Maria Svart is national director of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). She first joined the DSA a member of the University of Chicago Young Democratic Socialists (YDS) chapter. Her campus activism, through YDS and other student organizations, focused on feminist, environmental, and anti-war issues; immigrant rights; and labor solidarity work. After graduation, Svart worked for seven years in the labor movement with the Service Employees International Union and the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare. Prior to becoming the DSA’s national director, she served as chair of the New York City DSA local and was elected to the National Political Committee at the 2009 DSA convention.
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