New American Movement

The New American Movement (NAM) was an American New Left socialist and feminist political organization established in 1971. The organization continued an independent existence until 1983, when it merged with Michael Harrington's Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee to establish Democratic Socialists of America.

The New American Movement was established at a conference held in Davenport, Iowa in December 1971 by radical political activists seeking to create a successor organization to Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). SDS, the leading organization of the New Left movement in America, had recently disintegrated into warring political sects and the need was perceived for a broad-based new organization free of sectarian rancor.

The founding activists behind the New American movement were vigorous opponents of the war in Vietnam who sought a new organization to serve as a forum for discussing where and how to redirect their activities. The call to convene was issued by Michael Lerner. Lerner became distant from the organization shortly after it was founded and went on to start the magazine Tikkun.

In its early years, NAM shared much of the political framework of the New Communist Movement, but rejected the strategy of building a "vanguard party", a position prominent NAM members defended in a debate in the pages of The Guardian. The organization was built around local groups called "chapters," which emphasized Marxist study, discussion of contemporary issues, support of local labor actions, and work in the community to raise awareness.

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