2019 NPC Endorsement—The SF Slate
Today’s DSA represents a political potential for an ascendent left. Seizing this opportunity means carefully building real proletarian organization that can stand on its own. This is why we are endorsing the San Francisco Slate for DSA’s National Political Council: Jennifer “Jenbo” Bolen, Jen Snyder and Darby Thomas. All three have proven themselves, not only as competent organizers, but also as strategic thinkers who understand the importance of building working class organization in today’s political terrain. Jenbo, Jen and Darby understand what real, practical organization looks like.
The list of successes under the watch of the SF Slate candidates is lengthy. But what’s important for deciding on NPC representatives is this: Jenbo, Jen and Darby have made SF DSA into a socialist organization that has a real material presence in a city full of powerful liberal organizations. While many have helped organize around these efforts, credit is due to those who have helped facilitate and build SF DSA for the past two years.
Jenbo, Jen, and Darby have all served on the DSA SF Steering Committee. From 2017 through 2018, Jen and Darby were on the first SF DSA steering committee together. Darby acted as co-chair, and Jen as vice chair. Meanwhile, Jenbo was the chair of the socialist feminist working group. From 2018 through 2019, Jen was vice chair of the housing committee and Jenbo was on steering committee as treasurer. Darby continues to work in her position as mobilizer chair today.
However impressive, working class power is not about titles, but about action and organization. Communist Caucus members have worked alongside all three candidates. They were critical in supporting early morning blockades of district facilities during the Oakland Teachers Strike. They have helped organize a factory in San Francisco — the Anchor Steam Union. Anchor Union is now affiliated with the Longshoreman, who are among the most left of today’s unions. They’ve also been willing participants and leaders during antifascist struggles in the East Bay and in San Francisco. Unlike others, who have used antifasist mobilization as a publicity stunt, the SF Slate understand the danger of radical right mobilization. Finally, their work with DSA SF has culminated in San Francisco’s Proposition F, a measure that granted right to counsel for all tenants facing eviction. Our caucus has been very careful regarding electoral work. More often than not, electoral organizing takes an enormous amount of time and leaves us with little to show. Proposition F, however, has become a building block for more rank-and-file tenant organizing. It emboldens tenants and help prevent tenants from fear of organizing together.
These successes point to leaders who are able and willing to support effective organizing and organization building. The proven record of the SF Slate is obvious for anyone to see. If elected, we believe they will help to build meaningful, independent class organization. It’s for this reason that we have decided to endorse them. We hope to see them on the NPC!
