Intro and Question 1: Can you tell us about how you have helped DSA chapters grow and/or developed more socialist organizers?
DSA convention delegates. For your consideration.
In the lead up to the convention, I will be sharing edited portions of my NPC candidate interview conducted on July 5.
The purpose is to give delegates more time and opportunities to review prior to the August 5 convention vote.
The first is an introduction and the first question asked of all candidates:
Can you tell us about how you have helped DSA chapters grow and/or developed more socialist organizers?
Intro:
Hi, I’m Alexander Hernández he/el, Pasco-Hernando DSA, Florida. Joined DSA in 2017 while living in Atlanta, where I was asked to organize an immigrants’ rights group and later asked to serve on chapter leadership.
I’m running for NPC because I was asked. And because I want DSA to become the mass organization we need and not a cult:
Do we orient ourselves to the masses or do we go down the path of sectarian irrelevance?
It’s simple, mass politics. We need a lot more members, that means all of us and a lot more people.
My work in the labor movement and in DSA at the chapter and national level, brings a unique perspective to represent and work for DSA, the membership, chapters big and small and the socialist movement.
Finally, we must see the principal enemy clearly: Right-wing Christian nationalists — not our DSA comrades in struggle, the various caucuses, or progressive elected officials, whether we agree on every point or not.
With your support, I will work towards a stronger and more united DSA to win the world we all want to see.
Thank you.
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The following question was asked of every candidate:
Can you tell us about how you have helped DSA chapters grow and/or developed more socialist organizers?
I like this question, because much has been made about the ebbs and flows of membership numbers. There’s no denying DSA has helped develop many socialist organizers in DSA, myself included, and beyond too. And key to that has been the access to resources: both organizational tools and our people, comrades in the movement with a collective wealth of knowledge. There’s always something to learn from our comrades.
I brought what I’ve learned. Born in Chicago, to parents from Mexico, where I was first radicalized in the lead-up to the Iraq war and the anti-war movement in 2002, but I didn’t get organized until I joined the labor movement, organizing my workplace and earning my IATSE card in 2011.
Bernie’s first run inspired me to run for my union’s leadership, representing my craft on the executive board of my former IATSE Hollywood Local 44, in California.
DSA I joined in 2017. I don’t know of any other socialist organization in this country where at your first meeting you can walk into leadership and organizing roles. That makes DSA special. something worth remembering and holding on to.
I myself was asked to help develop an immigrants’ rights working group at my first DSA meeting in Atlanta. And, what’s become a common story for many of us, was later asked to run for chapter leadership, and other organizational roles, including comrades, mentors and friends asking me to run for the NPC.
By 2018, Atlanta’s Immigrant Justice Working Group was key in helping the chapter to maintain long-standing relationships and develop new ones. One effort. I’m particularly proud of: In 2018, I helped organize the coalition response to ICE detention, starting in May. In response to the National Domestic Workers Alliance call for a Families Belong Together day of action, I phoned to check in with local grassroots leaders with working-class bases, which was key. From those initial phone calls, plans soon developed for a coordinated response.
This initial day of action escalated, with demonstrations leading up to a massive rally that ended with an impromptu occupation outside of Atlanta City Detention Center.
Members spoke out at city council meetings, effectively using an inside/outside strategy to end the Atlanta City Detention Center contract with ICE by December 2018 and brought an explicitly abolitionist point of view of ABOLISH ICE to thousands.
Today, the chapter maintains many of those same coalition partners in the current Stop Cop City movement work that is so important.
I took a lot of the lessons from my time in Atlanta, and applied them to build a chapter where one did not previously exist.
I relocated to Florida, where I helped found Pasco-Hernando DSA. Starting a DSA chapter in a 64/36 Trump district over the last 2 years now has been the most difficult but most rewarding thing I’ve done since joining DSA.
Staff helped put a few of us in the area in touch. Soon we went from pre-OC to a chapter. Now we are working effectively with teachers in a difficult environment, against organized right-wing forces including Moms for Liberty.
We are 41 members in good standing strong and a steadily growing chapter. Our steering committee alone has developed 8 different leaders who had no previous organizing or activist experience. I do my part by passing off as much as I can on a daily basis of what I have learned from comrades, teachers and mentors in the movement.
An open and collaborative environment that seeks consensus is key.
Worth repeating, we are organizing in a 64/36 Trump district.
We see the primary enemy clearly: the 21st century redeemer neo-confederate right-wing Christian nationalists — not our DSA comrades in struggle.
And key: These relationships we build and develop take time, patience. We have a lot to learn from each other. And we are going to need all of us to win.
Raising the red flag in Atlanta, GA. June 30, 2018.
About me:
Born in Chicago. I was first radicalized in the drum up to the Iraq war in 2002, but I didn’t get organized until I joined the labor movement, organizing my workplace and earning my IATSE card in 2011. Bernie inspired me to run for my Union’s leadership, representing my craft on the executive board of my former local IATSE Hollywood Local 44.
