March 18, 2022

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

UP FRONT

General Body Meeting — This Sunday, March 20 from 3 to 5pm
Cancel Student Debt — Art Build at Rhizome DC today (March 18) and Sunday, March 20
MDC DSA Steering Committee eases cautions on in-person gatherings

General Body Meeting — This Sunday, March 20 from 3 to 5pm

On Sunday, March 20, join Metro DC DSA for its monthly general body meeting. Monthly meetings convene all chapter members, workgroups, caucuses, committees and leadership to provide key updates on campaigns and other activities. If you are a new or lapsed member, or just curious about what your friendly neighborhood socialists are up to, this is a great way to get plugged in.

There are big, positive changes coming to the chapter that will make getting involved and plugging into campaigns much easier. This month, we’ll be joined by members from the newly created Member Engagement Committee (or MEC, since we’re fond of our acronyms) who will lead a deep dive into the most substantive changes happening to our chapter’s structure and give members a sneak peek at what’s to come.

We will also hear about labor actions that happened in several cities on the East Coast, including a small town in Maryland, and how the general momentum being seen in those and similar actions (like Starbucks across the country UNIONIZING!) is driving the labor movement’s growth. Lastly, DSA-endorsed Max Socol will give a 20-minute speech about his vision for Maryland and how we can help in his bid for the District 18 Maryland Senate seat. Make sure you register here to save your place for this important GBM.

Cancel Student Debt — Art Build at Rhizome DC today (March 18) and Sunday, March 20

This weekend, you can join local YDSA organizers at Rhizome DC to build art and protest materials for an upcoming day of action on student debt relief (RSVP here). The builds will take place on Friday, March 18 and Sunday, March 20 from 10am to 6pm.

Biden has said the “final” moratorium on student loan payments ends on May 1, 2022. A resumption of student loan payments would siphon dollars and wealth from our communities to pay for debt that falls unequally on the shoulders of the working class. Student loan repayments do not have to be resumed: President Biden has the authority to fix it by picking up a pen and issuing an Executive Order to cancel all student loan debt. It’s a simple, effective way for him to add billions back into our economy, create jobs, narrow the racial wealth gap and fulfill a campaign promise that he’s avoided action on so far.

No art experience is necessary as the event will be facilitated by experienced artists looking to support and train volunteers. Proof of full vaccination is required to enter Rhizome’s interior and masks over the nose/mouth are required unless you are actively drinking. DSA members can join the #student-debt channel in the MDC DSA Slack to get involved in deeper mobilization planning.

MDC DSA Steering Committee eases cautions on in-person gatherings

At this time, the Steering Committee is advising chapter formations that the sharp decrease of COVID-19 cases in the region means it may be safe to host indoor events again. We won’t put a time frame on this advisory, as the history of the pandemic has shown such timelines to be difficult to predict, and it may be necessary to change this advice quickly in the future. While it may be safe to hold events indoors again, it’s worth noting that masking should be considered mandatory for indoor events. Per Resolution 2021-07-R01 (MDC DSA In-Person Meetings and Events Best Practices), we’re making this recommendation to protect each other — masking remains highly effective, and we should do our best to keep ourselves safe. In addition, following the aforementioned resolution, all PPE purchased specifically for indoor events will be reimbursed by the chapter. Please reach out to the treasurer at treasurer@mdcdsa.org. We also would strongly recommend that work meetings remain digital. Keeping most work meetings digital makes the barrier to entry lower, ensures that as many members as possible can participate, and is 100% COVID-safe. When possible, events, especially social events, should have an outdoor option.

BRIEFS

DSA and labor organizations join striking Amazon workers in Upper Marlboro

Amazon workers walked out at three warehouses in New York City and Maryland early Wednesday morning in a coordinated demand for better wages and living conditions. Strikers in Upper Marlboro were joined by local labor allies, as well as Metro DC DSA members, who showed up to provide community support. The effort was coordinated by the worker-led collective Amazonians United. Read more about the action and demands of workers in American Prospect and VICE News.

Israeli Apartheid Week: Art as Resistance

The BDS National Committee, the coalition of Palestinian organizations that leads the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement internationally, is organizing Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) 2022 under the banner of #UnitedAgainstRacism. This year’s IAW has a theme of art and culture as tools of resistance in “decolonizing our minds in our collective struggles against cultural appropriation and oppression.”

Our chapter’s Internationalism Working Group and BDS Palestine Solidarity campaign are answering the global call by organizing the following events. We invite you to join us as we build community, learn, celebrate and resist together!

