The 2020 elections are upon us and millions of ordinary people throughout the United States will get involved with politics for the very first time. Many leftists refuse to participate in electoral projects, even local efforts, but especially and understandably campaigns for President of the United States. This cycle, however, offers an exciting and different opportunity: the very real possibility of a Bernie Sanders Presidency — an opportunity to expose millions of people, especially young people, to politics outside the realm of Neoliberalism.

At the same time, national and international political efforts must be connected to local organizing projects. Here, Vince Emanuele has a front row seat to how these dynamics play out in the real world as he currently works with two organizations — Organized and United Residents of Michigan City (OURMC), a local community organizing body focused on single-issue campaigns, popular education, and electoral campaigns, and Politics Art Roots and Culture (PARC), a community-cultural center that provides an affordable and/or free space for artists, organizers, and everyday people who seek community, creativity, and political resistance.

Vince has been working with political projects, electoral campaigns, and leftwing social movements since 2006. He’s a former board member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. He’s a member of the National Writers Union | UAW Local 1981.