Bill Resnick interviews Joanna Misnik about Chicago and the DSA's success in their recent election winning six seats in the 50 person city council. These seats won in campaigns not based in personality or resume but on issues and movements. Joanna Misnik is a life-long anti-war and union militant. She worked on the 1984 Jesse Jackson presidential campaign and is a member of SEIU Local 73 in Chicago where she served as Communications Director. She's now active in Solidarity and the DSA.
The 5 or more DSA candidates who won seats ran explicitly as alternatives to the Democratic party machine. The DSA candidates were forwarding issues raised by movements addressing the issues of police brutality, gentrification, public education, and city politicians’ corrupt complicity with real-estate developers. Like many chapters, the Chicago DSA is mostly white but working in coalition and alliance with other community groups. Organizers and activists have been working to change the state preemption on rent control and challenge the police database of purported gang members and police collusion with ICE.
- KBOO