Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting — Sunday 7 to 9pm
You can RSVP to our August 21st General Body Meeting now! It’s this Sunday evening, 7 to 9pm. Besides our regularly scheduled reports, we are also planning on taking a look at YDSA and the amazing work YDSA groups have been doing, including a report back from the YDSA conference. There’s an upcoming DSA regional retreat we are looking to host. We also want to spotlight electoral wins and the work to come on that front.
Join workers on the front against Starbucks management in Mongomery County, Maryland
The unionized Starbucks workers in Montgomery County are ON STRIKE. They will be picketing from 7am to 12pm on Saturday and Sunday, and DSA members will be there to support them. The store is located at 16806 Georgia Avenue Olney, MD 20832. We will do our best to arrange carpools among chapter members who RSVP. RSVP here and don’t forget your DSA gear.
Last week, Starbucks workers at the 1429 P Street location in DC also announced their intent to unionize. The DSA Labor Working group is supporting these workers every step of the way — and DSA members and those in the broader community are encouraged to support their efforts to win fair working conditions in their store. You can follow these workers on Twitter and Instagram, and you can keep up to date on nationwide Starbucks unionizing efforts by visiting SBWorkersunited.org.
Metro DC DSA Post-election Happy Hour — Thursday, August 25th from 6 to 9pm
Join us at Midlands on Thursday, August 25th from 6 to 9pm for a Happy Hour celebration of our multiple electoral wins across the region!
This cycle, our chapter members defended Gabriel Acevero in Montgomery County’s District 39, helped Max Socol put up a competitive challenge against a conservative incumbent in District 18, and won an open seat for Zachary Parker in DC — knocking over 60,000 doors and raising over $14,000 in the process! We want to party, hang out, distribute the remainder of our limited-edition 2022 primary t-shirts to the canvassers who won our raffle, and most importantly, thank all of our volunteers and organizers who joined us this cycle!
BRIEFS
Apply Now! Mid-Atlantic DSA regional organizing retreat to be held in DC
DSA is hosting a Regional Organizing Retreat in DC, September 9-11th and you’re invited to apply! Chapters from around the region will be sending up-and-coming organizers to DC for the weekend to build community, learn, and explore opportunities for regional collaboration and Metro DC DSA members are invited and encouraged to take part in this training. The training will include sessions on organizing basics from DSA national that will help DSA chapters across the region build power in our communities. The agenda will include a discussion of the state of the labor movement, a presentation about how to build a mass movement, and how to set priorities. There will be Happy Hours and a walking tour led by Metro DC DSA’s Political Education Working Group. This will be a formative experience; learn from experienced organizers and build bonds with fellow socialists from across the region. When we organize, we win! Due to limited attendance capacity, we ask that those interested fill out this form here.
Save the date: Rally for Rent Stabilization in Montgomery County — Friday, Sept 9th!
Join Montgomery County DSA at the County government offices in Rockville on Friday, September 9th at 10 AM to rally against price gouging for housing and say that rent stabilization works in Montgomery County. For the past two years, rent stabilization has kept families in their homes. Yet, the County Council failed to extend rent stabilization before leaving for their August recess, allowing landlords to massively increase rents and forcing tenants to leave their homes and the county. Since then, tenants have received rent increases of 20% and more, far exceeding the rate of inflation and the cost of doing business. On September 9, landlords and real estate developers will poor-mouth members of the council to pressure them for the right to price-gouge on rents and raise the cost of housing even further, just to pad their own pockets. We are showing up at the same time to say NO to price gouging and YES to a policy that helps working families. We need to extend rent stabilization! Speakers will include future council members, other elected officials and top advocates for affordable housing. RSVP to attend here.
RSVP for Next Weekend’s (Sat 8/27) Housing Walking Tour at 15 Kennedy St NW
Sign up now for the Housing and Displacement: DC Walking Tour, starting at 1pm on Saturday, August 27th! The tour will explore three sites in Brightwood Park in NW DC connected to how displacement related to racism and profit have worked in DC real estate — in the past and present. The tour will be led by Tanya Golash-Boza, a District native who grew up in the neighborhood and whose research on the area breaks new ground on how the neighborhood was segregated and re-segregated; and Mara Cherkasky, co-founder of both the historical research firm Prologue DC and the digital public history project Mapping Segregation in Washington DC. The tour will also uncover how housing displacement is related to policing tactics and mass incarceration. The walking tour will connect historical struggles to current housing organizing efforts led by Metro DC DSA’s Stomp Out Slumlords Working Group.
