October 27, 2023
CONTENTS
UP FRONT
Mass demonstrations across the United States respond to Israel’s destruction of Gaza
Nuts and Bolts Series: Training on Power Mapping — Thursday, November 2, 7:30pm
- Tenants Rally to Save Marbury Plaza — Monday, November 6, 10am
Mass demonstrations across the United States respond to Israel’s destruction of Gaza
As Israel continues to besiege, bomb and commit what Amnesty International calls “damning evidence of war crimes” in Gaza, an outraged working class has responded en masse, with protests calling for an end to Palestinian genocide occurring in every major American city last weekend. In DC, tens of thousands flooded the National Mall to demonstrate popular defiance to Israel’s genocidal campaign. Metro DC DSA steering committee member Bakari W declared socialist opposition to Congressional inaction during the Saturday rally: “We won’t allow [Biden and Congress] to fund even more massacres or continue supporting the occupation…the people of America, of the world, of Palestine, of Gaza, demand a ceasefire now! … We will organize, and we will see a free Palestine within our lifetimes.”
Meanwhile, a grassroots congressional pressure campaign has emerged from the DSA and allied progressive organizations in the United States. DSA members have made hundreds of thousands of calls over the last two weeks urging two critical demands: passage of an immediate ceasefire resolution and ending military aid to the Israeli state. As of October 23rd, 18 House members had signed on in support. A socialist and progressive bloc in Congress also voted against a House resolution affirming unquestioned support for Israel.
Grassroots protests and organizing continue. A march on November 4th is being planned by ANSWER Coalition and domestic Palestinian-led organizations including the Palestinian Youth Movement, MD2Palestine, American Muslim Alliance and Students for Justice in Palestine. The action, which is endorsed by the DSA BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group, is aiming to bring tens of thousands to DC to demand an end to the siege, no more money for massacres, and a free Palestine. The DC-based art space Rhizome will be hosting an art-build this Saturday from 9am to 3pm in support of the event.
Nuts and Bolts Series: Training on Power Mapping — Thursday, November 2, 7:30pm
Sign up now to attend the “Power Mapping” training this coming Thursday, November 2, held online. The training will teach you how to map power in your community and issue area(s), and then put your map to use. At the training, you will learn how to find key people and organizations in your community, figure out their priorities and their values, and use power mapping to shape campaign strategy and tactics — as well as discover organizing opportunities. There will be opportunities for questions and discussion, and trainers can work with you after the session to assist your campaign with designing a power mapping session. RSVP here for this training or the two remaining trainings in the fall Nuts and Bolts series.
Tenants Rally to Save Marbury Plaza — Monday, November 6, 10am
Tenants at Marbury Plaza, Ward 8’s largest apartment complex, have been fighting for dignified conditions for years with support from Stomp Out Slumlords organizers. They have gone on rent strike and pushed the DC government to sue their landlord, winning millions of dollars in rent reductions. But now the owner of Marbury Plaza has declared bankruptcy, which will allow him to sidestep DC’s tenant right to purchase law (TOPA) and sell the building to the highest bidder without tenants having a say.
Marbury tenants have fought too long for another bad landlord to buy the property and maintain the status quo. They’ve lived here too long to have a potential new buyer try to displace them. Now they’re calling on the DC government to save Marbury Plaza by taking control of the building, repairing it and converting it to social housing run in the interest of the people, not a new landlord’s profit. This is a fight for tenants across DC and beyond: If we win at Marbury Plaza, we will establish a new model of truly affordable housing outside the grip of the landlord class.
Marbury Plaza Tenants United for Change and Stomp Out Slumlords will rally at the Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW on Monday, November 6 at 10am. Sign up here and spread the word.
BRIEFS
UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement — members will conduct ratification vote following approval process
On Wednesday, October 25, UAW President Shawn Fain announced that a tentative agreement had been reached with Ford. The Detroit Free Press reports: “Any potential deal between the union and the automaker is subject to review by local union leaders from around the country elected by the members, called the UAW National Ford Council, who will travel to Detroit prior to a ratification vote. The UAW said the meeting would happen on Sunday, and they would vote to send the tentative agreement to members. If that goes as planned, the UAW will host a special Facebook Live to go through the deal in detail with membership.”
