Iowa City Democratic Socialists of America

Mona Field

Mona Field was first elected by the voters to the Los Angeles Community College District Board in 1999 and reelected in 2003, 2007 and 2011. She has been elected by her colleagues twice to serve as the President of the Board of Trustees (2004 and 2009).

A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Ms. Field received a B.A. degree in Social Relations at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles and an M.A. degree in Social Sciences at California State University. Throughout her professional career, Ms. Field has been a leader in furthering causes of “social responsibility, positive labor-management relations and excellence in education.”

Ms. Field has been a professor of Political Science at Glendale Community College. She has taught courses in American Political Ideals, California Government, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Community Volunteerism and Introduction to Social Science.

She has also taught and lectured at other venues, including UCLA Extension, California State University, Sacramento in the Community College Leadership Program and the California School Employees Association Leadership Training Program.

In 1979, Mona Field was a teacher at the Socialist Community School in Los Angeles, a project of the Gramscisit/Marxist New American Movement.

The West Coast Socialist Scholars Conference 1993, “New Realities, New Identities; Socialism and Empowerment” was held April 17, 1993 at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Speakers included, Mona Field, future Congresswoman Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Councillor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Co-sponsors included Socialist Community School – Democratic Socialists of America – Committees of Correspondence – CrossRoads Magazine – International Socialist Organization – Socialist Organizing Network – Solidarity – Union of Radical Political Economists

In 1995, Mona Field claimed long time membership of Democratic Socialists of America.

In 2003, Mona Field was co-author of, “California Government and Politics Today”, with fellow DSAer and academic Chuck Sohner.

In 2013, Mona Field was a financial contributor to the Liberty Hill Foundation, one of California’s most influential leftist non-profits and a hangout for rich, elderly LA socialists.

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KeyWiki

Karen Kubby

Karen Kubby has been a prominent Iowa City, Iowa activist since the 1970s. She has been a three term Iowa City Councillor and Executive Director of the Emma Goldman Clinic for Women, an abortion clinic named after famous anarchist Emma Goldman.

Kubby has been heavily involved in activism including standing on “picket lines with local labor unions and advocating for environmental protection, affordable housing, supporting the public library and a variety of other human rights issues.”

Kubby has served on the Socialist Party USA National Committee since 1980. In 2001, David McReynolds‘ 2000 campaign team organized a “Draft Kubby” effort for the 2004 campaign for presidency of the Socialist Party USA. However, Kubby declined to run for the presidency of the Party, stating that she did not want to do anything that would interfere with the plans of her then husband, prominent Iowa State Senator Joe Bolkcom ‘s plans to eventually run for Congress on the Democrat ticket.

Kubby is also very close to America’s largest Marxist group, Democratic Socialists of America. Iowa City Democratic Socialists of America leader, Jeff Cox, was Treasurer for Kubby for Council in 1988. She has also contributed to the group’s magazine, The Prairie Progressive.

Democratic Socialists of America is also supporting their member, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, in a bid for the U.S. Presidency in 2016.

During the summer and fall of 2006, Democratic Socialists of America Political Action Committee helped DSA activists around the country, “from San Diego up to Maine” to host house parties to raise funds that helped Bernie Sanders become the sole open socialist in the U.S. Senate.

On October 8, Jeff Cox of DSA and Karen Kubby of the Socialist Party USA teamed up to hold a house party in Iowa City for Sanders’ campaign.

In 2016, an Iowa group says it wants Senator Sanders to run for President as a Democrat in the 2016 Iowa caucuses.

The steering committee members include Karen Kubby and DSAer Jeff Cox.

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