Introducing The Activist!

October 7, 2019

This summer in Atlanta, delegates to the YDSA 2019 National Convention voted to revive the YDSA publication. Now, the YDSA National Political Education Committee is thrilled to announce that The Activist is back!

The Activist was founded years ago, and in its early days editors and contributors included Jacobin contributor and NPC member Chris Maisano, Jacobin founder and editor Bhaskar Sunkara, and former DSA Deputy Director David Duhalde. The original Activist published its last issue in Fall 2017, but the authors of the resolution felt that we needed to bring it back, because, in their words, “there exists within YDSA an acute need for a unifying, engaging, and thoughtful publication of the socialist youth perspective, particularly from the most marginalized youth in the United States; for political dialogue and theoretical development within YDSA on topics including organizational culture, tactics, and strategy, which is guided by the real experiences of organizers on the ground; and for a means to develop a shared community and camaraderie by promoting and institutionalizing respectful and rigorous political debate as an integral function of YDSA.”

YDSA’s membership has skyrocketed since the Bernie bump in 2016, and with now more than 70 chapters, the organization has a wealth of members with a variety of experiences, perspectives, and skills. The goal of The Activist is to bring those perspectives together, by featuring articles on political and strategic issues facing YDSA and the broader left today, commentary on and analysis of campaigns chapters across the country are running, and a monthly newsletter highlighting local work. We’ll also be hosting political discussions and writing workshops, and putting together a print issue in time for the YDSA 2020 Winter Conference.

We’ve got big plans for The Activist, but to make it happen, we need your input! We’re seeking art as well as articles, so if you’ve got a skill or something to say, we want to hear from you! For more information about The Activist and submission guidelines, please visit y.dsausa.org/about-the-activist. We’ve got a lot to learn from each other, and a world to win!

About The Activist

The Activist is a publication by and for members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, edited by members of YDSA’s National Political Education Committee and featuring the chapter reports and political commentary from YDSA activists from chapters across the country

The Activist is a multi-tendency democratic socialist publication open to submissions from all YDSA members. Articles do not necessarily reflect the position of the organization.

For more information about The Activist, click here.

Winter 2021 Issue (.pdf)

Submissions and Contact

Full-length articles should be 800-1200 words. Chapter reports should cover the activity of your YDSA chapter in the past few months in 100-300 words. Both types of submissions can be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]

For more information, email [email protected]