Reported highlights from the deal:
- 25% raise plus cost of living adjustments in wages
- Elimination of tiers
- Right to strike over closures
- Improvements to pensions
- Protections for temporary workers
The strike continues at GM and Stellantis.
ICE Out of Arlington to launch Virginia canvassing campaign in November
La ColectiVA is looking for volunteers to canvass in Arlington County and gather signatures for their petitions to get ICE Out of Arlington and Make Barcroft Affordable for tenants. Canvassing will run from November 1 to 29, with both weeknight and Saturday dates available. View the full list of canvassing dates and RSVP here. Metro DC DSA has endorsed the ICE Out of Arlington campaign and has been active in these efforts through the Northern Virginia branch.
NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting — Thursday, November 9
The NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting will take place on Thursday, November 9, starting at 6:30pm. All Branch members are highly encouraged to attend. You will hear updates from working groups, welcome new members and learn how to get involved. Join us either in-person or on Zoom. We can’t wait to see you there! RSVP for the details.
Metro DC DSA Book Exchange at Wangari Gardens festival — TOMORROW, Saturday, October 28
Are you looking for something fun and social to do this Saturday? Do you want to talk about your work in the chapter or why you joined DSA? Metro DC DSA will be tabling at the Wangari Gardens Fall Festival tomorrow, October 28, where DSA will be offering up free books from our archive. The festival runs from 12 to 4pm, and will include other community and neighborhood associations in east Columbia Heights. If you’d like to help table or have questions about the festival, please DM @Alison K on Slack if you’d like to be involved. There will be food, drinks, and live music — costumes encouraged.
Beloved Community Incubator to publicly launch loan program for DC-based cooperatives on November 9
Beloved Community Incubator (BCI), a nonprofit that supports worker cooperatives and other worker-directed projects, will be publicly launching its DC Solidarity Economy Loan Fund (DC SELF) — a loan program designed to boost and support budding economic cooperatives in the DC area. The launch event, which is taking place November 9 from 6 to 8pm, can be found at the link. All interested in cooperative economics, non-extractive finance models, and building out a solidarity economy are invited to attend.
BCI works to build a solidarity economy led by poor and working class workers of color. DC SELF, the DC chapter of the national Seed Commons network, aims to provide non-extractive financing to cooperatives grounded in historically marginalized communities and to cooperatives led by worker-owners who are traditionally “unlikely borrowers” who have faced the brunt of the extractive capitalist economy, deindustrialization, white supremacy and patriarchy. BCI launched DC SELF late last year, and through the program nearly $200,000 has been invested in DC-area cooperatives.
Reproductive Justice to hold monthly open meeting — Wednesday, November 8, 6:30pm
The Repro Justice Working Group is holding its monthly open meeting at Midlands Beer Garden, starting at 6:30pm. Join comrades and discuss an article on reproductive justice (article to be determined) over drinks. Come early, come late, come all.
INFO ACCESS
MDC DSA Publications Schedule: Next issue of the Washington Socialist, along with the Update, is scheduled for Friday, November 3, with an article deadline of October 28. Submit to washingtonsocialist@mdcdsa.org. November’s succeeding Updates appear on Fridays as always, the 10th, 17th and 24th.
Would you like to participate in MDC DSA’s publications? We write, we edit, we design, we do the tech — there are so many ways your hand could lighten the load. Check us out on #publications and let us know what you would like to write, or write about, or …? If you would like to see something included in the Update, suggestions can be submitted to the tip line.
Quick reference links for MDC DSA:
- Metro DC DSA chapter’s website
- Our local structure — campaigns, working groups, etc.
- Capsule introduction to the chapter including our branches covering the DMV
- A home-grown history of our local chapter
- Archive of the Washington Socialist
- Archive of our MDC DSA Socialist Night School (recordings and some transcriptions)
- National DSA’s website
- DSA Feed, an RSS feed that aggregates multiple DSA publications — including our own Washington Socialist — in one convenient place. More from the National Tech Committee here.