The tour will meet outside at 15 Kennedy Street NW (street area in front of Roots Public Charter School; walking distance to the Fort Totten Metro, 64 bus, E4 and K6 buses) at 1pm and will adjourn at 3pm. The tour will be followed by a happy hour afterward at a nearby bar. We will provide snacks and water on the tour and do our best to make sure the route is shaded and the pace is light. We encourage you to invite friends, comrades and anyone who may be interested! Make sure to sign up here to attend — and indicate your ability to volunteer.
Sign up open: Housing and Displacement Walking Tour on Saturday, August 27th
Sign up now for the Housing and Displacement: DC Walking Tour, starting at 1pm on Saturday, August 27th! The tour will explore three sites in Brightwood Park in NW DC connected to how displacement related to racism and profit have worked in DC real estate — in the past and present. The tour will be led by Tanya Golash-Boza, a District native who grew up in the neighborhood and whose research on the area breaks new ground on how the neighborhood was segregated and re-segregated; and Mara Cherkasky, co-founder of both the historical research firm Prologue DC and the digital public history project Mapping Segregation in Washington DC. The tour will also uncover how housing displacement is related to policing tactics and mass incarceration. The walking tour will connect historical struggles to current organizing efforts against District landlords led by Metro DC DSA’s Stomp Out Slumlords Working Group.
The tour will meet outside at 15 Kennedy Street NW (street area in front of Roots Public Charter School; walking distance to the Fort Totten Metro, 64 bus, E4 and K6 buses) at 1pm and will adjourn at 3pm. The tour will be followed by a happy hour afterward at a nearby bar. We will provide snacks and water on the tour and do our best to make sure the route is shaded and the pace is light. We encourage you to invite friends, comrades and anyone who may be interested! Make sure to sign up here to attend — and indicate your ability to volunteer.
Labor Organizing in Prince William County, VA
NoVA DSA is looking for workers and activists that live, work or play in Prince William County. Your help is needed to expand labor presence across the County. If you live in PWC please send an email to the PWC Board of Supervisors and push for a strong collective bargaining ordinance.
Community members are also needed to show up for the next board meeting on collective bargaining on Sept 13th at 2pm and/or 7PM. RSVP so we can contact you with more details:
Fall 2022 Reading Groups: Kick off after Labor Day
Sign up is open now for 9 reading groups sponsored by MDC DSA’s Political Education Working Group! These groups are great places to meet comrades, learn about topics of interest, talk through ideas with a group, and come into the Chapter’s work. All groups will kick off after Labor Day. Whether it’s reading through W.E.B. DuBois’ Black Reconstruction in America, joining the Marx at the Museum group to read Ways of Seeing by John Berger, fighting the Capitalist Patriarchy by reading Zilla Eisenstein’s classic with the SocFem section, discussing Hammer and Hoe by Robin D.G. Kelley on communist organizing by Alabama sharecroppers in the 1930s, read through a new biography of Eugene V. Debs, or more, there’s something for everyone! Several Chapter working groups are sponsoring reading groups, making them a great way to get more involved in the chapter. Sign up here!
Publications working group meeting — Saturday, August 20 at 3pm
Join the Pubs Team for a meeting where we will discuss all the progress we have made over the past month, as well as the implementation of our Newsletter Work Plan. RSVP for the event here, and you can find the agenda here. Newcomers welcome (as always).
Medicare for All Trivia Night, Tuesday August 30 at 6:30pm at Midlands Beer Garden
How well do you know healthcare? Test your knowledge of healthcare in the United States and around the world! The DSA M4A working group proudly welcomes you, member or non-member, to join a night of fun, educational competition for PRIZES! FREE ADMISSION! Come alone or bring friends! RSVP here!
MDC DSA Disability Justice Working Group launch meeting, August 24 at 7pm
The Disability Justice Working Group is hosting a meeting to relaunch the important work of accessibility and disability justice. Disability justice is a crucial part of the socialist vision for the future, and the disability rights movement is an important part of leftist history. The group hopes to impact accessibility in our chapter activities as well as dive into what “Disability Justice” really means in our theory of change and our campaigns! Both people with disabilities and allies to the disability community are welcome to attend. RSVP for the meeting here.
Counter-presence requested to protect Drag Queen Story Hour in Montgomery County
On Saturday morning, Loyalty Bookstore, Silver Spring’s queer- and Black-owned bookstore, is hosting Drag Queen Story Hour DC MD VA again. Last time they hosted, there was no organized community support and it was disrupted by protesters. DSA members have been huge in helping protect these community events from reactionaries (members showed up last week to protect the event at Brookside Gardens).
INFO ACCESS
What is the future of work? What effect will it have on the composition of the working class? How can socialists strategically organize the scattered working class (uh, where did the shop floor go, again?)? Is your working group or campaign showing how to tackle these questions? These problems and solutions are what the long-form article format of The Washington Socialist’s Labor Day issue is designed to showcase. Make your thoughts heard and collective action may follow. The Labor Day issue’s article deadline is August 26; hit us up at [email protected] or join the gaggle on #publications and get feedback on your project. And join the Publications WG meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 3; RSVP here.
