Formerly known as Penn Students for Bernie and Penn Justice Democrats, YDSA serves as an independent left-wing student group with the mission of electing leftist candidates at the local, state, and national level, as well as serving to promote progressive/leftist causes on campus and in Philadelphia. We hold affiliations with the national YDSA and Philly DSA and were inspired by their success at recruiting and electing progressive leaders whom we hope will be committed to fighting for Medicare for All, Housing for All, College for All, Justice for All, and many other leftist policies.
<ins>Activities and Mission</ins>
YDSA stands for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and we support policies, campaigns, candidates, and initiatives which will bring us closer to our goal of creating a more just world. Thus, we are fighting for justice not only nationally but also at Penn, in the Philadelphia community, and across the globe. We offer leftists/progressives a place to engage in both electoral and non-electoral organizing, outreach, and activism, divorced from the pursuit of corporate pre-professionalism that is ubiquitous on Penn's campus. Possible activities this semester include phonebanking, canvassing, protests, political discussions, monthly meetings, speaker events with notable activists and political leaders, and plenty of social events. We welcome everyone on the left-wing spectrum, including those who prefer to organize for change outside of electoralism.
<ins>Club Structure</ins>
We do not have a club President or Executive Director(s). Instead, our Executive Board consists of six members who have their own respective responsibilities in Outreach, Communications, Creative Design, Finance, Organizing, and Recruitment. Members not on the Executive Board are highly encouraged to apply for a leadership position on our Content (social media, newsletter, creative design, etc.) or Engagement (event logistics, club retention, local and national outreach, etc.) teams. <ins>The acceptance rate is 100% for these positions.</ins>
If you want to learn more about us, please fill out the form to join our listserv!

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Owner

Amira Chowdhury

Exec Board 

Emily Liu

Hawa Mahama

Jacob Brown

Marissa Ephron

Matthew Liu

Exec Board

Nicolas Melton

Pavel Castillo

Officer

Taja Mazaj

Tara Yazdan Panah

Member

Abbigail Kamanu

Anonymous

Ahmed Ahmed

Amanda Oh

Audrey Keener

Beyonce Lightfoot

Catherine Sorrentino

Christopher Ward

Claire Epstein

Cole Griscom

Dewayne Barnes

Emily Bregou

Gabriel Jung

Gwyneth Young

Jason Zhao

Jenna Boccher

Justin Roberts

Katherine Davies

Keshav Ramesh

Lina Lin

Margaret Mcbride

Matteo Busterna

Olivia West

Richard Ghohestani

Sarah Cohen

Shane Duncan

Sneha Mokkala

Tristan Ly

Zoya Ahmer

Young Democratic Socialists of America at Penn

YDSA is the primary leftist political organization on campus engaging in both electoral and non-electoral organizing for progressive issues.

"Joining Penn Justice Democrats has undoubtedly been one of my best decisions at Penn. I didn't know many people that shared similar political beliefs, values, and interests before joining, and it really became a space for me to share my true self with others and feel comfortable doing so. I've also gone out of my comfort zone talking to strangers and having amazing conversations with people I didn't previously know very well. I am so happy to be a part of such a welcoming, kind, knowledgable group of people who share my vision for a just world and truly care about dismantling oppressive systems and helping people they don't know." - M.E. (C'22)

"The weekend campaign trip to New Hampshire was one of the best experiences of my life and I will always remember it and the feeling of knowing that we really helped Bernie win [Strafford] county." - M.E. (C'22)

"PJD has been the biggest driver in teaching me to reach out for a better world - without it, there's no way I'd have been comfortable calling random people on the phone to talk politics, and they made canvassing on Locust empowering rather than intimidating." - J.B. (C'22)

"I love Justice Dems! On the one hand, the club provides me some structure through which to continue organizing. More importantly, the club provides a sense of progressive community that's hard to find on Penn's neoliberal campus. For instance, going to New Hampshire with Penn for Bernie was the highlight of my semester – not just because I got to knock on doors on behalf of a movement I wholeheartedly believed in – but because I finally seemed to find some people on Penn's campus I could relate to!" - B.M.H. (C'23)

"I never knew I would engage with so many kind-spirited and morally grounded individuals. I did not know that this club would kindle some of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I don't have a traditional organizing background, and my heart had not settled on what purpose I wanted to adopt in this world. I came into this campaign seeing Bernie as our savior, and I come out of it seeing us as our savior. Not Bernie, not me, us! I can't wait  to see what we can build together in PJD." - J.C. (C'22)

"This club was the first club I attempted to join before arriving at Penn and has helped strengthen my leftist beliefs, which was vital at the time that I joined because I was feeling disconnected from politics. I think that PJD could be a second home for me whether I'm at campus or away, and I hope to make a lasting impact within the club, but also within my fellow members' lives." - E.W. (C'24)

Young Democratic Socialists of America at Penn Alumni