Ruth Jordan

Ruth Jordan...

Leaving DSA

November 9, 2023 Twenty-four longtime members of the Democratic Socialists of America published an open letter in The New Republic to explain why they’re leaving the organization.

Our hopes for a better world—more egalitarian, more just, more humane—once found expression in the Democratic Socialists of America.

Many of us have been members of DSA since its founding in 1982—some of us in leadership positions—as well as activists in the organizations and movements from which DSA emerged...

We were elated by the explosive growth of DSA that began in 2016, followed by the election of more than 100 DSA members to elective office. In such figures as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Summer Lee, and Greg Casar, we cheered a new generation of progressive political leadership in the United States. It seemed that we could finally join other nations in having a meaningful democratic socialist presence in our political mainstream.

In recent years, however, we have been deeply troubled by the emergence of isolating, purist, and self-destructive tendencies inside DSA that have undermined its promise. The very strength of the regenerated DSA is in its electoral work and its high-profile, politically astute elected officials, and yet they came under attack from within. Ocasio-Cortez was condemned for stating that Israel had a right to exist, and Bowman was subjected to a vicious campaign for his expulsion from DSA because of his refusal to endorse the boycott, divestment, and sanctions, or BDS, movement, as well as for his connections with Jewish peace organizations in the U.S. and Israel.

The campaigns against DSA members of Congress garnered high-profile, public attention, but they were only the tip of the iceberg. There were several attacks on DSA-member and DSA-endorsed state and local officials. Purist litmus tests were increasingly imposed on candidates for elected office as the price of DSA endorsements.

In our judgment, a moment of truth has arrived. The events of the last weeks in Israel and Palestine, and the responses of national DSA and many of its local chapters, bring us to the painful conclusion that today’s DSA has driven itself beyond redemption....

We are beginning discussions amongst ourselves, to which we will invite other signatories to this letter, on how to keep the true vision of democratic socialism alive and how we can work together to develop an organizational framework that supports our educational and political work.

Leo Casey, Harold Meyerson, Richard Healey, Peter Dreier, Ruth Jordan, Mark Levinson, Nathan Newman, Maurice Isserman, Ingrid Goldstrom, Larry Mishel, David Kusnet, Aaron Greenberg, Randall Brink, Janette Brink, Jules Bernstein, Jeff Isaac, Tom Canel, James Berger, Robert Feldman, Jennifer Klein, Ed Collins, Raymond Barglow, John Zuraw, Bill Mosley.

Institute for Democratic Socialism Founding

Institute for Democratic Socialism was a non-profit organization founded by Michael Harrington to advance socialism.

The Institute for Democratic Socialism was announced in the October 1977 issue of Democratic Left:

Socialist Institute formed The Institute for Democratic Socialism, a nonprofit educational corporation has announced that it has been granted tax-exempt status under section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Institute was formed earlier this year by socialist leader Michael Harrington to encourage public understanding of the achievements and potential of democratic socialism and to further democratic socialist analysis of American society.

According to Harrington the Institute's first activities will center around a series of youth conferences. He also announced that the Institute's first publication--on problems of achieving full employment-will be issued in October. The Institute plans to begin fund raising mailings this fall.

Harrington is the president of the Institute and John Clark is its secretary/ treasurer. Also on the Board of Directors are: Julius Bernstein, Harry Fleischman, Ralph Helstein, Ruth Jordan, Deborah Meier, Victor Reuther, and Carl Shier. Frank Llewellyn is the Executive Director of the Institute.

DSOC meeting

On May 18, 1974, DSOC organized a meeting in Washington DC. Attendees included Ruth Jordan, a freelance labor journalist, DSOC board member and former Socialist Party USA member.

