Beyond the Vibe: Five Conversations For Building Coalitions

What does it take to move beyond the illusion of agreement?

“Skibidi Ohio rizz.”

My 11-year-old says it with total confidence, often on repeat. They have no idea what it really means—and that’s kind of the point. It doesn’t mean any one thing, but it sounds right. It’s a phrase floating around their middle school, passed from kid to kid like a secret code: under-defined and wildly popular.

That’s how language works when it’s all about fitting in. In middle school, it’s mostly harmless—a way to belong. But in organizing, language without shared meaning is a different story. When we use words like “coalition” without defining them, we risk creating confusion where we need clarity, and mistrust where we need alignment.

Over the past two decades, I’ve seen “coalition” used to describe everything from casual partnerships to deeply integrated campaigns. The only common thread? A shared goal. But often, that’s where the unity ends—and where the frustration begins.

If we want to build coalitions that last, we need to be clear not just about what we’re doing together, but how. Because it’s in the how that the meaning of the word “coalition” takes shape. 

Read the rest of this article on Convergence Magazine.