Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) - White Supremacy Resurgent!

White supremacy comes in all forms. https://t.co/w4qyN2Lip7

— Donovan Richards Jr. (@DRichardsQNS) July 20, 2026

from Google AI:

Black activists criticized DSA Founder Michael Harrington for prioritizing economic "class-first" socialism over distinct civil rights issues. Prominent leaders argued his approach downplayed systemic anti-Black racism. They also condemned his close ties to labor unions during the 1968 New York City teachers' strike, which pitted white-dominated unions against Black community control initiatives.

Core Criticisms

• Class Reductionism: Critics argued that Harrington’s economic focus on abolishing poverty erased the unique, lived experience of racial discrimination. They felt his framework reduced all Black suffering to economic inequality. 
• Institutional Alliances: Harrington aligned closely with conservative labor leaders. Black activists viewed these unions as barriers that blocked Black Americans from jobs and fair housing. 
• The 1968 Teachers' Strike: During this strike, Harrington supported the teachers' union. Many Black activists viewed the union's actions as a direct assault on Black self-determination in local schools.  

The Core Divide

Harrington believed that racial equality was impossible without first changing the capitalist system. He argued that a multiracial coalition, built primarily around the labor movement, was the only way to achieve lasting social change. 

In contrast, Black activists asserted that racism was deeply woven into American society. They argued that focusing solely on class failed to dismantle the white supremacy that existed in all aspects of daily life.

Historical Perspective

Harrington was a civil rights advocate who marched in the South and worked with Bayard Rustin. However, as the 1960s progressed, the Black Power movement emerged. Activists in this movement increasingly rejected the old socialist strategy of making civil rights wait for a broader economic revolution.  

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr to Michael Harrington, DSA Founder:

"Why, Mike, we never knew we were poor until we read your book."

Blue Collar - 4%

Return of the White Socialist Vanguard