Sunday, March 20th at noon, join us to wheatpaste for Palestine! We will meet at Dupont circle and put up Palestinian resistance art as well as defund art across the city. Sign up here.
Thursday, March 24th at 7pm, join us for a virtual movie screening of Slingshot Hip Hop, a documentary that tells the story of Palestinian hip hop as a means of resistance. RSVP here to get the Zoom link.

Maryland: Three-week delay on Primary Day and new, later filing deadlines

On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals moved Maryland’s Primary from June 28 to July 19. It delayed filing dates to April 15 for many offices as well, all due to the yet-unsettled kerfuffle about redistricting. What this will do to the hopes of candidates is speculation, but of course, Maryland Matters has lots of that. Dive deep as you like.

More time to change minds! This Sunday, MDC DSA members will canvass for endorsed candidates Del. Gabriel Acevero (Maryland House of Delegates, District 39) and Brandy Brooks (Montgomery County Council at-large) starting from the Shady Grove Metro at 11am. RSVP here.

And Maryland, again. Monday is “Crossover,” a crucial day in the Assembly session when some very good bills, tied up in the process for bad reasons, need help to get unstuck and stay alive. Our comrades at the Maryland Legislative Coalition have the deets; check to see if you can help.

Stomp Out Slumlords Anti-Eviction Canvassing — Sunday, March 27

Next Sunday, March 27, Stomp Out Slumlords will be performing its first anti-eviction canvass since February 2020. At these canvasses, we’ll be going out to inform tenants facing eviction about their rights in court and how to get a lawyer, and to see if they’re interested in organizing their building. Tenants we speak to are twice as likely to go to court and fight their eviction, so know that every volunteer can make a big impact. You can sign up to join the canvassing team here. And if you’d like to learn more about Stomp Out Slumlords, visit SOS’ website.

Stomp Out Slumlords DMV Meeting Update

On Wednesday, tenants from across the District, Maryland, and Virginia discussed plans for an upcoming action. Tenants in DC want to tell electoral candidates: no evictions, no rent increases and no slum conditions. Tenants and organizers will meet on Tuesday, March 29th at 6:30pm at the Rhode Island Metro Station for an action to demand answers from electoral hopefuls around housing conditions in DC, missing STAY DC money, and the rising eviction rate.

MDC DSA Campaign Council Meets Monday, March 28

The Campaign Council is a comprehensive board and gathering space of working groups, sections and priority campaigns. It is responsible for providing both visibility across MDC DSA’s various campaigns and updates on campaign progress to the broader MDC DSA membership. This meeting is a critical part of keeping members engaged and informed about the goings on of our chapter. The Campaign Council must meet every three months, and chapter formations are expected to prepare reports for the chapter for these meetings. Our next Campaign Council meeting is March 28th at 7pm. You can RSVP here. If you are in leadership of a working group, section or priority campaign and don’t know if your formation is represented on the council, please contact Kurtis on slack (@Kurtis (he/him)).

Ward 4 CARE Team Outreach in Crestwood — Thursday, March 31

As part of an effort to make sure DC Councilmembers are accessible to their constituents — and not just during election years — DSA-endorsed CM Janeese Lewis George recently announced an ongoing series of community outreach events to connect DC residents to important services and agencies. CM Lewis George’s office is looking for volunteers to door-knock, direct people to District agencies and/or 311 for less urgent services, or partner with local groups that may be able to help residents with bigger lifts. The next event will take place in DC’s Crestwood neighborhood on Thursday, March 31. To see more volunteer opportunities, visit janeeseward4.com/care.

Bikini Kill Concert + DSA Happy Hour | Socialist Feminist Section (SocFem)

SocFem wishes to invite everyone (no identities excluded) to join them on July 11 to watch iconic riot grrrl band Bikini Kill at the Fillmore, as well as for a pre-show happy hour. The riot grrrl movement, in particular Bikini Kill and frontperson Kathleen Hanna, helped usher in third-wave feminism, introducing young womxn to feminist ideas and helping to bring awareness of class and intersectionality to feminism. The show is likely to sell out, so plan to get tickets early if you want to attend. RSVP for the DSA SocFem Happy Hour here.

Kings Dominion Amusement Park Outing — DSA Social

Are you interested in a day at a Virginia amusement park with your fellow DSA members? Fill out the Kings Dominion interest form by Thursday, March 31 at 10pm EST. If you have any questions, reach out to Jeramy Olmack, NOVA Social Event Coordinator, at novabranchsocialevents@gmail.com.

