by B. Maloney
I recently had the opportunity to gather in a ballroom in Chicago with over one thousand comrades for the DSA National Convention, and it was an amazing and unforgettable experience. The energy in the room, the sense of unity, and the shared purpose among such a large group created an atmosphere unlike any other. Being surrounded by so many comrades fosters a powerful and palpable feeling of community and inspiration.
The ballroom hall was charged with such enchanted energy throughout the multi-day event. The convention contained compelling and thought-provoking speakers from DSA members across the country and international collaborators and activists. Comrades listening attentively were so moved by the speakers that claps, chants, and cheers contagiously erupted constantly. There were video messages from overseas politicians and a rousing motivational speech from US Representative Rashida Tlaib.
During the deliberation block, comrades could be seen around the room engaged in healthy debate and learning from one another. DSA members from chapters across the county shared perspectives and enthusiastically motivated the crowd. The chairs and facilitators were not only impressively structured and committed to accomplishing the work set out for the convention but also entertaining and able to bring levity where needed.
I am grateful I was able to attend the 2025 DSA National Convention. It is truly an experience that leaves a lasting impression and one that should not be missed if the opportunity arises. I encourage anyone who hasn’t attended to go. You won’t regret it.
by Andrew D
I was humbly elected delegate by my chapter, Quad Cities DSA, along with my comrades Aaron C and Brea M, to attend the DSA National Convention in Chicago in August. I met over 1,200 delegates from across the national organization in one place, people I’ve only seen before through a screen. I learned from my comrades, their successes and failures in organizing for a better world. I met representatives from different unions, political activist groups, and international political parties. Convention was a critical juncture where we all gathered together, strategized, and fought back against the capitalist class.
The DSA National Convention is held every two years, but this isn’t ComicCon: Convention is the highest decision-making body of DSA DSA chapters proportionally elect members as delegates to represent the chapter and democratically guide the direction of the whole organization. So what do we vote on at Convention? We consider work plans from our different committees (labor, political education, international organizing, etc), new directions of work, and structural reforms to our organization. We also elect our leadership – the National Political Committee – and the two Co-Chairs of our organization.
The basis for all of this is that the Convention is a deliberative assembly: think of the U.S. Congress, only accessible to working people. Liberals extol the value of the U.S. Constitution and our representative democracy, but how democratic is our society when the only regular engagement with it is to cast a ballot every two-four years, where the only credible candidates are from two parties? In a deliberative assembly, by contrast, the rank-and-file member reigns supreme and has full control of all of the functions, subgroups, and leadership. If a majority of assembly members want the organization to do a certain thing, they state what they want, debate the proposal’s merits (what it means to deliberate), and vote on that proposal. Assembly members even have the right to override actions of their elected leaders.
As democratic socialists, we want the entirety of society to operate this way. We want workplace democracy, where all employees not only own and control the means of production, but deliberate over how their workplace operates, and they elect their leaders from the rank-and-file workers. We want tenants to collectively own their apartment building, and work with their neighbors to maintain and improve where they live. What DSA does at their Convention, what DSA chapters do in their general meetings is this: we are experimenting with and practicing mass democracy so we can reassert our power over our lives and communities. What we do today builds the culture and the practice that will take root tomorrow.
by Aaron C
Going into the 2025 DSA convention, there were a lot of expectations I had in my head. For years I had heard horror stories from my chapter comrades about it. Stories of in-fighting and ‘big chapter’ drama were traded among previous attendees. Because of this, when I was walking towards the dark convention floor, I expected to walk into a UFC octagon watching big chapters and caucuses putting each other in the political equivalent of a rear naked choke. Surprisingly, I saw and heard something else instead.
Sara Hurd told the crowd about the toll a commission chair position takes and how she only got through it thanks to her partner and their love of cooking and doing laundry. She also made clear how many people don’t have that support and that to help those people be involved, we should support the resolution to pay National Labor Commission (NLC) chairs.
I was amazed by the organization of some of the groups. Comrades were working until the vote closed at 10 PM, laser-focused on the results and dispatching their lieutenants to garner votes, while keeping track of the shifting alliances between different groups as issues came up for a vote.
Our delegation also connected with other Iowa chapters about our needs and how we could coordinate to resist the encroachments of the Iowa government.
Though there were issues, such as an unprofessional chairperson, a douchebag reporter, and an even more bizarre Saturday night dinner. Overall, it was a unifying experience where we were reminded what we fight for: that even when it seems that there is conflict with each other, we are comrades who are strongest when we stand together.