April 29, 2022

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

UP FRONT

May Day DSA rally at Florida Ave and 1st St NW Park — Sunday, May 1 from noon to 2pm
Stomp Out Slumlords protest Mayor Bowser — Saturday, April 30 at 11am
Janeese Lewis George introduces Green New Deal for DC legislation

May Day DSA rally at Florida Ave and 1st St NW Park — Sunday, May 1 from noon to 2pm

International Workers Day is upon us! For more than 100 years, the working class has rallied on May 1st to celebrate the history of the struggle and make the demand of liberation.

To celebrate May Day, this Sunday, May 1, you can join the DSA from noon to 2pm at the park on the corner of Florida Ave NW and 1st NW. We will hear speeches from union leaders, MDC DSA leaders and DSA-endorsed Zachary Parker. Canvassing for Zachary Parker to take place following the event. Happy Hour will be held at Metrobar at roughly 4:30pm.

Can’t make it down to DC? Socialists in Montgomery County will be canvassing for Gabe Acevero, starting at 10:30 am at the Shady Grove Metro. RSVP here.

And later that evening, chapter-endorsed candidate for Maryland State Senate Max Socol will discuss labor struggles in Maryland, the future of Amazon organizing and more with chapter member and Labor Notes staff writer Jonah Furman at 8pm. RSVP here!

Stomp Out Slumlords protest Mayor Bowser — Saturday, April 30 at 11am

On Saturday, April 30, join Stomp Out Slumlords in protesting Mayor Muriel Bowser and her administration. We will be asking her: What are you doing about the loss of rent controlled apartments in DC? What are you doing about the slum conditions landlords make tenants live in? Where did the missing STAY DC money go? Meet outside the Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro Station on Saturday, April 30 at 11am.

After the protest, please also join us at a nearby park to celebrate. We’re bringing music, water, bagged snacks and soccer balls. There will be bathroom access, and each leg of our route is <20 minutes by foot. Contact us via ActionNetwork with questions or access needs.

Janeese Lewis George introduces Green New Deal for DC legislation

On Tuesday, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George introduced two ambitious, Green New Deal-modeled bills to combat climate change in the District. The first bill, “The Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2022,” would create DC’s first “social housing.” A popular model in Europe (notably Vienna), social housing is publicly owned and designed for working and middle-class people; according to DCist, “higher-income, market-rent tenants … subsidize their neighbors who are lower income and live in designated affordable units.” Lewis George’s bill would make strong environmental standards and fair labor practices central to the proposed housing: using infrastructure to create good jobs, provide high-quality, affordable housing and fight climate catastrophe. The second bill, the Green New Deal for a Lead-Free DC Amendment Act of 2022, would accelerate the removal of lead service lines in both public and private properties — requiring landlords to participate, giving tenants the ability to file a private rights of action against landlords who don’t comply, and creating union jobs for the explicit purpose of achieving a lead-free DC.

WASHINGTON SOCIALIST

The Washington Socialist is Metro DC DSA’s monthly digital publication. This month, we have four new articles for your consideration…

North America’s Building Trades Union Conference and the Rank-and-file Strategy – At the North America’s Building Trades Union’s conference, the promise and limitations of organized labor’s current resurgence were on full display.
Generation Labor – Precarity and student debt were foisted on a generation by capitalist systems. Young workers are yearning for a new solution.
Rat vs Mouse: The Scrambled Politics of the Florida-Disney Feud – In the battle between the “corporate Mouse” and the political rats in Tallahassee and elsewhere, the Left has no natural allies.
Joyful, Creative Tactics in DC Deserve Air Time – Arrestable protests in Washington are not the only way to get a response from the President. It is time for mainstream media to give creatives greater news coverage.

BRIEFS

MDC DSA Votes to Revoke Endorsement of Brandy Brooks Campaign

Metro DC DSA members voted overwhelmingly to revoke the chapter’s endorsement of the Brandy Brooks campaign with 316 votes in the affirmative, 24 votes in the negative and 11 abstentions. The vote started on Friday, April 22 and concluded on Monday, April 25 at midnight. The vote came as a result of multiple internal discussions in the chapter that began after the Steering Committee was notified on April 9 of credible allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation by Brandy Brooks towards one of her former campaign employees.

Following the vote, the chapter’s Steering Committee issued a statement reflecting that “Our chapter’s endorsement is not the right of any individual. It is an affirmation that we believe that a candidate shares our values and a commitment from our chapter that we will dedicate time, resources, and labor to help them fight for those values in office. Because of this, very few people receive our endorsement each cycle. We are proud to be part of such a strong democratic organization, with clear processes for both endorsement and the revocation of endorsement. … We could not in good conscience continue to devote our chapter name, resources, and the volunteer labor to support a campaign in which worker safety had been repeatedly threatened. This was a heavy and difficult vote for many of our members, but we’re heartened to see such decisive solidarity with the aggrieved party and a clear affirmation of our values.” Read the full statement here.

