List of conventions of the Democratic Socialists of America

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Map of states that have hosted a Democratic Socialists of America convention. States with DSA Conventions.png
Map of states that have hosted a Democratic Socialists of America convention.

This is a list of conventions of the Democratic Socialists of America. Conventions generally are held biennially; although special conventions can be held any time, no special conventions have been called in DSA's history. The convention is the highest governing body of DSA. [1]

Convention delegates are elected from the general membership of individual chapters. Chapters are allocated a number of delegates proportional to their membership. The convention elects the leadership of the national organization, the National Political Committee, as well as setting political priorities for the following term. The National Political Committee is elected via single transferrable vote. DSA conventions use the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised for their parliamentary procedure. [1]

List of Democratic Socialists of America conventions

DatesLocationDelegatesReportsNotes
March 20–21, 1982 Detroit, Michigan Founding convention of DSA, merger of NAM and DSOC. [2]
October 14–16, 1983 New York City, New York 400 delegates & observers attended the 1983 convention. [3]
November 8–11, 1985 Berkeley, California Cornel West spoke at the 1985 convention. [4] [5]
December 4–6, 1987 Washington, D.C. The 1987 convention endorsed Jesse Jackson for president. [6] Jackson requested DSA not endorse him. [7]
November 10–12, 1989 Baltimore, Maryland This convention was the first convention to be held after the death of Michael Harrington, founder of DSOC and DSA. [6] [8]
November 8–11, 1991 Chicago, Illinois [9]
November 11–14, 1993 Manhattan Beach, California The 1993 convention endorsed the statehood of Washington D.C. [9]
November 10–12, 1995 Chevy Chase, Maryland DSA hosted a "Breaking Bread" event hosted by DSA honorary co-chairs Cornel West and Barbara Ehrenreich with 500-600 attendees. [9] [10] The 1995 convention proposed a socialist think-tank to promote model legislation, akin to the American Legislative Exchange Council. [10]
November 7–9, 1997 Columbus, Ohio [11]
November 11–14, 1999 San Diego, California [11]
November 9–11, 2001 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Convention passed a resolution condemning the September 11, 2001 attacks while condemning restrictions on civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism, and racist scapegoating of Arab Americans and American Muslims. [12] [13]
November 14–16, 2003 Detroit, Michigan [14]
November 11–13, 2005 Los Angeles, California [15]
November 9–11, 2007 Atlanta, Georgia Outgoing NPC report Bernie Sanders and Bill Fletcher spoke at the 2007 convention to an audience of 300. [16]
November 13–15, 2009 Evanston, Illinois Harold Meyerson and Kim Bobo spoke at the 2009 convention. The convention discussed issues such as how DSA and the rest of the country should respond to the Great Recession, and health care. [17]
November 11–13, 2011 Vienna, Virginia about 100The 2011 Convention was held under a banner proclaiming "Obama is No Socialist, But We Are". The 2011 Convention voted to support Occupy Wall Street and to formalize DSA's support for gay liberation and LGBTQ rights. [18] [19]
October 24–27, 2013 Emeryville, California about 100 [20] 1/3 of the delegates were under 35, a major shift for previously elder-dominated DSA. [20] [21]
November 13–15, 2015 Bolivar, Pennsylvania about 120The 2015 Convention failed a resolution to exit the Socialist International. [21] [22] Convention programming included panels on how DSA should orient itself around the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign for president and how DSA can diversify its membership. [23]
August 4–6, 2017 Chicago, Illinois over 800 [24] Over 100 chapters sent delegates. [24] The 2017 Convention voted to exit the Socialist International and endorse the BDS movement. The convention was the first convention since Donald Trump's election as president, and DSA saw massive growth as a result. [25] The position of honorary chair was removed. [26]
August 4–6, 2019 Atlanta, Georgia 1,056 [27] The 2019 Convention was the largest decision-making convention of socialists in the United States since the 1940s. [27] The 2019 Convention voted to endorse the Green New Deal, [27] to demand decriminalization of sex work. [28] The 2019 Convention passed a resolution that, if Bernie Sanders did not win the Democratic presidential nomination, DSA would not endorse any other candidate in the presidential election. [29]
August 1–8, 2021Virtual due to COVID, held on Zoom 1,436 [30] 176 chapters sent delegates. [31] The 2021 Convention voted to affiliate with the São Paulo Forum. [32]
August 4–6, 2023 Chicago, Illinois 1,082 [33] DSA's BDS Working Group was moved to its International Committee instead of being an independent body at convention. [34]

