Kim Moody is one of the most influential left-wing labor activists of the last forty years. He was among the founders of the International Socialists, Labor Notes, and Solidarity, and is the author of a number of important books on the labor movement including An Injury to All, Workers in a Lean World, and the recently published On New Terrain (as well as a contributor to Jacobin and Catalyst).

Perhaps less well known is the important role that Moody played in the early days of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). He was a participant in the historic Port Huron convention of 1962, and served in the organization’s national leadership. He was also one of the leaders of an SDS community organizing project in Baltimore from 1963 to 1965.

Here, Moody speaks with Jacobin contributing editor Chris Maisano about his time in SDS, the possibilities and limitations of community organizing, and why radicals should prioritize working within the labor movement.