Socialism or barbarism.
— Bumpersticker
Democratic Socialists of America (4/9/20)
Bernie Sanders may not have won the presidency, but our movement will never be the same.
This was the most successful socialist electoral campaign in U.S. history, and we want to thank Senator Sanders for everything he and his team built during this campaign. Our DSA for Bernie campaign gave everything we had into putting Bernie Sanders in the White House, with more than 75 local DSA chapters knocking more than 500,000 doors in multiracial, working class communities, identifying and turning out tens of thousands of Bernie supporters, and welcoming thousands of new members into our organization. Many thousands more of our members volunteered with the Sanders campaign directly and played key roles as staff across the country.
This campaign was always about more than just one election.Though workers in the U.S. have no party of their own, Bernie 2020 and DSA built nationwide independent working-class power around a transformative and broadly popular agenda that includes Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and College for All. DSA for Bernie brought in and developed new leaders, grew long lasting relationships in our communities, and rejected the status quo propped up by the corporate bought Democratic and Republican parties. We provided a framework for how to use electoral campaigns to highlight and center working class organizing. From supporting striking teachers and Walmart workers to launching direct action against ICE and mass deportations, our chapters forged links with local unions and grassroots community organizations through the campaign that we will now turn toward enacting our democratic socialist agenda.
Our fight for socialism has never been more important. In the midst of a pandemic and the worst social and economic crisis in decades, the entire multiracial working class must be organized to fight back against the current crisis and the racist reaction of Trump and the GOP. COVID-19 has caused millions of people to lose their jobs, and our broken health care system will leave many unnecessarily sick. This is all unfolding while bosses and politicians are seizing this moment for giveaways to big businesses unlike anything we have ever seen. It will take all our organizing power to win a rent freeze, emergency Medicare for All, and steady income for all for the duration of this crisis.
Bernie’s campaign was an indispensable tool for growing our diverse working-class movement. Now more than ever, it’s up to us to carry forward the hope Bernie gave to millions as we continue building the political revolution. We invite all who found inspiration and purpose in Bernie’s campaign to join us as we show the world that democratic socialism is the best path forward.
We have a world to win. Join DSA and share why you joined by going to ijoined.dsausa.org!