Bay Area Solidarity Summer (BASS) is a 5-day political action camp to cultivate South Asian American activists, ages 18–24 in Northern California and beyond.

Applications for our August 2020 program open in February. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
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1. What is BASS?

  • a stayover political action camp for progressive South Asian Americans, ages 18–24, who want to create social change
  • a space for South Asians to share and build politics, to be inspired by peers and mentors
  • focused on 18-24 year-olds of South Asian heritage, including the diaspora
  • we ask for a $50 fee for 5 days of workshops, meals, and housing, followed by continued access to a peer and mentor network (a 100% fee waiver available if you have financial need)

2. Apply to BASS if you're interested in…

  • strengthening your skills as an organizer, working for a just, equitable, and sustainable world
  • learning concrete skills for creating real-world change
  • sharpening your analysis of race, gender, and power
  • exploring the 100+ year history of South Asian activism in the U.S.
  • connecting with a supportive community of progressive South Asian organizers

3. BASS alumni say…

  • "BASS was a life changing experience!"
  • "BASS gave me skills, network, and inspiration…Without BASS, I wouldn't be a community organizer."
  • "BASS gave me a community of South Asian activists who are dedicated to creating a space of mentorship, community knowledge, and love"
  • "Continues to provide me with motivation and support from my peers and organizers"
  • "I found a truly heterogeneous South Asian community. I found solidarity not in our shared heritage as 'Indian' or 'Hindu' but rather in our collective stories of oppression, resistance, and struggle. I learned to become a better ally, not just to communities who don’t look like me, but even to communities that do."
  • "I will cultivate the community I’ve found at BASS and carry within me the fire and passion of South Asian activists who have come before"

4. Learn more…

5. Who is BASS?

Bay Area Solidarity Summer was established in 2011, and is organized by a volunteer group of progressive South Asian activists committed to supporting and mentoring the next generation of young South Asian organizers. BASS is a project of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, founded in 2000 to help educate, organize, and empower San Francisco Bay Area South Asian communities.

BASS aims to:
  • expand the network of organizers in the South Asian community fighting for justice and working in solidarity across movements and communities
  • build a cohort among participants and create lasting relationships between mentors and youth
  • create a forum to innovate and share political strategies for a just, equitable, and sustainable world