About Groundwork Action
Groundwork Action was founded in the midst of Operation Metro Surge with the belief that we must use all the tools at our disposal to fight facism and protect our neighbors. One of those tools is elections; Groundwork Action supports progressive candidates in local, state, and federal races in Minnesota who use their power to fight for justice and democracy.
Our Vision
We envision a Minnesota where our elected officials are accountable to our communities and invest in working people - not corporations and billionaires. Groundwork Action uses a variety of tools to support progressive candidates, empower voters, and most importantly, train the next generation of movement leaders. We view electoral politics as a space to develop new organizers and experiment with diverse tactics to grow and strengthen the movement. We believe that progressive candidates are not saviors, but should be used as a tool to win material benefits for working people.
Our Leadership
Groundwork Action is led by its founder, Wintana Melekin. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Melekin has over a decade of experience passing policy, and advocating for civil rights at the local and national level. She became a community organizer after attending a protest for Trayvon Martin in 2012. Melekin has been deeply invested in movement building ever since.
Her work spans successfully electing champions for justice into local, state, and federal offices to leading voting rights coalitions to restore the vote and end prison gerrymandering in Minnesota. Melekin is a believer in a representative democracy where everyone’s voice is heard regardless of race, religion, class, or sexual orientation. She centers her life around the creation of joy and fighting for justice, and Groundwork Institute is an extension of that philosophy in action.
