Socialism 2025: A Movement Gathers
At the largest socialism conference yet, thousands came together to study, strategize, and build a fighting left
Over the weekend, 2,400 people from across the country—and around the world—came together in Chicago for Socialism 2025, the largest socialism conference in its history.
This was convergence of radical thinkers, organizers, artists, students, and workers all asking urgent questions:
What will it take to defeat fascism?
To build healthy communities that care for one another?
To dream—and build—something better than this world?
To achieve liberation and win socialism?
With over 180 sessions covering revolutionary history, socialist theory, labor struggles, abolition, radical education, international solidarity, and more, the conference became a living classroom for the left.
I had the honor of speaking in three powerful sessions:
“Art and Communism” — a packed conversation with the brilliant Boots Riley on protest art vs. revolutionary art, surrealism, science fiction, and the role of artists in liberation movements
“Teach Truth: Truthcrime Laws, Racial Capitalism, and the Struggle for Liberatory Education” — where I spoke about my new book, Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist education, broke down how the war on antiracist education is part of a broader fascist project, discussed how the ruling class uses eduction to reproduce capitalist relations, and how teaching truth is an act of resistance.
“Blunt Force Assault on Education: Resisting Fascism” — where I joined leading radical educators Barbara Ransby, Bill Ayers, Wayne Au, and David Stovall to discuss how we build power against censorship, privatization, and repression in schools. This was an immense honor and truly exhilarating.
But some of the most moving moments came while I was listening. I went to:
Talks led by Palestinian youth organizers on the frontlines of a global freedom movement
A deep dive on social reproduction theory and how care work and daily survival are central to class struggle
A session on radical multiracial high school student organizing in the 1970s, showing how young people have long led the fight
Strategy sessions on Marxist theory and concrete organizing
And a powerful and nuanced debate on electoral strategies for the Left, where comrades wrestled honestly with the dilemmas of movement independence, ballot lines, and state power
This conference cut through cynicism, detached academicism, and vague slogans. Instead if featured intellectual inquiry, comradely debate, study, struggle, and solidarity.
People came with different experiences—some longtime organizers, some just beginning to radicalize—but also came with a desire to sharpen our tools, challenge our assumptions, and find each other.
This is what movement building looks like: collective learning, strategic clarity, joyful defiance.
We don’t have all the answers. But at Socialism 2025, it felt like we’re asking the right questions—together.