And, “live from our studio,” Wednesday, November 8th, 8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation with Q&A avails.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sunday, October 29
1 – 3pm | Defund NoVA Police Research Sunday
Wednesday, November 1
7pm | Defund NoVA Police Working Group Meeting
Thursday, November 2
6 – 7pm | Social Housing Organizing Meeting
7:30pm | Nuts and Bolts: Power Mapping
Friday, November 3
6:30pm | NoVA DSA Gamenite
Saturday, November 4
noon | MoCo Rent Stabilization Wheatpasting
2 – 6pm | March on Washington for a Free Palestine
Sunday, November 5
7pm | NoVA Electoral Working Group Meeting
Tuesday, November 7
6pm | NoVA Migrant Justice Working Group
6pm | NoVA Medicare for All Working Group
Wednesday, November 8
6:30 – 8pm | Repro Justice Working Group Open Meeting
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
Thursday, November 9
6:30 – 7:45pm | NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting
7:30pm | Nuts and Bolts: How to Hold Effective Meetings
Tuesday, November 14
6 – 8pm | Stop Cop City Film Screening and Fundraiser
6 – 7pm | Defund MPD Working Group Biweekly Meeting
Thursday, November 16
6:30 – 8:30pm | Social Meetup NoVA branch DSA
7 – 8:30pm | Nuts and Bolts — how to host a great event for socialists
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Spookyville Haunted Alley | ANC 4B
The seventh annual Spookyville: Haunted Alley offers neighbors a free evening full of stories, crafts, games, music, haunted walks, performances, a fish fry, a nighttime movie and more! All ages are welcome on Friday, October 27 starting at 6pm to the Spookyville Haunted Alley (behind 715-719 Van Buren St NW).
All-Natural Soap Making Class | Soaps Suds and More
Join Howard University sophomore Sydney Sauls for a soap-making demonstration on Saturday, October 28 from 12 to 1pm at the American University Battelle Atrium (4400 Massachusetts Ave NW). Sydney is the founder of Soaps, Suds & More: an all natural, homemade soap business. She started her business in the 7th grade and has continued to develop it on the pillars of environmentalism, family and service.
“Survivor Story” Briefing | DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCCADV)
On Monday, October 30 from 6 to 7:30pm at the law firm of Crowell & Moring (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), DCCADV is hosting a briefing on the recent “Survivor Story” amicus brief that they filed in U.S. v. Rahimi (which will decide whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), which prohibits the possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic-violence restraining orders, violates the Second Amendment on its face). DCCADV invites the public to come and learn more about the case, the ways in which DCCADV developed this brief, and how this Supreme Court decision will impact communities across the country.
Halloween Party and Fundraiser | Lyman’s Tavern & Ward 1 Mutual Aid
Come out and party for a cause at the Lyman’s Tavern Halloween Party on Tuesday, October 31! 100% of sales of select DC Brau cans (ask your bartender) will be donated to support Ward 1 Mutual Aid. There will also be a costume contest and prizes for the best dressed! Lyman’s Tavern is located at 3720 14th Street NW and festivities will begin at 6pm.
Volunteer Call | Martha’s Table
Looking for ways to make a deep impact in your community? Programs at Martha’s Table are diverse and the volunteer opportunities are abundant. Whether it’s supporting one of their no-cost grocery markets or riding along with McKenna’s team to provide warm, evening meals, there’s something for everyone. Click here to sign up.
GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
Have DC progressives been betrayed? Get the Gorey details from Washington City Paper’s Loose Lips column this week. The short of it: a candidate who had run as an unabashed progressive in 2022’s at-large Council race appears to have switched sides, having been wooed by agents of Mayor Muriel Bowser.
History isn’t dead. It’s not even past. See, for instance, the 1980s monster Elliott Abrams, back for more just in time for Halloween.
NYT’s Paul Krugman: “This Is Your Brain on Crime”. The economist explains why crime is like the economy — both are much less scary than their current rep, but politicians (see: “American Carnage”) have no scruples about making them appear widespread, rampant, choose your Halloween term.
For centuries, Latin America was the property of foreign powers. But today, left-wing governments in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil are consolidating power in pursuit of regional sovereignty. Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego. The Pacific to the Atlantic. Guillaume Long asks the critical question: is a united Latin America the next global superpower? Watch the latest episode of Jacobin and Progressive International’s The International.
“How can a person make up for seven decades of misrepresentation and willful distortion in the time allotted to a sound bite?” Read “No Human Being Can Exist” from n+1.
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