Socialist Progressives

The Flatbush native first became interested in left-wing politics as a student. He spent one year at Brooklyn College (at the time a hotbed of socialist organizing and debate) and then transferred to the University of Chicago. He was a member of the Young Peoples Socialist League, the small but vibrant youth section of the Socialist Party, heavily influenced by charismatic Trotskyist-turned-democratic-socialist Max Shachtman – the very same organization a young Mike Harrington joined across the country in New York City. He was active in the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960’s, including as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

After graduating from Chicago Bernie set roots in Vermont working odd jobs. His electoral career began in the early 1970’s when he joined the anti-Vietnam War socialist-peacenik outfit the Liberty Union Party. For the better part of a decade, Bernie ran for and lost several races on the Liberty Union ticket.