Please register in person at the conference if you are planning to attend.
Ticket prices are:
$10 for a single session
$45 for a single day
$85 for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
$100 for the full conference
$125, $150, $200, or more for full conference at solidarity rates.
“Actors understand the infinite vastness hiding inside each human being, the characters not played, the characteristics not revealed. School teachers can see every day that, given the chance, the sullen pupil in the back row can sing, dance, juggle, do mathematics, paint, and think.” — Wallace Shawn, “Why I call Myself a Socialist”
Watch his performance “Why I Call Myself a Socialist” here!
Given the multiple organizing successes of Chicago’s anti-state sanctioned violence movement over the past year, the Black Panther Party’s 50th Anniversary, and the urgent presidential debate, its hard to imagine a more compelling time and place to discuss the future of socialism and racial justice.
—Donna Murch, author, Living for the City: Migration, Education, and the Rise of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California
The popularity of Bernie Sanders’ campaign shows that many people are seeking out an alternative to capitalism and are for the first time embracing socialism. Each year, the Socialism conference brings together over a thousand people from around the country to discuss and debate strategies for building a better world, free of oppression and exploitation. At Socialism 2016, you can learn about the real Marxist tradition of “socialism from below,” the fight for women’s liberation, the history and politics of Black liberation, the relationship between capitalism and climate change, and many other topics.
So join us in Chicago July 1–4, 2016!
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black liberation • Sexuality and socialism: The theory and politics of LGBTQ liberation • Can America go socialist? • The hidden history of multiracial workers’ struggles in the United States • How Marx became a Marxist • Israel: Apartheid state • Land grabs and Big Oil: The looting of Africa • Eugene Debs and the US socialist tradition • Trump and the rise of right-wing populism • Introduction to social reproduction theory • China on strike: Narratives of workers’ resistance • A people’s art history of the US • Missouri, football, race, and revolt • and many more!
Adam and Jeralynn Blueford • Gilbert Achcar • Mike Davis • Barbara Ransby • Sharon Smith • Anthony Arnove • Ian Angus • Sam Farber • Eli Friedman • Justin Akers Chacón • Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor • Paul D’Amato • Khury Petersen-Smith • Amy Goodman • Neil Davidson • Lester Spence • Jesse Hagopian • Tithi Bhattacharya • Brian Jones • Alan Maass • Nicole Colson • Scott McLemee • Donna Murch • Bill Mullen • Danny Katch • Jennifer Roesch • Jon Soske • Ahmed Shawki • Charlotte Bence • John Riddell • Bhaskar Sunkara • Sherry Wolf • Dave Zirin • Dan Georgakas • Marvin Surkin
At long last, “socialism” has stopped being a scarecrow in the USA: it is truly “in the air,” increasingly and rightly connected in the minds of the young generation with the fight against the capitalist ogre and the promotion of the interests of the vast majority. Held every year in the heart of the USA, in a city that has been a major location of social struggle since the 19th century, “Socialism” is a key forum for assessing the past of that struggle and brainstorming its future.
—Gilbert Achcar, author, The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprisings
“The Socialism conference is the single greatest antidote to the political confusion and doldrums that the US Left endures, and I always leave with greater clarity, a few new friends and a ton of incredible books.”
—Sherry Wolf, author, Sexuality & Socialism
The annual Socialism conference is unlike any other conference. It’s a chance to step back from the day to day struggles and ask big questions about the past, the present, and our collective future on this planet.
—Brian Jones, educator, socialist, 2014 Green Party candidate for Lt. Governor of NY
No matter how many times I attend the Socialism conference, I always learn something new—not only from the awesome presentations, but also from the many debates and discussions. Maybe most importantly, it is always incredibly energizing.
—Sharon Smith, author, Women & Socialism
With millions of people upset with the status quo and looking for alternatives, this year’s Socialism conference is more urgent than ever. There is nothing comparable to it on the US left.
—Bhaskar Sunkara, Editor, Jacobin
The Socialism conference is a vital part of my political foundation: the education from the sessions, the inspiration from so many brave activists, and the people I’ve met who have become lifelong collaborators.
—Danny Katch, author, Socialism…Seriously
The combination of radical seminars and informal conversation is a necessity for me to understand not only Rio but all of the confused tumult gripping the globe. Hope to see you there!
—Dave Zirin, Sports Editor, the Nation
If you are a radical, you owe it to yourself to come to a conference where people are on the same page about some basic things–like the need for Black liberation, women’s liberation, LGBTQ liberation, and open borders. I can think of no better place than Socialism 2016 to get together with others who are dedicated to the fight for a better world.
—Khury Petersen-Smith