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References

  1. 1 2 "DSA Constitution & Bylaws". Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ Chelnov, Sandra (March 1982). "DSOC/NAM→Democratic Socialists of America" (PDF). Democratic Left.
  3. ↑ Shoch, Jim (November–December 1983). "Convention Reports" (PDF). Democratic Left. p. 5.
  4. ↑ Roddy, David; De La Rosa, Alyssa (July 7, 2020). "A People of Color's History of DSA, Part 4: DSA Looks Inward". Sacramento DSA. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ Haer, John (January–February 1986). "Timeless Values, New Ideas" (PDF). Democratic Left. pp. 9, 12.
  6. 1 2 "The Later 1980s (1986–1989) - Metro DC DSA". washingtonsocialist.mdcdsa.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  7. ↑ Oreskes, Michael (December 4, 1987). "JACKSON TO SHUN SOCIALIST BACKING". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331.
  8. ↑ Mitgang, Herbert (1989-08-02). "Michael Harrington, Socialist and Author, Is Dead". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  9. 1 2 3 Mosley, Bill (May 2020). "The Early 1990s (1990–1995) - Metro DC DSA". Metro DC DSA.
  10. 1 2 Charney, Alan (January–February 1996). "Bold New Directions for DSA: The 1995 National Convention". Democratic Left . 24 (1): 12-13. Archived from the original on 6 February 1998.
  11. 1 2 Mosley, Bill (May 2020). "The Late 1990s: Declining Activism (1996–2000)". Metro DC DSA.
  12. ↑ "The Local in Eclipse (2001–2008) - Metro DC DSA". washingtonsocialist.mdcdsa.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  13. ↑ "Convention Passes Anti-Bombing Resolution" (PDF). Democratic Left. Winter 2002. pp. 6–7.
  14. ↑ Hogan, John; Quinn, Kathy; Strauss, John. "The DSA 2003 Convention". Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Call to Convention 2005" (PDF). Democratic Left. Summer 2005. p. 1.
  16. ↑ Hirsch, Michael (Winter 2007–2008). "Economic Justice Agenda Adopted" (PDF). Democratic Left. pp. 4–5.
  17. ↑ Barrosse, Emilia (2009-11-16). "Evanston hosts Democratic Socialists of America national convention". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  18. ↑ "DSA 2011 National Convention". Archived from the original on January 8, 2013.
  19. ↑ Hirsch, Michael (Winter 2011). "DSA's 2011 convention: Building socialism, forming comradeship, resisting corporate domination" (PDF). Democratic Left.
  20. 1 2 Svart, Maria (December 5, 2013). "Building a New Generation of Socialists; Revitalizing Socialist Strategy". Democratic Left . XLI (3).
  21. 1 2 "The Local Reborn (2009–2016) - Metro DC DSA". washingtonsocialist.mdcdsa.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  22. ↑ "A Left That Matters". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  23. ↑ "Socialists attend national rally here". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  24. 1 2 Schwartz, Joseph (December 16, 2017). "DSA Convention Adopts National Political Priorities". Democratic Left . At the Democratic Socialists of America's bi-annual convention in August, some 800 delegates representing more than 100 active chapters set three national priorities: the fight for Medicare for All (M4A); the revival of a strong labor presence both within and without DSA; and the election of open socialists to office.
  25. ↑ Krieg, Gregory (2017-08-08). "Democratic Socialists are taking themselves seriously. Should Democrats? | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  26. ↑ Sernatinger, Andy (2023-08-30). "Did the DSA Convention Move Left?". Tempest. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  27. 1 2 3 Day, Meagan (Fall 2019). "Using power builds power". Democratic Left . XLVII (2): 4. On the fi rst weekend of August, 1,056 delegates from around the country attended DSA's biennial national convention in Atlanta. It was the largest decision-making gathering of socialists in the United States since the 1940s.
  28. ↑ Blanc, Eric (2019-08-07). "Democratic Socialists of America Seize the Day". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  29. ↑ Pecinovsky, Tony (2019-08-06). "2020 elections and organizational questions dominate Democratic Socialists of America convention". People's World. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  30. ↑ Sernatinger, Andrew (Fall 2021). "2021 Convention: DSA holds course". Democratic Left . XLIX (2): 6. DSA's 2021 Convention, August 1-8, was held online in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 convention would be the first "post-Bernie" national gathering of 1,436 delegates and alternates.
  31. ↑ Svart, Maria (Fall 2021). "Building a Mass Movement". Democratic Left . XLIX (2): 2. That was the real question confronting delegates elected by 176 chapters and at-large members at our national convention August 1-8.
  32. ↑ "Democratic Socialists of America Make a Strategy for the Biden Era". In These Times. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  33. ↑ Svart, Maria (May–June 2023). "Director's Report | Power and Contradictions". Democratic Left . 51 (3): 3.
  34. ↑ "2023 DSA National Convention Retrospective: 'The Point, However, Is to Change It'". washingtonsocialist.mdcdsa.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
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