At a modest New York fund-raiser, ‘the Squad’ got its start

WASHINGTON — On a hot evening in June last year, an eclectic mix of people mingled under the glow of a neon pink light in the living room of a small Greenwich Village apartment, intent on altering American politics.

This was not your typical glitzy Manhattan fund-raiser. The fare was cheese, chips, and guacamole, with a large ice bucket filled with craft beer in the bathtub. The attendees — young activists, artists, and political campaign staffers — had spent the better part of the year organizing a Democratic insurgency meant to sweep big money out of politics and defeat Republicans.

Among those in the room were two little-known congressional candidates who had never met: Ayanna Pressley, who had traveled down from Boston and was stirring up the crowd that had gathered to raise money for her campaign, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who made a late entrance after a quick trip from her home in the Bronx. The two were about to form a bond, later extended to two other largely unknown candidates of color, that would shake up the Democratic political establishment.

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Guerrera cover art on home page by Rosanna Alvarez. Find her art here.

Risograph print of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by Bronx artist Steph Guez. Find her art here.

Risograph print of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by Bronx artist Steph Guez. Find her art here.