Melina Herrera
Melina Herrera-Baird was a Detroit delegate for the 2019 Democratic Socialists of America convention, and an enthusiastic Bernie volunteer.[1]
MD-DSA Unity in Action Commission
Author: Phil Bianco. February 2026.
Whereas:
- We are democratic socialists organizing against fascism, and for socialism in our lifetimes. As such, we have a duty to one another, to our collective project, and to our historical task to overcome our differences and to achieve the highest degree of collective action possible;Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America (MD-DSA) has more than doubled in size since November 2024, reaching nearly 1.3k members at the time of writing;
- Our chapter achieved our biggest chapter-led win yet in 2025 when we elected Denzel McCampbell to Detroit City Council District 7, building on years of slow and patient organizing;
- Unlike the Democratic Party and many NGO’s, our chapter’s One Member One Vote system for decisionmaking has increased accessibility and participation in decision making. As in other mass-membership democratic organizations and unions such as the UAW, our organization’s democratic commitment to the principle of One Member, One Vote reflects our fundamental belief that decisions must be made by our full membership, not just by a subset of insiders who show up to a given meeting.
Signed
Aaron Bager, Liam McCormick, Cara Tobe, Chris Gilmer-Hill, Francesca Stephenson, Gary Walker, Ian Mark, Ian Sandler-Bowen, Jack Dalton, Jessica Newman, Justin Skytta, Lila Brickner, Mikal Goodman, Ricardo C, Rose Castilla, Mike Kinnunen, Roberto C, Tom McBride, Rachel Manville, Melina Herrera, Chelsea Manning, Drew Hohmann, Julie R, William Price, Zee Martin, Dana Martinez-Ocker, Mark Renshaw, Hannah Renshaw, Melissa Luberti, Jamila Martin, Natalie Brougham, Reese McCaskill, Jr., Kristin Caffray, Joshua Lorke, Madeline Wyatt, Charlotte Gray, Ryan Hibbard, Ryan Huffnagle, Simon Cohen, Kole Mabe, Ali Hallal, Patrick McCusker, Hunter Lukas, Mona Mawari.[2]
DSA Socialist Majority
In 2023 Rael Almonte Reyes stood as a Socialist Majority slate candidate for Democratic Socialists of America NPC together with Colleen Johnston, Melina Herrera, Sarah Callahan, Grace Mausser and Renee Paradis.
Statement on Anti Blackness in the DSA
Statement on Anti Blackness in the DSA was released in February 2021:
We as the AfroSocialist and Socialists of Color Caucus stand in solidarity with the Black woman in DSA North Texas who was wrongfully suspended by DSA North Texas Co-chairs. This action by the DSA North Texas Co-chairs is racist and in particular anti-Black. This is not an isolated incident of racism but represents a pattern of anti-black and white supremacist actions within DSA which must be acknowledged, held accountable and systematically rooted out. There is a pattern of anti-black behavior that stems from the founding of DSA North Texas that has led to each generation of Co-chairs either perpetuating or being complicit in anti-black racism.
Signatories included Melina Herrera Greater Detroit Democratic Socialists of America.[3]
May Day 2023
Rep. Shri Thanedar at Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America 2023 May Day celebrations, at Bell Isle with Chris Gilmer-Hill and Melina Herrera.