May 27, 2022

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

UP FRONT

DC primary update: Voter registration deadline this Tuesday; school privateers begin shadow campaign in Ward 5
Electoral mobilizing continues in Montgomery County for Max Socol and Gabe Acevero
At-Large seat on the Steering Committee is open

DC primary update: Voter registration deadline this Tuesday; school privateers begin shadow campaign in Ward 5

The voter registration deadline for the DC primary election is THIS TUESDAY, May 31. DC residents will not be able to vote in the June 21 DC primary unless you are a registered Democrat in DC. Fill out a registration form or update your status at the DC Board of Elections voter registration website. Additionally, as primary Election Day approaches in DC, ballots have begun arriving in the mailboxes of DC residents. If you haven’t received a ballot, you can track yours (and get in touch with the DC Board of Elections) here.

In the race for the Ward 5 seat on the DC Council, Metro DC DSA-endorsed Zachary Parker is polling as the frontrunner, but just barely — he’s currently neck and neck with former head of the DC Chamber of Commerce Vincent Orange — and billionaires are prepping to make their move: education privatizers Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) are surveying DC residents as DFER gears up to drop thousands of dollars in untraceable billionaire blood money into the race.

DFER is a school privatization outfit that works to boost anti-labor politicians running for office in the District. In 2020, the organization dropped big cash on deceptive fliers to fearmonger on behalf of their corporate candidate. The political strategy deployed by DFER is part of a national trend of corporate and conservative political organizations that spend big fighting progressives on behalf of centrist and business interests. (Those interested in understanding how these orgs work in detail can view or read our night-school resource.)

Organizing to win these political fights is crucial for advancing working-class power in our neighborhood. The DSA is one of the critical partners on Zachary’s campaign. Here are two immediate ways you can join the front:

Sign up to canvass. We’ll be out knocking doors every Saturday and Sunday from now through the election (the campaign also offers some weekday canvasses and phone and text banking opportunities).
Share your support for Zachary Parker on social media, boost our events/canvasses and tell everyone why the status quo has failed DC (you can follow Zach Parker on Twitter and Instagram).

If you’re interested in getting involved, drop by our chapter-wide happy hour on Thursday (June 2) and fill out this form to learn more about our chapter’s electoral program.

Electoral mobilizing continues in Montgomery County for Max Socol and Gabe Acevero

It was an exciting week for MDC DSA-endorsed candidate Max Socol (Maryland State Senate, District 18). Socol received the endorsement of Progressive Maryland, and Montgomery County’s Action Committee for Transit also scored Socol above his opponent, Jeff Waldstreicher, noting Socol’s opposition to toll lanes on the beltway and support for MARC trains and the Purple Line.

This weekend, the Montgomery County electoral working group plans to join Max’s campaign canvass on Saturday, May 28 at noon. The canvass launches from the Jane E. Lawton Community Center, which is a 10-minute walk from the Bethesda Metro. RSVP here.

Then, on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30), we’re holding a canvass supporting MDC DSA-endorsed candidate Del. Gabriel Acevero (Maryland House of Delegates, District 39), launching from Northwest High School in Germantown at 1pm. RSVP here.

As Maryland’s election day (July 19) gets closer, we’re also starting weekday canvass efforts. If you’re interested in canvassing during the weekdays for Gabriel Acevero, send an email to moco-electoral@mdcdsa.org. An electoral working group member is doing regular weekday canvasses in Germantown and Montgomery Village and can coordinate with you. The Max Socol campaign is also coordinating regular weekday canvasses; email mattbutler@max4senate.com to get added to communications about weekday canvasses.

Along with Progressive Maryland and Jews United For Justice Campaign Fund, MoCo DSA members hand-billed outside two county executive forums to spread the word about multimillionaire David Blair’s shady business dealings and his efforts to buy the Montgomery County executive’s office. The groups are planning more hand-billing actions at Metro stations and public forums. Sign up here to get involved.

At-Large seat on the Steering Committee is open

Comrade Abel A. has submitted his resignation to the Steering Committee. We are grateful for his time on the Steering Committee as well as his service as Chair of the Political Engagement Committee. With this resignation, we now have a vacancy for an At-Large seat on the Steering Committee, which will require a special election to fill.

