We’re reclaiming the Multiracial Majority-
From the Places They Only Notice During Elections
What is Huddle Up?
Huddle Up is a civic strategy built from the ground up to engage working-class Black and Latino men—especially those 30 to 50 in key swing states—who didn’t vote for Harris in 2024.
We started in early 2025 with Black men in Georgia and North Carolina—listening first, building trust, and testing what’s possible when we lead with respect and real connection.
These aren’t disengaged men. They’re clear-eyed, cautious, and tired of being misread or ignored. But when they move, they move elections, households, and culture. Most civic programs reach them too late—if at all.
Now, we’re growing what works to meet the urgency of this moment—and the long-term opportunity ahead.
"I stopped voting because I felt my vote didn't matter. But listening to others, I realize we have to stay in the fight."
-Huddle Up Listening Session Participant
We Noticed Who Didn’t Vote—And Asked Why
After 2024, it was clear that many Black and Latino men—especially those juggling work, family, and daily pressure—didn’t show up for Harris in large enough numbers.
So we built Huddle Up—not to “reach out,” but to listen. Not to fix folks, but to build with them.
This isn’t a campaign. It’s a strategy rooted in respect, trust, and truth.
We launched a series of listening sessions across Georgia and North Carolina—bringing together men for real, facilitated conversations designed to go deeper than any poll.
And because we value people’s time, we offered stipends up front.
We Made Space for Real Talk—And Y’all Showed Up
We hosted virtual sessions—and invited real conversation. Over five evenings, Black men—including Black Latinos— from across North Carolina and Georgia pulled up with honesty, humor, pain, and purpose.
Some were raising kids. Some caring for parents. Some just trying to stay afloat. Most had been overlooked in 2024. But when the space felt real, y’all stayed in it.
We talked about money. About respect. About what leadership looks like when nobody hands you power.
We offered stipends because your time matters.
5 Listening Sessions in GA and NC with 30+ working-class Black and Latino men drawn from a digitally recruited pool of 500+.
Themes Surfaced: economic pressure, fatherhood, dignity, financial literacy, legacy, and the search for meaningful civic belonging.
Participant Engagement: 100% of participants said they would return, even without stipends. Many came back for multiple sessions.
Building alignment with trusted organizers and networks across to support what's next.
Funds Raised: $10,000 in early support—split between grassroots donors and an institutional partner. That capital seeded a working model.
What We Built:
What Came Through—Loud & Clear
Across every session, one thing was clear: these men weren’t disengaged—they were disillusioned.
They’d been promised change before. They’d voted before. They’d seen the same cycles play out again and again.
So when political campaigns came calling, most tuned out. Not because they didn’t care, but because they’d learned not to get their hopes up.
Still, they showed up here—with honesty, pressure, and purpose. And they made it clear what matters if we’re serious about building trust.
Money stress: always working, still behind
Fatherhood & legacy: trying to raise kids and break cycles
Dignity: done being misread, blamed, or reduced to a voter file
Leadership: already happening—at work, at home, in the community
Healing: tired of holding it in
Political skepticism: not buying what candidates are selling—but open to what’s real
Belonging: wanting something built with them, not for them
““I’m not giving my vote to people who don’t show up until election time.”
“Politics always talks at us. This space actually listened.””
What we heard again and again:
Key Insight: These men are strivers. They want to grow—as people, as leaders, and yes, financially. They’re clear-eyed about how systems have failed them—but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up. They’re looking for spaces that speak to both the barriers they face and the possibilities they still believe in.
What’s Next for Huddle Up
We’re continuing to grow what’s working—staying connected with the Black men who built this with us and expanding to bring in more voices.
With new support, we plan to run listening sessions with Latino brothers in Georgia and North Carolina. The interest is there. The relationships are there. We just need the resources to move.
This is about long-term leadership and real wins in the short term. Every brother we reach strengthens our coalition—on the ground, at the polls, and in the stories we tell about who leads.
Phase 2 Includes:
Monthly digital huddles to stay connected and build community
Workshops and resources on money, leadership, healing, and purpose
New listening sessions (including with Latino men, if funded)
Content and storytelling rooted in lived experience, not talking points
Partnerships with groups ready to invest in real power
““Don’t just hit us up for one election. Build with us year-round.””
Three Ways to Show Up
If we want a multiracial democracy that actually delivers, we have to start with the folks holding it down every day—the ones rarely asked, but deeply impacted.
That’s what Huddle Up is about: building with Black and Latino men who grind, lead, care for their people, and keep showing up—even when the system doesn’t.
There’s more than one way to be part of this. Whether you’re joining a session, backing the vision, or helping us build—it all counts.
🗣️ Join a Huddle
Are you a brother navigating work, family, pressure—and still trying to grow?
We’re holding digital sessions for real talk, healing, skills sharing and leadership.
🔗 [Sign up to get invited]
Partner With Us
Are you with a campaign, funder, or organization that believes in long-term power—and winning now?
Let’s build something rooted, strategic, and real.
🔗 [Start a conversation]
🛠️ Back the Vision
Are you a friend, ally, or believer in the work who wants to see it grow?
You can share the report, donate, or help keep the momentum going. Every move matters.
🔗 [Show Your Support]
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👤 About Me
I’m Emmanuel Caicedo—organizer, strategist, hobby jogger, and partner to a brilliant, beautiful wife who keeps me grounded and sharp. I’ve spent the last two decades working with grassroots movements across the country, fighting for economic justice and a democracy that actually works for us.
I was born in Colombia, raised in Brooklyn, and now I’m raising two kids in D.C. First-gen college graduate and first-get gen professional. I built Huddle Up because I saw too many brothers—Black and Latino men like me—being talked about, but rarely listened to. I know what it’s like to feel unseen, to juggle responsibilities, to want something better and not know who’s really in your corner.
Why now? Because after 2024, it became clear: if we keep running the same playbook, we’ll keep losing ground. We need new spaces, new leadership, and a deeper kind of trust.
This project isn’t about saving anybody. It’s about building with people who’ve been holding it down—and helping create space for the leadership that’s already there.
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn
P.S. I occasionally take on new consulting projects—if you're working on something that aligns, feel free to reach out.