Liz Ryder

Liz Ryder is affiliated with the Los Angeles DSA.

Anti CCRI campaign

In 1996 DSA activists in California were deeply involved in the unsuccessful struggle to defeat Proposition 209, the California Civil Rights initiative, which sought to ban "affirmative action". At DSA's 1995 National Convention, the organization made opposition to CCRI a "major focus for our Activist Agenda".

DSA mounted a major statewide effort to help defeat 209 in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The financial support from many California DSAers "allowed us to hire staff to coordinate this effort. For example, in Los Angeles, DSA played a major role in the Metropolitan Alliance, a broad multi-racial coalition of organizations. We coordinated the precinct based activities for the Alliance in the West LA, Santa Monica and Venice areas."

DSA's campaign in California was coordinated by Duane Campbell of the And Racism Commission. In Los Angeles the key activists were staff person Tim Parks, along with Liz Ryder, also of the Anti Racism Commission. In Sacramento the chair of the local Sacramento Civil Rights Network effort against 209 was Eric Vega of the Latino Commission.

DSA produced bilingual literature tied the two campaigns together asking for a vote against 209, and a vote for 210 the Livable Wage Initiative. In addition to our own work, DSA literature was distributed widely by UNITE and several African American organizations.

Democratic Socialists of America

Ryder was elected to the Democratic Socialists of America National Political Committee, at the November 1997 DSA National Convention in Columbus Ohio.

References

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