Boston Democratic Socialists of America

Boston DSA honored Marie Kennedy and Chris Tilly, two outstanding champions of economic justice and grassroots democracy. The well-attended reception took place at the home of Marcia Peters and David Karaus, in Jamaica Plain. Speakers included Boston City Councilman Felix Arroyo, recent East Boston candidate for state representative Gloribell Mota, and Carlene Desire, Executive Director of the Association of Haitian Women in Boston.

The Award Boston DSA has presented this award most years since 1977 in memory of Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas and Julius Bernstein, and to raise funds to support the work of the Chapter. Debs and Thomas were national leaders of the Socialist Party; Bernstein was a socialist leader on a local level who was a major contributor to the labor, civil rights and tenants’ movements. Previous award recipients include Bob Haynes of the AFL-CIO, Maude Hurd of ACORN, Ed Clark of UNITE and Deborah Meier of the Mission Hill School.

The Awardees

Marie Kennedy is Professor Emerita of Community Planning at UMass Boston. Since the 1950s, she has integrated her studies and professional work as an architect, planner and educator with struggles for justice at home and abroad.  She has particularly worked with excluded communities in the Boston area and Latin America, and written extensively on themes of participatory community planning.  Marie has served on the boards of La Alianza Hispana, the Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development and Boston Jobs with Peace, and—with Chris—Grassroots International along with the advisory boards of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and the Public Policy and Planners Network.

Chris Tilly is Professor of Regional Economic and Social Development at UMass Lowell. Starting with a 1970s stint of union organizing in hospitals with a large immigrant workforce, he has focused his research, writing and activism on how to improve bad jobs in the U.S. and around the world.  Chris has served on the boards of Dollars and Sense and – with Marie – Grassroots International.  In the 26 years they have been together as a couple, Chris and Marie have worked together on countless good causes, from Central America and Haiti solidarity to campaigning for local progressive candidates at election time.