National Naila and the Uprising Screening and Panel Discussion with Naila Ayesh, organizer of the First Intifada, on Sunday, April 3 at 2pm

The DSA BDS & Palestine Solidarity Working Group is excited to announce the national screening and panel discussion of the film Naila and the Uprising on Sunday, April 3rd, at 2pm EST. This feature-length documentary chronicles the remarkable journey of Naila Ayesh and a courageous community of women organizers whose stories weave through the most vibrant, nonviolent mobilization in Palestinian history — the First Intifada of the late 1980s. The event will be joined by Palestinian activist and the film’s namesake, Naila Ayesh, along with the Deputy Director of Just Vision, and the film’s impact producer, Emma Alpert. Registration is required.

INFO ACCESS

Publications Schedule: All Fool’s Day comes on a Friday this year, so we’ll publish our April Washington Socialist then, and we welcome revolutionary articles that are liberally dosed with humor or satire. Or not. The deadline for articles is Saturday, March 26; hit us up at thesocialist@mdcdsa.org (all writers welcome, DSA members or not). If an MDC DSA member, join our #publications Slack channel to keep up with the chatter and watch the issue build. One more update coming in March, Friday the 25th.

Standing resources: Metro DC DSA, with a long (and sometimes bumpy) history since even before DSA’s 1982 formation from the merger of Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement, has substantial local-chapter online resources for understanding our past, present, and future. Find out about our present structure and configuration here, including current campaigns; yawn over our nevertheless-essential bylaws and check out the accompanying explainer on our governance. See our archive of recent statements from the chapter. Get the picture on our branches in Virginia and Maryland, working in very different political environments and adapting to them while rooted in MDC DSA’s advantages of scale.

That’s only a quick bite of what an MDC DSA member (or DSA-curious leftist) can find out about their own organization; see more at our chapter website — including backfiles of the Washington Socialist article hub sorted by issue areas. Are you a DSA member (or thinking about it) but wondering what tasks a socialist can undertake? See next: person to person.

Looking to get involved in the chapter?

Are you a member who’s been looking for ways to get involved in our chapter’s organizing? Are you interested in joining the DSA but would like to talk to someone about it first? No matter where you’re coming from, we’d love to talk to you! Follow this link to schedule a conversation with one of our comrades!

DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TONIGHT, Friday, March 18

6:30 – 8:30pm | NOVA Branch Social Meetup at CourtHaus Social

Come out and join NOVA Branch at CourtHaus in Arlington, VA, for a great night of fun and vibes. Please RSVP at the link. COVID-19 vaccine is required. Metro accessible. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, March 19

4:30 – 5:30pm | Public Power Panel w/ Organizers Across the Country

Sunday, March 20

12 – 3pm | Wheatpaste for Palestine

1 – 3pm | Prince George’s County Branch of MDC DSA general body meeting

3 – 5pm | Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting for March

Monday, March 21

6:30 – 9pm | Labor Reading Group mtg 2

7 – 9pm | Defund MPD Biweekly Working Group Meeting

Tuesday, March 22

8 – 9pm | MDC DSA Political Engagement Committee Biweekly Meeting

Wednesday, March 23

7 – 9pm | Dawn of Everything Reading Group mtg 3

8 – 9pm | Why you should join DSA / New Member Orientation

Thursday, March 24

5 – 6pm | Student Debt Action Planning Meeting

7 – 9pm | Slingshot Hip Hop: Art as Resistance, Virtual Documentary Screening

8 – 9:30pm | Virtual Watch Party — Nuevo Mundo (documentary)

