Yesenia Padilla
Template:TOCnestleft Yesenia Padilla serves as the Communications Assistant for Media and Public Relations for Alliance San Diego. They received their Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing with a minor in Political Science from UC San Diego, where they also organized with AFSCME via Students for Economic Justice. Growing up in San Francisco as the child of immigrants meant that they were exposed to the importance of social justice and activism at an early age. Yesenia has worked with numerous organizations, including ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, ACLU of California, and Home Start. Yesenia also has a vibrant volunteer life, volunteering with All Peoples’ Harm Reduction Inc., in addition to other organizations. Yesenia is a published poet who performs across California, and co-curates a monthly reading series called Now That's What I Call Poetry.[1]
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 Yesenia Padilla San Diego Democratic Socialists of America.[2]
DSA member
Yesenia Padilla became a member of San Diego Democratic Socialists of America in 2017. “[In my chapter] we're constantly talking about how to center different voices, in particular those from the LGBTQ community, communities of color, and also just respecting the pre-existing work of the communities that exist,” she tells Bustle. As a Xicanx with Mexican immigrant parents, she says she was also drawn to Democratic Socialists’ work on sanctuary city platforms in Los Angeles, as well as the commitment to universal health care, and the DSA's recent resolution on prison abolition.[3]
2018 DSA NEC members
New National Electoral Committee Members, as of May 18, 2018 are Abdullah Younus NYC, Adam Parsons Columbus, AJ Reed Quad Cities, Alex Nagle Philadelphia, Allie Cohn Knoxville, Austin Binns Philadelphia, Christine Riddiough Metro DC, Christian Bowe Lansing, David Greve Pittsburgh, Dele Balogun Chicago, Devin McManus NYC, Felicia Hamilton Boulder, Jason Clayton Metro DC, Jessica M. Culbertson Akron, Katrina Bergstrom Los Angeles, Keaton Slansky Seattle, Lucas Perez-Leahy Omaha, Mark Masaoka Los Angeles, Peter Simon Denver, Rachel Reyes Los Angeles, Renee Paradis NYC, Sarah Ganong Central Connecticut, Spencer Chan Chicago, Tascha Van Auken NYC, Yesenia Padilla San Diego.