Roger Robinson

Roger Robinson is the father of Isaac Robinson.

2019 delegates

The June 1 2019 meeting of Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America featured elections to represent the organization at the National DSA convention in August, frank discussions about ways to improve the organization going forward, and speeches from members running for local municipal office.

The meeting began with speeches from Nada Daher and Brian Stawowy, running for city council and mayor respectively in Ferndale. The candidates focused on concerns about real estate developers pricing existing residents out of Ferndale and the need to create a “Ferndale for All,” not just for a privileged few. Mike McDermott, running for city council in Westland, gave a fiery speech about the need for a civilian review board of the city’s police department.

The meeting continued with a brainstorming session on how to improve Detroit DSA as the organization grows. Ideas were proffered about promoting volunteerism, rooting the organization deeper in the labor movement, greater political education, campaigning for state ballot initiatives, heckler training, repealing SESTA/FOSTA, continued support for public education, and working with religious socialists.

The meeting concluded with a vote on the 10 delegates to be sent to Atlanta for the national convention. Those elected were Nada Daher, Michelle Emfinger, Natasha Fernandez-Silber, Catherine Hoffman, Mel Herrera-Baird, Peter Landon, Kyle Minton, Jessica Newman, Jane Slaughter, and Dorthea Enrique Thomas. Alternates were Hank Kennedy and Roger Robinson. Those elected are sure to do our chapter proud.

DSOC

Victoria Cross was in 1982 serving on the National Executive Committee of then Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee , Chair of the Detroit Local and working at the UAW.

Sketch for a poster for the first DSA conference, March 1982. Delegates from DSOC and NAM met in Detroit to form the Democratic Socialists of America.

Victoria Cross Blushing. Just been an active democratic-socialist all my life. And, I tried to do all I could in the "Dee" and I try to do all I might here on the other side of the border. I married a Canadian and am an immigrant in this fair land, and have "done some time" with the New Democrats, too. I am of the Penny Schantz, Miriam Bensman, Joseph Schwartz, Mark Levinson, Rafael PiRoman, Ben Tafoya, David Rathke et al, generation of DSOC peeps. With many mentors of the previous generations, including Roger Robinson and Oscar Pascal. Mike was so right when he used to tell our summer school and winter conferences for the Youth Section to look around and see that "these are your life-comrades; you may argue, you may get angry, you may have differing points of view at one given minute or another, but please, remember that we are all socialists." And yes, I've met Bernie, and Cornel, Barbara, Dorothy Healey, Saul Wellman, and all sorts of trade union activists and leaders and all of "the folks" from all sorts of social movements who have never stopped working. And yes, we still argue, but we are on the Arc Toward Justice. I try to respect them all, and well, when I got "here" I worked as a constituency rep for years and years and had the joy and pleasure of working with many solid New Democrats. I have the joy of having known Howard Pawley well, and continue in the joy of being friends with Adele Pawley and the Pawley family, for example.

Danielle Aubert Victoria Cross Roger Robinson is still very active with the Detroit chapter, and I believe Oscar Pascal started coming to general meetings again the last few months!! amazing this crossed your timeline !

DSOC national officers

Following a convention decision to expand the number of at-large seats on the national board and to elect eight men and eight women to those seats, a serious political campaign to win those seats took place. Harrington termed this development .. a sign of the growing political strength of Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee. The at-large members of the new board will form its executive committee, which also includes DSOC's national officers.

Elected to at-large seats were: (men) Greg Akili (San Diego), Harry Boyte (Minneapolis), Jim Chapin, Jack Clark and Frank Lugovina (New York City), Roger Robinson (Detroit), Jim Wallace (Washington, D.C.), and George Wood (Champaign-Urbana); (women) Jeanne Kettelson and Mary Roodkowsky (Boston), Nancy Kleniewski (Philadelphia), Nancy Lieber (Sacramento-Davis), Marjorie Phyfe (New York City), Trudy Robideau (San Diego), Nancy Shier (Chicago) and Cynthia Ward (Stony Brook, Long Island) .

DSA Conference delegate

In 1983 Roger Robinson was a Detroit, Michigan delegate to the Democratic Socialists of America conference in New York City, October 14-16, 1983

Democratic Socialists of America

In 1988 and 1997, Roger Robinson was the Detroit contact for Democratic Socialists of America.

Old campaigner

DSA elections committee co-chair Roger Robinson stands outside his building in Detroit's North End, which doubled as a campaign office for Bernie Sanders ahead of the 2016 presidential primary.

Roger Robinson, a 72-year-old former labor organizer who helped found DSA's predecessor organization, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee.

Stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

We Stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a 2018 letter signed by several Democratic Socialists of America members mainly from the DSA North Star in response to attacks on Ocasio-Cortez over remarks she made on Palestine.

A recent petition circulated by some DSA members criticizes Ocasio-Cortez for supporting a two state solution to the Palestine-Israel question and not aligning with a long list of demands regarding Palestine and Israel. Should Ocasio-Cortez fail to agree with this list of demands, the petitioners are calling for DSA to revoke her endorsement. These attacks on Ocasio-Cortez have come despite the fact that she has staked out positions which will make her one of the strongest advocates of Palestinian rights and self-determination in Congress.

We stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The position she has taken on Israel and Palestine are principled stances, worthy of a democratic socialist, in its recognition of both Palestinian humanity and rights and Israeli humanity and rights. On this issue, as many, she will be a voice for the voiceless in Congress.

Signatures included Roger Robinson.

References

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