DECEMBER 6, 2024
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter’s Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am. Ready to fight the Trumpocalypse? Join DSA, fight to win with a real alternative!
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CONTENTS
UP FRONT
Metro DC Democratic Socialist local convention this Saturday and Sunday
MDC DSA Local Convention briefing
MDC DSA overwhelmingly votes to endorse Adams-Stafford for PG County Council
Metro DC Democratic Socialist local convention this Saturday and Sunday
The agenda is set and DMV area socialists are ready to participate in the MDC DSA’s 2024 Local Convention — Metro DC DSA members should register here for Day 1 and Day 2 if you have not already. The convention is taking place both in person and virtually, so please register. Following registration, the member will receive login information for voting, the physical meeting location and information for joining virtually. Members are encouraged to contact steering-all@mdcdsa.org with any questions. The first 50 people to arrive on each day of convention will receive a FREE, union-made, exclusive convention pin button, so arrive early to grab yours.
All Members in Good Standing who joined 30 days prior to convention should receive login instructions for Openslides, the convention’s online voting platform, by Friday afternoon. If an eligible member needs to utilize proxy voting, they should provide their appointed proxy with their login credentials. (Members can reach out in #2024-local-convention or #steering for help finding a proxy.) Internal democracy is a vital component of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists vision for democracy, so participation is highly encouraged.
Additional information:
- TODAY, Friday December 6 at 6:30pm, candidates seeking elected positions in the chapter will participate in a virtual Steering Committee Candidate Forum. All members of Metro DC DSA are encouraged to attend to ask questions of candidates. A recording of the event will be made available to chapter members following discussion, and only local chapter members will be able to attend the forum, so please register for the forum in advance.
- Chapter Priority Campaigns for 2025 will be voted on using OpaVote after convention. Priority campaign debates are planned to occur on Day 2 (Sunday) of the local convention, although members currently have the opportunity to write statements for or against pending resolutions. Member statement submission will close at 11:59pm on Tuesday, December 10. Statements can be submitted through Red Desk by clicking ‘Open Ticket’ → ‘Agenda Item / Submit Member Statement’. It is highly recommended that Member Statements are submitted by pasting a Google Doc link into the statement section, as Red Desk is known to timeout during statement preparation.
- Ballots for Priority Campaigns and Steering Committee Elections will be sent out on Wednesday, December 11 — please keep an eye out and reach out to steering-all@mdcdsa.org if you do not receive your ballot.
MDC DSA Local Convention briefing
Every year, members of Metro DC DSA convene to debate resolutions, bylaw and structure changes, and debate the chapter’s strategy for the upcoming year. This year is no different, although deliberations and decisions on strategy will be critical for ensuring a successful fight against the fascist interlocutors returning to Washington next year.
There will be a number of resolutions (6) and bylaw amendments (4) up for consideration this year, for which there will be live voting on both days. Please come ready to debate, discuss, and spend time with your comrades in the DMV, either in person or virtually. If you are not able to attend, proxy voting is an available option.
A number of proposals have sparked spirited discussion across the chapter. In changes to the chapter bylaws, two proposals (BA3 and BA4) in particular are expected to be resolved by thin margins. BA3 would clarify new requirements and governance on standing working groups and formations in the chapter. BA4 will ask members to consider changing the way leadership positions are decided and appropriated by adopting ranked-choice voting internally. Several resolutions, too, ask members to consider the chapter’s broader approach to strategy. Of note, CR3 would resolve the chapter to adopt a clearer approach to holding endorsed candidates accountable to internationalist principles; the resolution has summoned an amendment from a bloc of members that would tinker at this proposal. Another proposal, CR5, would seek to establish a formal chapter political program; and a proposed amendment to this resolution asks chapter members to reconsider the way this program would be formed. A full list of resolutions, amendments and proposed bylaw changes can be found on the chapter’s internal wiki here, and can also be found in the local convention bulletin.
Local chapter members can find the 2024 Local Convention Bulletin, which includes the Agenda, Convention Rules, 2024 Annual Report, 2025 Budget Resolution, and lists of all Priority Campaign Resolutions, Bylaw Amendments, and Convention Resolutions on Slack in the #announcements channel. The Bulletin was also emailed to eligible members on Wednesday afternoon. If you believe you are an eligible chapter member and did not receive the Convention Bulletin, please send an email to steering-all@mdcdsa.org ASAP to get sorted out.
MDC DSA overwhelmingly votes to endorse Adams-Stafford for PG County Council
In November, the chapter began consideration of 2024-EER1: Resolution to Endorse Shayla Adams-Stafford in the Prince George’s County Council District 5 special election, a process which ended Tuesday night. With 95.4% of the vote, the chapter has passed Resolution 2024-EER1 and endorses Shayla Adams-Stafford. Comrades looking to get involved with the campaign are encouraged to fill out the electoral volunteer interest form and join the #electoral Slack channel — collectively doing the work is why we win elections. Results for chapter internal resolutions, amendments and elections can be viewed on the chapter’s internal wiki here. To learn more about accessing the chapter wiki, other tech tools, or chapter processes, check out the Steering FAQ here.
BRIEFS
George Mason University bans SJP, expels students after armed raid
The crackdown on anti-genocide protestors in academia continues as George Mason University suspends Students for Justice in Palestine while effectively expelling two organizers following a November 7 police raid.
