Name: Blocking the Right, Building the Base: The Work of Left Unity in 2025
Start: 2025-07-04T12:00:00-0500
End: 2025-07-04T13:30:00-0500

Friday July 4, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm CDT

TBA

How can organizers take on bold, strategic work to strengthen left-led base building within a broad anti-fascist united front? Our panelists debate the “build” component of a shared “Block and Build” strategic orientation, drawing on their experience in different sectors of the socialist, social movement, and labor left.

Speakers

David Duhalde

David Duhalde is a lifelong democratic socialist organizer who has held positions in both the Democratic Socialist of America and its sister nonprofit the DSA Fund at the staff and volunteer leadership levels. Duhalde has worked in both labor and electoral action and is a public advocate... Read More →

Montague Simmons

Montague Simmons is a community organizer, movement builder and strategist. A native of St. Louis, Montague has worked to build movements locally and nationally that are rooted in building Black political power and self-determination, advancing the leadership of oppressed nationalities... Read More →

Jayanni Webster

Jayanni Webster is a member and national leader of North Star Socialist Organization. As a southern-based organizer, she has 15+ years of experience in labor, housing, and community organizing. She is a committed social-movement leftist, Black feminist, and internationalist.

Bennett Carpenter

Bennett Carpenter is a queer Southern trainer, movement strategist, and member of the National Executive Committee of Liberation Road. They've run campaigns to win participatory budgeting and community based alternatives to policing, elect movement candidates to local and state office... Read More →

Cayden Mak

Cayden Mak is the publisher at Convergence Magazine and the host of Block & Build: Roadmaps for the Left. Prior to Convergence, Cayden spent nearly a decade in various roles at 18 Million Rising, including five years as executive director. His other work has included organizing with... Read More →

Sponsors