The election will be facilitated by the Special Election Facilitation Committee (SEFC). Reach SEFC at internal-elections@mdcdsa.org. Any MDC DSA member in good standing who wishes to qualify for the ballot must receive five nominations using this form. This form is open immediately and will remain open until Sunday, May 29th at 11:59pm. The deadline to accept a nomination will be Tuesday, May 31st at 11:59pm. Nominations will be tracked publicly and updated periodically at this link. The SEFC will release a timeline this week detailing the remaining necessary dates: the candidate forum and the election dates. Chapter members are encouraged to use the channel to #2022-june-special-election for discussion regarding the election. Thanks to the SEFC members for volunteering! As an additional note, there will be information forthcoming regarding the opportunity to fill open PEC seats. Stay tuned for more in the coming days!

BRIEFS

Invitation: In-Person Reading Group on Abortion Rights on Thursday June 23rd at 7pm

Anyone interested in understanding and organizing around abortion rights is invited to an outdoor, in-person, one-off reading group that will discuss the short and free book Without Apology by Jenny Brown on Thursday June 23 at 7pm! At the reading group, we will hold small group discussions that will touch on the book’s contents and on the implications and strategy for DMV residents concerned about the criminalization of abortion in the US. No experience with reading groups is required beforehand, and we will send you an electronic copy of the book and further details upon signing up. The event is co-hosted by the Political Education Working Group and the SocFem section. Anyone interested in attending is also encouraged to attend political actions and other events around abortion rights in the meantime. Please make sure to RSVP so we have an accurate number of seats!

Stomp Out Slumlords Anti-Eviction Canvass — Saturday, June 4

On Saturday, June 4, you can come out and inform tenants facing eviction of their rights in court, how to get a lawyer and 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 every volunteer can make a big impact. If you’ve never done this before, we’ll try to set you up with a veteran who can show you the ropes. Sign up here.

Stomp Out Slumlords is the DSA’s tenant organizing project and is one of the DSA’s oldest, best-organized projects to date. You can read more about SOS’ organizing and theory on the website.

Venezuelan Feminists speak on US sanctions at Mt Pleasant Library — June 1 at 6pm

The DSA International Committee and CODEPINK are teaming up to host three Venezuelan feminist activists, Mónica M., Anggie H., and Yolimar M., to discuss the impact of illegal US sanctions against their country and how they disproportionately hurt women and children. The event will take place at Mt Pleasant Library (3160 16th St NW) in DC on June 1 at 6pm. Sign up here.

Fun Run Fundraiser for Cuba — Sunday, June 5 at 10:30am

Help fund our campaign to end the medical blockade against Cuba on Sunday, June 5th at 10:30am! We’ll meet at Anacostia Trail, near the Anacostia Metro stop. Join us for a day of fun, excitement and fundraising — register now. ($20 suggested minimum donation.) Run/walk distance: 5k, along the river’s trail.

DSA to release REDBUG, a DC voter resource, in two weeks

Within the next two weeks, the REDBUG electoral system will be released on the Metro DC DSA’s Washington Socialist. REDBUG is a digital platform designed to anchor a socialist-aligned perspective on local electoral politics. The system will display candidates running for office in DC and corral context and information about their campaigns, including: financial information, links to their communications, endorsements and positioning on socialist-backed issues. The system is designed to be intuitive and will have information channels.

The system is designed for scale, with plans to roll out to other chapters and regions in the DMV, as well as other socialist chapters interested in anchoring their perspective on electoral politics.

As we iron out remaining bugs in the program, our team is currently interested in onboarding some beta testers who are willing to test the program and identify relevant bugs. Testers must be DSA members and residents of DC. If you are interested, please respond to the relevant post in the #publications channel on the chapter Slack.

INFO ACCESS

Publications Schedule: This is the last Update in May; next Friday (June 3) we’ll publish the next Washington Socialist newsletter. June Updates will appear Fridays, June 10, 17 and 24. Article deadline for the June issue is tomorrow, May 28.

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 the 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.

