Online-only MDC DSA General Body Meeting THIS SUNDAY, January 25 at 2pm — to include debate and discussion of DC mayoral endorsement; Metro DC DSA’s electoral operations continue — Electoral Intensive and mass canvasses aim to reshape regional politics; CALLING ALL MONTGOMERY COUNTY TENANTS: DSA mobilizing to protect Takoma Park rent stabilization — Saturday, January 24 at 11am
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is
produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every
Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
Online-only MDC DSA General Body Meeting THIS SUNDAY, January 25 at 2pm — to include debate and discussion of DC mayoral endorsement
Metro DC DSA’s next General Body Meeting takes place at 2pm on January 25; it will include a second read on the endorsement resolutions for Shayla Adams-Stafford (PG County Council District 5) and Janeese Lewis George (DC mayor). This GBM has been moved to online only due to potential severe weather.Register for the General Body Meeting here.
Metro DC DSA’s electoral operations continue — Electoral Intensive and mass canvasses aim to reshape regional politics
Field operations for endorsed socialist candidates are set to ramp up over the next month. Last weekend, socialists joined Aparna Raj, who is running for DC Council Ward 1, to supplement the campaign’s forays into Columbia Heights and U Street. Over the next week, socialist electoral efforts are set to expand, with plenty of options to get involved:
Phonebank for Gabriel Acevero this weekend. Metro DC DSA’s very own Gabriel Aceverois running for reelection to the Maryland House of Delegates 39th District, and chapter members and allies are encouraged to phonebank on Saturday, January 24, and Sunday, January 25. For Saturday, phonebanks will kick off at the Gaithersburg Library in study room 6, at 10am and 1pm; on Sunday, phonebanks will be virtual, starting at 1pm and 3pm (please fill out the electoral interest form to receive info). Members who have questions or need additional support can also comment in the #montgomery-county channel on the chapter Slack.
Phonebank for Aparna Raj, Tuesday, January 27 at 7:30pm. Join the Metro DC DSA Electoral Working Group for a virtual phonebank (calling MDC DSA members) for DSA-endorsed candidate for DC Council Aparna Raj. At the end of January, the campaign will file its next financial report, and DSA members are needed to show up in force with dollars and volunteer time. Make calls on Tuesday to ask fellow members to contribute — no experience necessary. A brief training will be provided, along with a tool to to make calls and a script. RSVP here to get a Zoom link to join the day of.
Canvass for Imara Crooms nextSaturday, January 31 at 12pm. The Prince George’s County Council is hotly contested between the developer-backed conservative Democrats and the labor-left bloc on the Council; electing DSA-endorsed PG County Council District 9 candidate Imara Crooms is vital for securing control of the Council. Victory here would empower the local Left to push for stronger rent control, social housing, and workers’ rights in the county for years to come. Socialists will be joining canvassing operations at 12pm at the Branch Avenue Metro Station parking loton Saturday, January 31. If you’re a chapter member in Prince George’s, get involved by visiting the #prince-georges-branch channel in the chapter Slack.
Metro DC DSA is building an electoral machine to elect people’s candidates across the DMV. On Saturday, January 31 (1:30 – 4:30pm) and Sunday, February 1 (2:30 – 5:30pm), the chapter will hold its Electoral Training Intensive to prepare for local races this spring. The Saturday session is for experienced individuals who have led or launched a canvass in past cycles. This day will be devoted to building leadership skills and strategic planning. The Sunday session is open to everyone and will be focused on teaching the core tactics and best practices that have made DSA an electoral juggernaut. This session is a great way to get plugged into current campaigns, answer any questions about DSA's electoral strategy, and meet the architects of the chapter’s electoral infrastructure, including a DSA member who helped lead Zohran’s NYC campaign.
CALLING ALL MONTGOMERY COUNTY TENANTS: DSA mobilizing to protect Takoma Park rent stabilization — Saturday, January 24 at 11am
The Takoma Park City Council has approved a study of the city’s current rent stabilization law, potentially laying the groundwork to weaken the existing protections. Takoma Park's rent stabilization law is stronger than Montgomery County's 2023 rent stabilization law — for example, Takoma Park's law only allows rent increases equivalent to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation, while the county's law allows rent increases of 3% plus the Consumer Price Index.
Weakening Takoma Park’s strong renter protections would represent an attack on the city’s working class andlay the groundwork for other attacks on tenant rights in the region. Join MoCo DSA members in Takoma Park on Saturday, January 24 at 11am to strategize around protecting Takoma Park's strong rent stabilization law. RSVP to the planning meeting here.
Then, on Sunday, January 25, Rockville Renters United and Montgomery County DSA will host a door-knocking clinic at the Rockville Library at 4pm (pending good weather). Learn from experienced tenant organizers how to prepare for a door-knocking canvass and what to say after the door opens. RSVP for the door-knocking clinic here.