Sunday, March 27

1:30pm | SOS Anti-Eviction Canvass

Monday, March 28

7 – 8:30pm | March Campaign Council Meeting

8 – 9pm | NoVA Branch Member Mobilizers

Tuesday, March 29

8 – 9pm | Labor Working Group workplace organizing workshop

Wednesday, March 30

7 – 9pm | Dawn of Everything Reading Group mtg 4

8 – 9pm | Why you should join DSA / New Member Orientation

Thursday, March 31

5 – 6pm | Student Debt Action Planning Meeting

8 – 9pm | Defund MPD Organizational Outreach Meeting 3/31

8 – 9:30pm | BDS & Palestine Solidarity March Meeting

Monday, April 4

6:30 – 9pm | Labor Reading Group Spring 2022 – Week 3

7 – 8pm | Defund MPD Working Group Biweekly Meeting

Tuesday, April 5

6:30 – 8:30pm | Immigration and Abolition | Socialist Night School

8 – 9pm | PEC Biweekly Meeting

Wednesday, April 6

7 – 9pm | Dawn of Everything Reading Group mtg 5

Saturday, April 9

1 – 5pm | Badges Without Borders: DC Walking Tour

COMMUNITY BULLETIN

(Plant) Baby Shower & Adoption Day | Very Sad Lab + Share a Seed

Start your new plant family this week by joining Very Sad Lab for the closing day (Saturday, March 19) of The Incubator at Transformer DC. This exhibit is a living, growing installation and resource lab presented by artists Valerie Wiseman and Naoko Wowsugi of Very Sad Lab, a houseplant rehab and research-based community art project. Very Sad Lab seeks to create a greener DC by connecting people to nature through plants. Gallery will be open 1 to 6pm and is located at 1404 P Street NW. Free seed babies from Share A Seed + additional special guest engagements. Free and open to the public; face masks required.

DC Budget Testimony Training | Serve Your City (Ward 6 Mutual Aid) et al

Always wanted to advocate for a guaranteed income for all as part of the District budget, but weren’t sure how? Serve Your City and the DC Guaranteed Income Coalition are putting on a series of trainings to help residents get comfortable and confident with submitting testimony and participating in the budget process! Training will be held on March 23 at 5pm. Contact Melody at dcgi@mothersoutreachnetwork.org or call 202-818-8649 with questions.

Fundraiser for Ward 4 Mutual Aid | Rhizome DC

On Tuesday, March 22 from 6 to 10pm, Rhizome DC will be hosting an evening of music and poetry benefiting Ward 4 Mutual Aid (W4MA). A full list of performing poets and musicians can be found on the ticket page here; tickets can also be purchased at the door. Masks and vaccines are required. W4MA is an all-volunteer nonprofit that operates as part of the DC Mutual Aid Project and provides fresh produce and shelf-stable food to hundreds of families every month.

Mutual Aid Flea Market | Heal Da Homies

Come pick up some clothes, jewelry and art at Heal Da Homies’ monthly flea market! Heal Da Homies will be hosting their March Market at Adams Morgan Plaza on Saturday, March 19 from 1 to 5pm. If you are interested in donating art or participating as a vendor, please send them a DM on Instagram @isabellescholesyoung.

DC Statehood Film Screening | New Deal Café

On Monday, March 21, Reel and Meal presents “Who Cares About DC?” — a film about DC Statehood. Arrive or log on by 6:45pm; program starts promptly at 7pm. In person at New Deal Café at 113 Centerway (Roosevelt Center) in Greenbelt, MD; masks and proof of vaccination required. Virtual (on Zoom): Registration is required.

Monthly Meeting | DC Grassroots Planning Coalition

On Saturday, March 19 from 1 to 3pm, join the DC Grassroots Planning Coalition for its monthly meeting. This month’s agenda includes: Office of the Attorney General’s new Land Use Division intro to zoning — a discussion of their new efforts to advance the public interest through zoning; Update on the redevelopment of Greenleaf public housing community — holding DC Housing Authority accountable to build first with zero displacement; Action Alert — join the call for new leadership at the Zoning Commission. Register here for the Zoom link!

GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC

Our MoCo comrade Del. Gabe Acevero spearheaded the passage of Anton’s Law in Maryland, leading a phalanx of bills requiring transparency in police after-action reports. Maryland/Delaware/DC Press Association backed a deep dive by veteran investigative reporter Miranda Spivack into how much local resistance there is to this bill. The fight against cop criminality is unending.

Our comrade Bill O. in PG passes this along: A new Urban Institute report summarizes the research on the health equity benefits of parks and green spaces to support local leaders, park professionals and advocates as they consider strategic investments to increase equitable access to green spaces.

In the NYT, “How Life as a Trucker Devolved Into a Dystopian Nightmare” — a chilling look into labor conditions and the ever-discussed supply chain. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein spoke to workers like John Knope, writing, “While many associate trucking with freedom, [Knope] was, like every trucker, hemmed in by low wages, long hours and an unbelievable level of automation and surveillance.”

On Monday, hundreds of students staged a walkout at a high school in Orange County, Florida, demonstrating against a bill that would limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools throughout the state. Chris Walker has the story in TruthOut.

Why has no progress been made on an international financial registry that would help locate an oligarch’s assets? One simple reason: wealthy westerners don’t want one. Thomas Piketty writes in The Guardian, passed along by Portside.

It’s like today’s History Channel: check out the Kyiv Independent.

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 the chains of its restrictions, shatters them, and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.

–Virgilia D’Andrea