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

Sunday, May 29

1pm | Vets for Socialism study group

Monday, May 30

1 – 4pm | Canvass for Gabriel Acevero in D39
7 – 8:30pm | May Campaign Council Meeting

Tuesday, May 31

8 – 9pm | PEC Biweekly Meeting

JUNE

Wednesday, June 1

6pm | Venezuelan Feminist Tour

7 – 8:30pm | The Dawn of Everything reading group

Thursday, June 2

6pm | NoVA Branch social meetup

7 – 8pm | Cuba Campaign planning meeting

Saturday, June 4

1:30pm | SOS Anti-Eviction Canvass

3pm | Abortion and Reproductive Justice teach-in (link TBD)

Monday, June 6

6:30 – 7:30pm | M4A Working Group Biweekly Meeting

7 – 9pm | Labor Reading Group

Wednesday, June 8

5pm | Public Power action at Pepco HQ

7 – 8:30pm | The Dawn of Everything reading group

Thursday, June 9

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

7 – 8:30pm | Internationalism Working Group monthly meeting (sign-up link TBD)

7 – 8:30pm | NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting

Saturday, June 11

1 – 3pm | Defund & Refunk the District

Wednesday, June 15

7 – 9pm | The Dawn of Everything Reading Group

Thursday, June 16

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

COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Sanctuary DMV Supporting the Migrants Texas Bused to DC | Sanctuary DMV

Sanctuary DMV, which has been leading the charge to shelter and support migrant persons being bused to DC by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, recently got some shine in a DCist feature on their work. “The organizers are all rooted in DC’s mutual aid network, which has existed for years but took on a new reach in 2020 amid a raging pandemic and social justice protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. ‘This is a new way of coming together and doing mutual aid,’ says Fariha Huriya, a core organizer who works with the DC Incarcerated Workers’ Organizing Committee and is the co-founder of the DC Free Store. ‘The community, again, responding where the government fails.’” Learn more and support Sanctuary DMV via their Linktree.

Save Lives, Donate to IFAK Fund

IFAKs (aka Individual First Aid Kits) are trauma kits containing essential life-saving materials, bleeding control and major wound treatments. Tactical IFAK components include tourniquets, chest seals, combat gauze and other hemostatic agents. The IFAK Fund helps distribute emergency kits to comrades nationwide, and also provides free or donation-based trainings. Support their efforts by donating on Cash App $IFAKFUND. Send @IFAKFUND a DM on Twitter to request a kit.

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

Philadelphia-based writer Kim Kelly comes to DC this Saturday, May 28 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).

Power Concedes Nothing Book Launch | Tuesday, June 14 at 6pm
How did our movements in the south flip key states against Trump, hold the line in Virginia and make gains in states like Florida and Texas against such great odds? This discussion comes out of the must-read book Power Concedes Nothing, which lays out the organizing work building up to the monumental 2020 election — including what worked, what didn’t and how organizers approached the challenge of both “going broad” to win a crucial election and “digging deep” to build a base for long-term progressive change. Power Concedes Nothing features the voices of the on-the-ground organizers who mobilized for record-breaking turnout, registering new voters and motivating an electorate both old and new. Register here.

Reclaim public land in SW! | SW Action

The communal space at 425 M Street SW, where the weekly Farmers Market and biweekly Friday Night Markets are hosted in the spring and summer, is scheduled to be redeveloped into Class-A apartments with no plan for relocation. Rather than building more expensive apartments, SW Action is calling on the DC government to purchase the lots and transfer ownership to the Douglass Community Land Trust so that the community owns it and residents can determine its future. Support them in reclaiming public land by signing and sharing their petition!

GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC

Our comrade David Schwartzman was a panelist on “Confronting the Obstacles to Climate Security,” along with Kate Aronoff and Matthias Shmelzer, on May 18, 2022. (Check out Schwartzman’s slide presentation.) Also of interest to DMV-area comrades is his presentation, “The Struggle for DC Statehood and Working-Class Power,” delivered at the Claudia Jones School for Political Education on May 21, 2022.

Every Day We’re Told To Use New Lingo. What Does That Really Accomplish? A Black linguist and self-described cultural conservative, John McWhorter argues that repairing flawed language can add burdens of the past to the new glossary.

Double standards are an everyday fact of life in a racist society. Case-in-point: the disparate treatment of prosecutorial authorities when it comes to Baltimore’s State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and DC’s very own swindling con artist and long-time councilmember Jack Evans, as seen in this week’s Counterpunch.

What do socialists actually believe in? This question is posed by Cody Melcher in Jacobin this week; Melcher finds that socialists are far less racist and xenophobic. But we already knew that.

Yesterday, Jacobin broke the news that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed the entire 13-member “For the Many” NYC DSA slate of candidates for New York state senate and assembly. The beginnings of a socialist electoral bloc in NYC? Fingers crossed.

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