Boston Democratic Socialists of America

2010 Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Reception

At our 2010 Awards Reception, Boston Democratic Socialists of America presented our Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award for outstanding achievement in advancing progressive causes to Georgia Hollister Isman, Director of Mass Alliance, and our Michael Harrington-A. Philip Randolf lifetime acheivement award to DSA founding member Jack Clark.

You can still place a greeting in the Event Journal through mid-August 2010! See the second page of this flyer for details.

Jack Clark spent most of the 1970's as the first National Secretary of the Michael Harrington–led Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, a predecessor to Democratic Socialists of America.  Jack had previously quit his job as a reporter for the Chelsea Record to join Harrington in NYC to help organize an opposition caucus within the rightward-moving Socialist Party.  He was the first managing editor of Democratic Left, has been a delegate to meetings of the Socialist International in Geneva and Vancouver, has led DSA in countless progressive campaigns in NYC and MA—and in his travels as a DSA organizer once debated Ron Paul!  Jack has also edited Food Monitor for World Hunger Year in Washington DC, worked for eleven years as Deputy Director for Policy and Planning in Boston for the Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community Services, and since 2002 as Director of Workforce Development for the union-funded Transportation Learning Center back in DC.
Jack recieved the Michael Harrington-A. Philip Randolf lifetime acheivement award.  The reward was presented by Mass. AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Ed Collins.  A lifelong labor activist, Ed is a Charter Member of Democratic Socialists of America, as well as former President of the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council, and a member of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation (which maintains the Eugene V. Debs home in Terre Haute, IN).  Ed received the Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award from Boston DSA in 2003. After being presented with the award, Jack entertained and informed us with a history of the socialist movement in the United States, including the roles played by such historic figures as Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas, A. Phillip Randolph and Bayard Rustin.
	Georgia Hollister Isman is Director of Mass Alliance, a statewide coalition of 23 unions, civil rights, environmental and community groups (including DSA) working for a more progressive State legislature.  Georgia helps Alliance-endorsed candidates win elections by consulting with them on every aspect of the campaign, from strategy and fundraising to communications and voter ID.  Under her leadership the Alliance has helped elect new progressive leaders across the state and trained dozens of new political organizers.  Georgia has served as campaign manager or field director for progressive candidates in Ohio, Texas and Washington.  In 2005 she led the successful campaign to elect Pat Jehlen to the State Senate, considered by many a model of grassroots mobilization.  Georgia also serves as a founding Board member of EmergeMA, where she helps develop and teach a training program for Democratic women candidates.
Georgia was presented with the Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award by Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), the first Latina woman elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, and a tireless advocate for progressive causes, including public education, CORI reform, foreclosure relief, and access and opportunities for low-income and immigrant communities.  Senator Chang-Diaz even managed to get some of us singing, as she explained to us how Georgia's politics reflect in her love of music. Besides Senator Chang-Diaz, we were graced with the more aetherial presence of another Senator - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vermont), who spoke to us via cell phone to congratulate the honorees, tell us his take on some current political developments in Washington. Senator Sanders also took several questions from the assembled group, including one on Banking Reform, and one on the 25% Campaign to reduce the Pentagon Budget by 25%, and redirect the money to social needs.

In addition to the awards, we heard from striking workers at Shaw's Supermarket warehouse, and participated in a moving tribute to insurgent Chinese workers, including a memorial to the young workers who have committed suicide in recent weeks because of the dismal conditions in their factory and dormitory. 

After a few hours of socializing and eating, and listening with rapt attention to the various presentations and speeches, it was time to say our good-byes and head for home.  There was general agreement among the throng crowding the elegant house in Jamaica Plain that this was one of the best Debs-Thomas-Bernstein events in years.