Chapter-Endorsed Max Socol talks the future of Amazon organizing with Labor Notes — May 1 at 8pm

Chapter-endorsed candidate for Maryland State Senate Max Socol will discuss labor struggles in Maryland, the future of Amazon organizing and more with chapter member and Labor Notes staff writer Jonah Furman this Sunday, May 1 (May Day) at 8pm. RSVP here!

Socialists in Montgomery County will be canvassing for Gabe Acevero, starting at 10:30am at the Shady Grove Metro. RSVP here.

Before the May Day event, MDC DSA members will join Max’s campaign to canvass Jeff Waldstreicher’s own neighborhood, West Kensington, on Saturday, April 30 at noon. Let’s spook Waldstreicher with a good turnout of canvassers and get a few of his neighbors to take Max Socol yard signs! RSVP here.

Hands Off Palestine Rally TOMORROW, Saturday, April 30 at 2pm — meet at the Peace Monument at First Street NW

In response to the Zionist regime’s attacks on Palestinian worshippers at Al Aqsa during the holy month of Ramadan, barring Palestinian Christians from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as bombing and aggression against Palestinians in Gaza and across all of historic Palestine, Palestinian-led organizations and coalition partners are holding a rally this Saturday at 2pm. Reach out to Alex M on Slack if you want to meet up at the rally.

Canvassing to get ICE out of Arlington — Saturday, April 30 at 11am

Join us this Saturday to canvass to get ICE out of Arlington: NoVA DSA is joining La ColectiVA to talk to local residents to build support for ending collaboration between Arlington County and ICE. We will gather at 11am. To participate, please RSVP and respond to novabranch@mdcdsa.org so we can expect you.

Backed by fresh financial analysis, unions claim UMD College Park underpaying staff

A financial analysis of the University of Maryland, received by the UMD chapter of the AAUP and the staff union AFSCME, shows that UMD has increased the concentration and salaries of managers while cutting workers in other categories across the board. The report also highlighted a disproportionate increase in salaries of top university administrators such as deans when compared with the salaries of other employees including instructional support staff and researchers and a drop in full time vs. contingent/adjunct instructors. You can find a detailed presentation of the financial analysis here.

MDC DSA International Potluck & Book Exchange — Saturday, May 7 at 1pm

You are invited to the MDC DSA Internationalism Working Group’s potluck and book exchange at Malcolm X Park on Saturday, May 7th at 1pm to eat some food, swap books and hang out. The new MDC DSA book exchange group will also be at the international potluck with food for thought: books! Bring a dish of your choice, a book for our book exchange or just yourself! RSVP and find out more here — and share with your friends!

Socialist Feminist Section Grrrl’s Night Happy Hour — May 13th at 5pm

It’s been a bit since we’ve safely been able to meet in person. In fact, the only official SocFem social event was the joint Happy Hour last July with AfroSoc and the Queer Section. On May 13th, DSA’s socialist feminist section will be meeting at As You Are, a new lesbian-owned inclusive Queer bar, coffeehouse and cafe, a short walk from the Eastern Market Metro station. Please be fully vaccinated. This event is open to all members or people interested in DSA/Socialist Feminism who are not men (cis or trans).

Additionally, a reminder since tickets are required and only resale tickets are available — from Ticketmaster $65 + fees, from StubHub starting at $51.25 + fees — the SocFem Section invites EVERYONE to join us for a concert from one of the original Riot Grrrl bands (who were DC-based for a few years in the early 90s), and a Happy Hour before the show (July 11th, concert at the Fillmore, Happy Hour at the Quarry House Tavern).

Find Good Jobs in Progressive Orgs on #rosaslist

Good jobs in progressive organizations are opening up every day — last week seems to be a bonanza. If you are an MDC DSA member but not yet on our Slack board, join it now and check out the spring-fever hiring hall in #rosaslist.

INFO ACCESS

Publications Schedule: Weekly Updates in May are Fridays, May 6, 13, 20 and 27, and the June issue of the Washington Socialist is scheduled Friday, June 3 with an article deadline of May 28. Write for us anytime; 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 issues build.

To get on MDC DSA Slack there’s a new path, and the most intuitive ever: email slack@mdcdsa.org. Use the email address by which national DSA knows you. The requester must be an MDC DSA member in good standing. Here’s the link to find out your paid-up status with national DSA: http://proof.dsausa.org/

Standing resources: Metro DC DSA 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; check our bylaws and the accompanying explainer on our governance. See our archive of recent statements from the chapter. MDC DSA has branches in NoVA and Maryland.

Find more at our chapter website — including backfiles of the Washington Socialist article hub sorted by issue areas.

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!