Publications Schedule: Next week’s Update (Friday, August 26th) is the last one for August; the Labor Day issue of The Washington Socialist (with accompanying Update) goes out Friday, Sept. 2. September Updates are Fridays, the 9th, 16th and 23rd and the October issue of the newsletter is scheduled for Friday, September 30th.
Info: Available as a member resource on the local chapter website are up-to-date minutes on the Steering Committee’s 2022 meetings as well as on General Body Meetings 2022. The road map of MDC DSA’s activities — campaigns, working groups etc., including our three branches — is here.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Most MDC DSA meetings remain remote-only. To join remote meetings, members will need to register at the event link provided and receive the remote-access link by email.
Help Seed The Well | The Well at Oxon Run Join The Well’s farm team this Saturday, August 20 from 1 to 4pm as they prepare the fields for their fall harvest. This is an opportunity for individuals to learn about the produce DC Greens/The Well will be offering this upcoming season. Volunteer signup form here.
Park View Clean-up | Georgia Ave Thrive Join fellow community members to help keep Park View clean on Saturday, August 20. Cleanup crew will meet at 10am at Georgia Ave NW and Kenyon Street. Free coffee from Doubles available to all volunteers. Flier here. Questions can be sent to [email protected].
Book Discussion | Claudia Jones School’s Saturday School This Saturday, August 20 from 1 to 4pm join the Claudia Jones Saturday School at the Woodridge Public Library (1801 Hamlin St NE) to discuss “The Struggle for Gender Equality & Against Male Supremacy.” Organizers will lead discussions on Claudia Jones’ important works, queer liberation and women’s equality in light of the struggle for abortion rights in this country. RSVP here.
Skill-Share: How to Write a Press Release | DSA Mutual Aid Working Group (MAWG) Looking to get the word out to the media about your mutual aid event? Odds are good that you’ll want to write and distribute a press release! Join some comrades who specialize in communications, PR, and media outreach on August 22 at 8:30pm EST for a media skill share event. There will be experts on hand for all your burning questions and plenty of take-home resources! This event is hosted by the DSA MAWG, but is open to all DSA members and prospective members. RSVP here.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
Before our US midterms hit in early November, the October presidential election in Brazil (a two-round affair) is already showing ugly signs of election denial and possible refusal to accept an adverse result by right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who trails Lula at this point. Who is making sure we midterm-addled US types don’t overlook this threat to democracy in the hemisphere’s powerhouse nation? You won’t be surprised to find that it’s Bernie, on the case. From Jacobin via Portside
This delightful piece about the documented epistolatory relationship between Marx and Abraham Lincoln is from the Post (!) history feature called Retropolis, which generally lurks in the Metro section outside the patrol routes of the paper’s commissars of political virtue. It appeared three years ago but frequently comes across the radar of the sharp-eyed, like our MoCo comrade Carl G, who recommends it anew.
MD pitching in on reproductive health pushback: “Maryland Joins Coalition to Defend Emergency Abortion Care” — Maryland joined a multistate coalition supporting the federal government’s moves to prevent Texas and Idaho from exempting abortion from a law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care, Attorney General Brian Frosh said Tuesday in The Baltimore Sun. The attorneys general also wrote that “emergency abortion care is necessary to avoid serious harmful outcomes (including death) in numerous situations … including self-induced abortion, and other medical conditions for which immediate medical attention is needed.” Maryland Matters. Blurbs are from Maryland Reporter.
POLITICO Playbook’s housing picks: “Headed In The Wrong Direction — Homebuyer confidence dropped again this month in the U.S., marking the eighth consecutive month of decline — a streak last reached in 2007, per new data from the National Association of Home Buyers/Wells Fargo. More from Bloomberg … And renters are facing increasing precarity, according to a new Freddie Mac study that finds 62% of survey respondents “were concerned about not being able to pay for their housing in the next year,” per CNN.
And from Portside, The Lever reports: “In a housing landscape dominated by private equity, federal divestment, and the failure of “public-private” programs, the fight for public housing at the state level is increasingly urgent.”
Climate bill juggling act: this NYT article is a couple weeks old but really parses the pros and cons of Manchin’s gifts to the Fossil Power in the just-signed reconciliation bill. Question: Can states and localities (where DSA/GND efforts can have their greatest impact) move fast enough to ramp up renewables so Manchin’s public-land and offshore leases will be increasingly unprofitable and go begging? Stay tuned.
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 vaster and freer horizon..
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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