Vida y Salud — which ensures bilingual health workers are available to the Latinx community.
Alianza Spartanburg can accept gifts and grants thanks to a generous fiscal sponsorship (please inquire at alianzaspartanburg@gmail.com)