Over the past decade the white-dominated political ecosystem has begun to recognize the importance of Black, Latinx, AAPI, and other communities of color in key political outcomes. While this has led to many efforts to increase participation by people of color in elections, these efforts often treat these communities transactionally or build mobilization “sandcastles” that don’t support systems and structures necessary to build and sustain long-term multiracial progressive power. Research that is relied upon by the political industry to develop strategy is not designed to support engaging people of color in political life, and while there is nuanced data and analytical work devoted to understanding and engaging many segments of the White community, the ways of engaging Black and Latinx voters are often flat and extractive. Because of these issues the current political industry often further marginalizes, objectifies, and extracts resources from the very communities it is aiming to support. This plenary will explore strategies for influencing the way political operatives see the work of base-building organizations in communities of color—from objects to drivers with agency and power.