Red Start Podcast

A new audio file was uploaded for this episode on 9/23/26. We regret the sound issues with the first version.

As DSA has grown to become the largest socialist organization in U.S. history and shocked the leadership of both major U.S. parties, the Democratic Party has trotted out its tired critique of DSA and the left as out of touch with its multiracial base, particularly Black Americans. The party recently reorganized its 2028 presidential primary schedule, putting heavily-Black South Carolina first in an attempt to moderate DSA’s potential influence in the upcoming presidential election.At the same time, how to approach multiracial organizing and the racial class question in the U.S. continues to be a hotly-debated question within DSA and on the left. In observation of Black August, Christina W. interviewed fellow Red Star members John (NPC, New Orleans) and Craig (Metro Atlanta) about liberal and socialist understandings of racism and anti-racism, how social inquiry can help DSA chapters build alliances in communities of color, the fight for abolition, and making DSA an anti-racist organization in practice.

Read the transcript, as well as our other articles and newsletters, on our website at redstarcaucus.org/interview-black-august/

In April 2026, Red Star member and DSA co-chair Megan Romer went to the party of the European Left Conference in Brussels. At this conference, she delivered remarks on the issues of militarism and austerity, and participated in discussions with other left parties on important political issues facing our movement around the world. Megan's remarks were published in Democratic Left. She also spent some time with the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB), and had an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of life in the PTB, and see their political strategy and action. PTB and DSA were the subjects of a detailed comparison study organized by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Red Star member Matt M sits down with Megan to debrief her experience in Belgium, what she learned from spending time with PTB, and what our similarities and differences can tell us about building a militant revolutionary party.

This special session features dialogue between our 2025 NPC candidates. Take a listen to see what we're looking forward to, what we've learned from our time on the NPC already, and what Red Star is bringing to the NPC in 2025.

This is a reading of Marta Harnecker's "Ideas for the Struggle", read by Red Star member Megan Romer.

Red Star member Zoe interviews outgoing NPC members Jenbo and Jen M along with Red Star NPC candidates Megan R and John L about the past two NPC terms, what they've learned and what they've accomplished, and what our hopes are for the upcoming DSA convention and NPC term.

Red Star member Matt interviews EWOC volunteer and Communist Caucus member Matthew about EWOC, local EWOC, and different approaches to labor organizing in DSA.

00:00 - LeftRoots, "Protagonism, Socialist Leadership, and Socialist Organizing"

49:12 - Harnecker, "Ideas for the Struggle: Convince, Not Impose"

53:50 - Michael Lebowitz, "Protagonism and Productivity"

An audio recording for the 6/21 RED START reading hosted by @hanginoutonline Sam Heft-Luthy.

Timestamps:

0:28 - "Dialectical Materialism" from Constructive Criticism

12:30 - Afterword to the Second German Edition of Capital — by Karl Marx

20:15 - Fragments on Dialectics - from "Dialectics of Nature" by Frederick Engels

41:43 - The Principal Contradiction and the Principal Aspects of a Contradiction — From “On Contradiction” by Mao Zedong

This is a book reading of excerpts from Marta Harnecker's "Rebuilding the Left."

An edited live recording of comrade Michael's Red Start session on the second half of Lenin's "Imperialism: Highest Stage of Capitalism" (recorded September 7, 2022). In this session, comrade Michael explains Venture Capitalism from a socialist perspective and extends Lenin's theory to more modern economic developments.