EBDSA Candidacy Statement — short version

Here I am, in 300 words or less:

I joined DSA in 2017 optimistic, for the first time, that I’d found a welcoming political community, and I’m running for secretary to build and strengthen this space and our capacity for collective resistance.

My experiences as a journalist, teacher abroad, and bartender have all informed my politics, and it is my service industry work where the struggles of working people are crystallized for me, every day. In addition to canvassing for single payer, I worked to launch an EBDSA podcasting project, producing a pilot episode with talented comrades. Though I set that aside to help strengthen our bylaws, the process was a potent reminder of how energizing member-led initiatives can be when people plug in using their skills and passions to build something beyond a one-size-fits-all canvassing program.

Truly cultivating our heterogeneous membership by creating various ways for people to join up would require significant changes in the structure and culture of EBDSA.

I propose:

— Restoring a culture of trust, where comrades can communicate, debate and discuss, through more structures for online and in-person communication, such as those proposed by OpenEBDSA.
— Organizing beyond elections by connecting with organic working class struggles (tenant organizing, ICE raid response teams, etc…)
— Committing to a pedagogical approach to political organizing (including a democratic political education program) that makes space for, and fosters curiosity about, our different political backgrounds.

Leadership should engage with political difference from a place of respect and humility. I’ve had experience doing this by both working on bylaws and the Unity & Power coalition with a diverse group of comrades. I have not just been paying lip service to Big Tent organizing, I have been walking the walk, and look forward to bringing this experience into a leadership role.