Socialism! The red menace of the 20th century, now reincarnated in the form of mobs upon mobs of angry Gen Z’ers plotting the destruction of Western civilization! An evil, parasitic force that wants … “equitable housing and universal healthcare?” The assurance that individuals’ “basic needs are met” no matter who they are or where they come from? Wait a minute, what exactly is Socialism? I talked to Ben Roberts ‘23, organizer with Harvard College Young Democratic Socialists of America (HCYDSA), to find out.
According to the DSA, the parent organization of the YDSA, Democratic Socialism is, “the belief that the economy and society should be run democratically to meet public needs rather than the profits of the few.” As Roberts told me, “Socialism is less about checking off the boxes of an ideological purity test and more about fighting for the well-being of the working class.” When I asked what that fight might look like in practice, he said it can take a lot of different forms. He said sometimes it might look like, “working with other leftist organizations on campus to advance their causes.” Other times, it might look like carrying out local electoral work and projects in the wider Boston-Cambridge community on issues like housing. And sometimes it looks like, “pushing back on [Harvard] administration when they don’t have the interests of workers in mind.” According to Roberts, the main idea is that, “if you’re someone who believes people deserve to have their basic needs met, HCYDSA has a place for you.”
This year is a great time to get involved if you’re looking to get in on the ground level of the organization. Just earlier this year, the group made its official transition to HCYDSA after previously being Harvard for Bernie. When I asked Roberts why the club decided to make that shift, he told me, “The Harvard for Bernie group started last school year and unified a lot of people from all over the left. When Bernie dropped out of the presidential race, we weren’t willing to lose all the energy we had built up throughout the campaign, so we made the choice to transition to YDSA.” In addition to maintaining the unified energy of the Sanders campaign, Roberts says HCYDSA saw a great opportunity to create a space on campus, “for anyone on the left who wants broad socialist goals,” regardless of their exact political tendency.
So, what are some of the perks of HCYDSA membership? “A side benefit,” says Ben, “is you get to join a wonderful community of dedicated, passionate people working to make campus a better place.” Other than that, there are a few different ways to get involved in the actual goings-on of the club. There are weekly forum-style meetings where members discuss ongoing projects and sometimes vote to assume official stances on relevant issues related to the Harvard community. Additionally, members will soon have the option to start committees on any project they might be passionate about, from environmental advocacy to police abolition to housing. As Roberts puts it, “Whatever you’re passionate about, we’ll find a way to set you up with the resources and network to work on it.” I told Roberts the last part might sound a bit daunting if new members have never done that sort of work before, but he wants to assure readers that no background in political organizing or political theory is required: “I came in with nothing, no background in anything, and since then I’ve learned a lot. You gain experience by doing the work itself.”
If all this talk of political action and workers’ rights has piqued your interest, Roberts encourages you to reach out to him personally (broberts@college.harvard.edu) or fill out the official interest form at http://tinyurl.com/hcydsainfo.
Cade Williams ‘23 (cadewilliams@college.harvard.edu) unashamedly loves talking to people who start clubs.
Illustration by Natalie Sicher ’21.