[Piano instrumental]
Just five years ago,
it was hard to imagine
socialists winning elections in America.
It's the United States,
the global heart of capitalism.
But for a long time,
socialism was a dirty word.
Republicans called everyone from
Harry Truman, to Bill Clinton a "socialist."
In a few short years, everything has changed.
A lifelong democratic socialist
almost became the Democratic presidential nominee
*twice.*
Polls show socialism is soaring in popularity,
and a huge number of young, socialist
people of color are getting elected to office.
Socialists like Jamal Bowman in New York,
and Corey Bush in Missouri are defeating
incumbent congresspeople.
Black and brown working-class socialists
are winning seats in state legislatures
and city councils.
And the biggest name in the Democratic Party
is a latina socialist from the Bronx.
If you're excited about
creating a society that works for everyone,
you might be inspired by socialists'
big victories in 2018 and 2020.
And you might be wondering if
you too can become a voice for
your community.
That's what i'm here to talk about.
I teach math at a middle school
in Crown Heights Brooklyn.
I'm an activist, and a member
of the Democratic Socialist of America,
and in 2020 I became the first
Black gay man to be elected a State Senator in New York
It wasn't easy.
In the Democratic primary,
I ran against a state assemblyperson
who was endorsed by the incumbent.
I was opposed by the local political machine,
but in the end we won with
58% of the vote.
It took a lot of hard work,
but we won, and I want to help you
do the same thing.
So, here are some things to consider
if you want to run for office as a socialist.
First: Know *why* you're running for office.
Most people who run for office,
either Democrat or Republican,
run because they have a big ego
or they want a career in politics
and it's easy to feel like they're the ones who
belong in office.
But socialists have a different approach.
Socialism stresses community and solidarity.
You can run for office to help
people in your community.
People you know.
People you encounter every day
at work, or in the neighborhood.
In my class i had one girl
who was tired all the time.
and when I checked in it was because
she was up late because she had to
sleep at her grandma's house.
It was obvious she didn't have a secure place
to sleep every night.
How could she learn when she didn't
have her basic needs met?
Another student of mine was struggling
and then one day just stopped showing up.
A few days later I got an email from his mom
saying they had to move to Long Island
because they were evicted.
I ran for office because of experiences like these.
I ran to help people like my students and their families.
I knew what our system was doing to people,
and how it impacted the ability of my students
to give their all in the classroom.
That leads me to my second point:
We need more working class socialists in office
But, you don't have to start by running for office.
I started out by campaigning for same-sex marriage in New York
I organized rallies for Black Lives Matter.
I canvas for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
I worked on access to affordable housing
with the Democratic Socialists of America.
I wasn't new to these struggles.
By the time I ran for office, I'd been fighting for years,
and I was part of a broader movement for justice
Movements are made up of activists and organizers,
and the best campaigns are powered by people.
You can do an incredible amount of good by
Working as a tenant organizer
or contributing to union organization campaigns.
Even though the media likes to focus on
the big electoral victories,
the real progress comes from thousands
of small victories fought for by people
you might never hear about.
Over a thousand people volunteered
on my campaign for state senate
and they are the reason we won.
If you do want to run for office,
consider where you are most needed
there are a ton of really important positions
in local or state politics that don't get
as much attention as senate
or congressional races
but are incredibly influential.
Judgeships, city or town council seats
state legislatures, school boards
positions at the county level
So much power is held in offices with elections
that go uncontested.
You'd be surprised how far you can go!
Third: focus on the material issues that
shape the lives of your constituents
Socialism is about material change
helping people in real, tangible ways
with programs and policies that
ensure everyone has access
to free health care,
decent housing,
and a good education.
Don't run on technocratic tweaks,
be ambitious!
Campaign on systems that ensure people
have what they need to survive, and thrive.
Talk about the issues you've experienced
in your community.
Is rent too expensive?
Do nurses and doctors not have enough funding?
Do local schools not have enough money?
Socialism is also about power.
Who has it, and who doesn't.
That's why socialist candidates
need to run on structural solutions,
finding ways to bring power
back to ordinary people
Talk with people in
your community every day
about the problems they face
and the future you want to build together
your single biggest advantage
is your community.
And fourth: if you lose
don't be afraid to try again.
In 2017, I ran for city council
and came up short.
It was tough, but a few years later
I tried again running for state senate
and won, so don't be discouraged
if you don't win.
In 2018 Corey Bush ran for Congress in St. Louis
and lost to a 20-year incumbent.
Two years later, she came back and won.
Socialists are winning elections because
we're focused on creating a system that works for everyone,
and because we recognize that
the system today is designed to
benefit only a small, wealthy minority.
Socialists are winning because
we're building power by working together.
Day after day, and people
across the country are on board.
No matter where you live,
there are people all around you
eager for change and
seeking practical, tangible solutions
to the injustices they face.
So my last piece of advice is this:
remember that you are not alone
if you're thinking about
running for office as a socialist
look for other organizing groups
in your area and online.
Together we can create a better society,
one that works for all of us
I'm Jabari Brisport,
New York state senator, for the Gravel Institute
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Thank you to our patrons for making all this possible
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