Here is the April issue of the Washington Socialist, ICYMI

DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Saturday, April 30

11am | NoVA/allies Canvass: ICE out of Arlington

11 – 1pm | Stomp Out Slumlords Protests the Mayor

noon | Max Socol canvass in West Kensington

4 – 5pm | Green Alert: What the latest science means for climate action

Sunday, May 1

10:30am – 3pm | Canvass for Gabriel Acevero in D39

1 – 2:30pm | Vets for Socialism Study Group

Monday, May 2

7 – 8:30pm | Labor Reading Group week 5

8:30pm | DSA Housing Justice Commission Kickoff Call (national DSA event)

Tuesday, May 3

8pm | Political Engagement Committee Biweekly Meeting

Wednesday, May 4

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

Thursday, May 5

6:30 – 7:30pm | Cuba Campaign Planning Meeting

Saturday, May 7

1 – 4pm | Internationalism Potluck & Book Exchange at Malcolm X Park

1:30 – 4:30pm | SOS Anti-eviction Canvas

Monday, May 9

6:30 – 7:30pm | Medicare 4 All Working Group Biweekly Meeting | #M4A

Wednesday, May 11

7 – 9pm | The Dawn of Everything Reading Group mtg 10

Thursday, May 12

6:30 – 7:30pm | Cuba Campaign Planning Meeting

7 – 8:30pm | NoVA Branch monthly organizing meeting

Friday, May 13

5pm | SocFem Grrls Night Happy Hour+

Sunday, May 15

3 – 5pm | MDC DSA General Body Meeting

Monday, May 16

7 – 8:30pm | Labor Reading Group week 6

Tuesday, May 17

8 – 9pm | Political Engagement Committee Biweekly Meeting

Tuesday, May 24

8 – 9:30pm | Political Education Working Group meeting

Wednesday, May 25

5 – 6 pm | Public Power Action at Pepco HQ

COMMUNITY BULLETIN

May Day at Malcolm X Park | May 1
A DC tradition — various leftist groups will be hosting a May Day picnic and rally at Malcolm X Park (16th St & Euclid St NW) on Sunday, May 1 from 1 to 4pm. Local leftwing allies and mutual aid groups — including Food Not Bombs, Remora House and the DC IWW — will be out with zines, patches, screen press shirts, stickers and other anti-capitalist paraphernalia.

Fight Like Hell Book Launch | Kim Kelly + Politics & Prose

Just in time to capture that May Day energy, writer Kim Kelly comes to DC on Tuesday, May 3 to promote her new book, Fight Like Hell, a revelatory and inclusive history of the American labor movement. The book launch event will be at DC’s only unionized book store, Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW. The event will be moderated by Sara Nelson, who has served as the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO since 2014 and is currently serving her second four-year term. This event is free, but RSVPs are suggested (you can also pre-order a signed copy of the book with registration).

Music on the Green | Temperance Alley

On Friday, April 29, Temperance Alley (located behind Ben’s Chili Bowl off of U Street NW) will host their first Music on the Green of the season. The event starts at 7pm and will feature local singer songwriter guitarist @pdp_grooves. He’ll be playing an eclectic range of covers and originals, spanning soul, folk and indie styles. Bring a blanket and some friends.

Día de los Niños/Libros | Mount Pleasant Library Friends

This Saturday, April 30, the Mount Pleasant Library Friends will be tabling in front of the library for a special children’s event (instead of at the farmers market) featuring free food, free books and children’s entertainment. Events will take place from 11am to 4pm with a pause in programming between 1pm and 3:30pm.

Mother’s Day Free Market and Swap | Ward 4 Mutual Aid

To honor all the mothers out there, Ward 4 Mutual Aid is holding a solidarity swap and free market on Saturday, May 7 at 6000 Georgia Ave NW. The swap will run from noon to 4pm and feature gently used maternity items, baby gear/toys and more. To donate early or sign up for a volunteer shift, go to bit.ly/May7Swap.

GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC

Pennsylvania joins the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative! It’s only a cap-n-trade scheme but it’s regional (New England, mid-Atlantic) and includes a dozen states (Maryland and, tentatively, Virginia) working to green their grids. Next step: flipping those grids from corporate to public ownership, where regional impetus may be an ally. More in the Bay Journal.

Big money flowed copiously during the worst pandemic years, but somehow it never got to higher ed, where an explosion in administrative salaries sucked up budgets, leading to fewer and fewer full-time faculty and more contingent labor. Here we see the DMV picture from the WaPo; see also the independent report paid for by workers and their unions, in BRIEFS above.

Read the latest short story — “Which Way the Wind Blows” — from chapter member Bill Mosley in After the Storm.

More evidence that the combination of inflation and the pricing power of big corporations is putting the onus on consumers and workers while the corporadoes rake it in. Tipped by our comrade Dave R from CommonDreams.

From the UMCP Diamondback, the base constituency heard from: “UMD students, faculty discuss importance of student debt cancellation.”

In the DC Line, DC’s violence interruption programs work, but only if we continue to make meaningful and sustainable investments into these programs.

Some brief commentary on Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase.

And here’s the latest newsletter and events from our comrades in Greater Baltimore DSA.

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