The Washington Socialist is Metro DC DSA’s quarterly political journal, which has published consistently since 2012 (and inconsistently since the 1970s). Articles provide contemporary commentary and debate on realities facing socialists in the DMV, with writings from MDC DSA members and allies across the Left. The latest edition of the Washington Socialistwent live last Friday, January 16, with additional articles published today. This week’s release features:
“We refuse to comply:” two organizers from the MDC DSA Community Defense Working Group talk about ICE patrols, direct action, and taking power into the community’s hands.
A review of Karen Hao’s Empire of AI — uncovering tech giants’ nakedly imperial ambitions and mapping a route towards successful socialist resistance.
A PG County resident reflects on Steny Hoyer’s retirement: “To call Steny Hoyer a ‘representative’ is to engage in a profound misuse of the term. For over four decades, he has not represented the future or the potential of Maryland’s 5th District, but rather has embodied its most stubborn, stagnant, and calcified instincts.”
How can socialists organize themselves into a muscular, mass, and unified force? No easy answers — but one author offers a few suggestions.
Political Education Working Group Spring 2026 reading groups kick off next week — sign up now
Want to be part of a collective that’s learning and reading together? Kicking off this month, Metro DC DSA is assembling 10 distinct reading and discussion groups including Palestinian poetry, publications and propaganda, healthy relationships for radicals, crafting and knitting while reading, political economy, Black Power and Palestinian Resistance, a magazine articles group, and more — sign up for reading groups here. The chapter’s reading groups provide an opportunity to learn with others, either online or in-person, and help members develop their organizing prowess and knowledge alongside comrades while providing a forum for debate and discussion. These reading groups are also a great opportunity for new members to get introduced to the chapter and its ongoing work. Register now using the reading group sign-up form.
Stomp Out Slumlords to plan electoral support and anti-eviction canvassing
Stomp Out Slumlords (SOS), Metro DC DSA’s tenant organizing project, will have their all-hands meeting on January 27 to strategize for this year’s local elections following the results of a brainstorming session in December. Among these plans, SOS aims to create a dedicated electoral subcommittee to work on local elections. All interested in getting involved — especially those with electoral organizing experience — are encouraged to attend. The January 27 meeting is at DC’s MLK Library, Conference Room 401-F at 7pm. RSVP to the SOS all-hands meeting here.
Then, on January 29, SOS will meet for their regular anti-eviction canvass planning. Here, members will map out the dates for the next four months of canvasses, delegate roles, decide how to improve the canvasses, and brainstorm how to drive turnout while evictions continue to rise in the District. The January 29 meeting will be at MLK Library, Conference Room 401-E at 6:30pm. RSVP for the canvass planning meeting here.
Ecosocialists mobilizing residents on environmental legislation — tell DC Council to make polluters pay for climate costs
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is introducing legislation next week to study the impact of climate change on the District — including the money Big Oil owes residents for creating this mess in the first place. This legislation is the first step to making polluters pay to cover the cost of extreme weather. With a storm brewing this weekend, there’s never been a better time to get started.
Socialist Night School: Abolition 101 — February 3 at 6pm
The Metro DC DSA Abolition and Political Education Working Groups are hosting a hybrid Socialist Night School focused on police abolition at the MLK Library on February 3. Participants will learn how policing and prisons fail to make communities safe, what abolition looks like in today’s world, and why abolition is necessary for a truly socialist future. RSVP for Abolition 101 here.
INFO ACCESS
Militarism-fueled fascist sycophants continue to infest an already capitalism-riddled US society — and make plans to invade their sovereign neighbors. Just the battle we need. Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! We’re the alternative that works for people, not profiteers and their captive politicians. MDC DSA’s chapter spans NoVA, DC, and the big Maryland suburbs. There’s organizational info on our Metro DC chapter — DMV branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — right here Attend Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation either in person Wednesday, February 11 7 – 8pm or virtual, Wednesday,.February 18, also 7 – 8pm. What grounds our activism? See the rich archive of our acclaimed Socialist Night School. Details? Join an MDC DSA Reading Group. Members are encouraged to join our Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, strategy/tactic exchange, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get access.
How to stay current with MDC DSA: Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are sent every Friday — sign up here; current and past Updates are available anytime on our website. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Got chops and skills to bring to this latest video effort? Check in with the Publications Working Group (roles list here) or submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions (or DMV scandal tips) to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; the Winter issue is being released in two parts, the second one this week (see above). Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Members, look in on us or join at #publications on Slack.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Anti-War Vietnam Vets Speak on February 8 | Busboys and Poets
Do soldiers have the right to disobey orders? Bob Chenoweth and Susan Schnall — who exercised that right during the Vietnam War — will be speaking at Busboys and Poets’ 14th and V NW location on Sunday, February 8 from 6 – 8pm. RSVP for this free event here. An episode of Talk Vietnam, entitled "A Dissenting POW Redefines Patriotism" (40 min run time) will be shown, and the bookWaging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans who Opposed the War will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
The DMV Fights Back: Regional Resistance Against Data Center Expansion on January 27 | La ColectiVA
For years, public officials and Big Tech corporations have colluded to negotiate data center “deals” benefiting corporations that end up harming residents. The people say enough! Join La ColectiVA on Tuesday, January 27 at 6:30pm to learn how local organizers are fighting back against Big Tech’s extractivist agenda and what you can do to protect local communities. RSVP here.