DSOC leader

In 1980 Ruth Jordan, was vice-chair of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and a leader of DSOC's Democratic Agenda coalition and the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

Democratic Agenda

More than 1,200 people attended the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee initiated Democratic Agenda Conference held November 16-18, 1979, at the International Inn and Metropolitan AM Church in Washington 1 DC. The conference focused on "corporate power'; as the key barrier to "economic and political democracy," concepts many Democratic Agenda participants defined as "socialism.'

The Democratic Agenda meetings attempted to develop anti-corporate alternatives" through influencing the direction of the Democratic Party during the period leading to the July 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York.

The event was Chaired by Ed Donohue and Ruth Jordan of the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

Democratic Agenda/Socialist Caucus

For groups and organizations seeking radical social change within the Democratic Party, the National Convention of 1980 had at least one historic first - formation of a Socialist Caucus of delegates. Organized by the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and by the Democratic Agenda which was DSOC's cadre and supporters within the Democratic Party and was based in DSOC' s New York office and at 1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. Some 31 delegates and alternates from twelve states and Democrats Abroad attended the Socialist Caucus.

As a preliminary to the convention's Socialist Caucus meeting, , indeed as a "building event" and as a continued show of support for Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Democratic Agenda sponsored a convention rally at New York's Town Hall. The speakers included Herman Badillo, Julian Bond, Fran Bennick, Harry Britt, Cesar Chavez, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI}, Douglas Fraser, Murray Finley, Michael Harrington, Terry Herndon, Ruth Jordan, Ruth Messinger, Eleanor Smeal, Gloria Steinem and William Winpisinger.

DSOC works within the Democratic Party, said Harrington, because of the party's relationships with organized workers, blacks, feminists, environmentalists and other "progressive groups."

The Socialist Caucus circulated a list of convention delegates who were caucus members, including;

• Alice Papon, AZ
• Debbie Anderson, CA
• Helen Barrios, CA
• Harry Britt, CA
• Muriel Brownstein, CA
• Mickey Flacks, CA
• Vivial Hall, CA
• Dolores Huerta, CA,
• Amy King, CA
• Ted Neima, CA
• Mike Nye, CA
• Raoul Teilhet, CA
• Richard Sklar, CA
• Patricia Dillon, CT
• Kristine Blackwood, DC
• Steve Ramirez, DC
• Bill Simons, DC
• Jerry Wurf, DC
• Julian Bond, GA
• William Winpisinger, MD
• Vivian Hall, MA
• Brian Maranhoa, MA
• Ms. Su Finkbinder, MI
• Martin Gerber, MI
• Millie Jeffrey, MI
• Isabel Laluz, MI
• Gerald Maginelli, MI
• Bernice Selden, MI
• David Selden, MI
• Earl Bourdon, NH
• Henry Berger, NY
• Jim Chapin, NY
• David Dinkins, NY
• Elaine Drucker, NY
• Ed Gray, NY
• Patrick Kelly, NY
• Ruth Messinger, NY
• Libby Moroff, NY
• Cleveland Robinson, NY
• Gerry Cohen, NC
• Margaret Lynch, OH
• Judy Watts, OR
• Harold Rosenthal, PA
• Sue Rosenthal, PA
• Craig Murphy, TX
• Ray Majerus, WI
• Louise Uphoff, WI
• David Fleishman (foreign)

New American Movement 10^th convention

In 1981 Halli Lehrer, NIC; Anne Hill, Cleveland NAM and SEIU; Ruth Jordan, Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee National Executive Committee and CLUW and John Haer, NIC and SEIU spoke on a mini-plenary entitled Building an Alliance Between the Labor Movement and the Women's Movement at the 10^th Convention of the New American Movement. The convention was held in a union headquarters in Chicago and ran from July 29 - August 2, 1981.

New American Movement

In 1982 Ruth Jordan was a contributor to the New American Movement magazine Women Organizing.

DC Local

In 2004 Ruth Jordan was a member of the DC/MD/Northern VA. Democratic Socialists of America local.

DSA North Star

In 2018 Ruth Jordan was an original signatory of the DSA North Star founding principles statement.