Freedom & Resistance Exhibition, now through March 15 | MLK Library
Freedom and Resistance, an exhibition inspired by The 1619 Project, is now available to view at the MLK Library through March 15. Experience history, truth, and the fight for freedom.
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk on February 16 | DC for Palestine
On February 16, 7pm at Rhizome, DC for Palestine presents a film screening of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi. It offers an intimate window into life in Gaza amidst Israeli bombardment, captured through video calls with photojournalist Fatima Hassouna. Ticket proceeds go to Gaza mutual aid efforts. RSVP here.
Boycott Target on January 24 | Free DC and Boycott Target
Target came under fire earlier this year for being one of the first corporations to cooperate with Trump's anti-DEI positions. Now, the company's home city of Minneapolis is under intensifying attack. Still, the company has remained silent. This Saturday, on January 24 at 11am, in solidarity with Minneapolis, join Free DC for a picket with Boycott Target outside the company's flagship DC store in Columbia Heights. RSVP here. In solidarity with Minneapolis’s general strike you can also email Target, Hilton Hotels, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car about their support of ICE. Instead of shopping at companies that would see our neighbors taken from our communities, shop at DC’s local businesses that have pledged to support a free DC.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of
interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media.
They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit
candidates at our tip line.
Trump family business, cronies thickly clustered around Greenland and its critical minerals
As usual, if you follow the money, Trump’s lunatic (and perhaps not yet abandoned) pursuit of US “ownership” of Greenland — unlikely without military conflict with our supposed NATO allies — may be a shake-up move to grease existing Trump Organization attempts to corner the province’s rare-earth mineral resources. “As Trump Talked About Taking Greenland, Former Employees Gained a Foothold in the Arctic Island: Two men who worked with the Trump Organization hold shares in GreenMet, which signed a deal with a company ready to mine critical minerals in Greenland,” relates the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Two other longtime Trump regulars have administration positions, OCCRP continues, one as chief of the US Geological Survey and the other as director of the US Arctic Research Commission, a presidential advisory body "typically run by academics,” which he is not.
Homeland Empire
From Venezuela to Minnesota, Trump is trying to create a borderless American power, collapsing the foreign and the domestic into a single domain of impunity. “Kinetic action” in military terms is the application of force or motion to produce physical damage. Kinetic action is the favoured mode of the latest Trump administration: we live in its aftershocks, racing to make sense of what just happened. Over the past year it has repeatedly violated the rights of citizens and foreign nationals — while also making a spectacle of these violent acts. Even when the “worst of the worst” turn out to be hairdressers, drywallers, fishermen or soccer moms, nothing will interrupt the imposition of serial brutality…” Nikhil Pal Singh in Equator, tx our comrade Dan S’s 5 Lefty Links
Sanaz Azimipour’s “The Political Economy of Survival,” published by the Rosa Luxemburg Institute, describes the background to the protests now taking place across Iran. She stresses that the internal conditions in Iran are key to understanding the resistance and repression in the streets, rather than the actions of external actors who are attempting to interpose themselves.
Trump dog-whistles for the MAGA faithful in speech to corporate suits at Davos
Trump’s TACO offramp on Greenland caused relieved exhalations in Davos, but his speech showed a darker subtext as it deviously “sought to ‘unify’ the [white] west rather than divide it. Trump surmised [paraphrasing]: Yes, we might have our internal squabbles, but I am bringing tough love because we are all in this together. We are the standard bearers of western civilisation. We must resist the barbarian hordes. We must save the white man.” The Guardian’s David Smith assembles plenty of evidence for the Davos speech’s oblique play to Trump’s base.
Illumination on the American Religious Landscape
“The Religion of Whiteness” looks at the emergence, among some white Christians in the USA, of a religious culture based on shoring up white identity and racism while being "perniciously shrouded in Christian language, expression, symbols and thought forms." Englewood Review of Books via Portside
We Need Radical Abundance
If we want abundance, we have to ask: an abundance of what exactly, and produced under what economic logic? Traditionally, critiques of bureaucracy take the perspective of the little man caught in the obtuse machinations of faceless corporations or an unyielding state. Kafka’s Joseph K., for example, or Catch-22’s Yossarian. Even The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy begins with protagonist Arthur Dent lying in front of a bulldozer to thwart an intransigent planning department. In recent years, we’ve seen the return of anti-bureaucratic mobilization, but advocates for “deregulation” in 2025 are more likely to be on the side of those employing the bulldozers than those lying in front of them. This apparent reversal of position results from a dramatic transformation in the nature of bureaucracy over the last 40 years. With democratic socialist mayors in New York and Seattle, the Left needs to understand this change, the way it was engineered, and how we might enact a similar transformation in the opposite direction to deepen democracy. The Nation (Substack)
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by
local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at
9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
Thinking about it, but want to get this email Update every Friday? SIGN UP
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The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention
all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to
breathe the breeze of a vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
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