On November 7, more than a dozen armed officers from the George Mason and Fairfax police departments descended on the off-campus housing of two officers with GMU’s SJP chapter, allegedly in relation to property damage, although the police refused to show a warrant. The next day, GMU quietly announced an interim suspension of SJP on campus, an announcement that no one involved with SJP was made aware of, in part due to police seizure of the two detained students’ phones and computers. Now, the George Mason police have issued trespass notices to both students, banning them from campus for four years, essentially expelling them with no recourse or due process.
Students for Justice and Palestine, as well as the student body at large, have issued four demands for GMU: immediately revoke the tresspass orders; return the confiscated electronics; reinstate SJP; and independently investigate the process that led to the raid and suspensions. Get involved with the SJP’s demands here.
Brush up on theory with Socialist Night School: Socialism 101 — Tuesday, December 10 from 6 – 7:30pm
Metro DC DSA’s Political Education working group is hosting the next iteration of their long-running Socialist Night School, this time returning to a familiar topic: Socialism 101. This session will discuss key questions such as: what is capitalism; what is socialism; how do we get there; and why your involvement matters. While everyone is welcome, this session is designed for newer members, interested non-members, and those who are relatively new to socialism. This is an in-person event taking place at Mount Pleasant Library — masks are encouraged. If you have questions or to request accommodations, please email politicaleducation@mdcdsa.org. A virtual or hybrid version of this event is coming soon, likely in early January. RSVP for the night school here.
Join We Power DC for beer and conversation — Friday, December 13 at 6pm
Join We Power DC for their final happy hour of the year on Friday, December 13 at 6:00 pm at Sonny’s Pizza (3120 Georgia Ave NW). Come discuss Pepco’s latest dirty deed (with the help of our industry-captured Public Services Commission) — securing a $123 million rate hike over the next 2 years, yanking money from the pockets of our poor and working class neighbors. For more information on Pepco’s greed, see We Power DC’s press release on the rate hike approval. It’s a great time to talk about how to fight back over a beer.
Raise money and write letters for the incarcerated with NoVA Abolition — December 14 from 3 – 5pm
Join MDC DSA’s NoVA Abolition working group on Saturday, December 14 from 3 to 5pm for a winter Solidarity Social. Abolition comrades will be raising money for the Free Them All VA commissary fund and writing letters to incarcerated folks while enjoying cozy drinks. Paper, envelopes, and stamps will be supplied. You can RSVP for the Solidarity Social here.
Free Them All VA is a coalition amplifying the demands of folks organizing in Virginia for migrant justice. Their fund supports incarcerated people and their families with legal costs, bonds, and commissary funds. Comrades can donate directly via Venmo at lacolectiva with a note for the liberation fund.
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, December 14 from 2:30 – 4pm
Build power in the DMV and join the Metro DC DSA Street Team by attending their next monthly meeting on Saturday, December 14 from 2:30 to 4pm. This event is for anyone interested in getting active in the chapter’s Street Team to build socialist power in the DMV. The Street Team hosts and attends community events to connect Metro DC DSA and its campaigns with the community in order to expand the chapter’s base and build a more democratic society. Community events are the perfect opportunity to talk with local residents about what’s going on in their everyday lives and learn how to connect these issues to chapter campaigns. In this meeting the Metro DC DSA Street Team will be discussing winter events with a happy hour to follow. Sign up to attend this in-person meeting at the MLK Memorial Library, room 205-B.
Pack, Party, Palestine! — Saturday, January 25 from 7 – 10pm
Enjoy an evening of drinks, music, and mutual aid while comrades pack 1,000 emergency contraception kits for distribution by Emergency Contraception for DC (E4DC). Hosted by the Metro DC DSA Bodily Autonomy working group with support from the Internationalism working group, all ticket proceeds will be split between the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF) and the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). The event will feature both a special cocktail crafted by our friends at As You Are and a DJ set from DJ B1te Back from 8 to 10pm to round off the night. Bring your friends to help us raise money for those who need it most — and have a great time doing it! Get your tickets to the Pack, Party, Palestine event here.
INFO ACCESS
Learn more about our local MDC DSA chapter — structure, campaigns and working groups, Night School, and reading groups — HERE. And live from our studio, Wednesday, December 18, 7 – 8pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation (with Q&A).
MDC DSA members: Join our all-member Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, convo, and inspiration. Email slack@mdcdsa.org with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access. Chapter members are also invited to read — and edit — MDC DSA’s internal wiki. Email techops@mdcdsa.org to get set up, or ask in #helpdesk.
MDC DSA Publications is information central for not only MDC DSA but the entire DMV left and is always ready to onboard new socialist communicators; #publications is our working group’s Slack channel. Weekly Updates like this one are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are on the web here. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update here. Submit your Update suggestions or chapter political blog REDBUG tips to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers articles on a quarterly schedule; the Fall 2024 edition is now live and will be updated on a rolling basis. Next issue’s deadline is December 6. Check our archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to washingtonsocialist@mdcdsa.org. Get your socialist self on the record. Donate to our Comradery page if you would like to financially support socialist publishing in the DMV.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Friday, December 6
6:30pm | NoVA DSA Gamenite December
6:30 – 8pm | Steering Committee Candidate Forum
Saturday, December 7
12 – 6pm | December 2024 MDC DSA Local Convention (day one)
Sunday, December 8
4 – 8pm | December 2024 MDC DSA Local Convention (day two)
Monday, December 9
6 – 7pm | Abolition Working Group Biweekly Meeting
7pm | Trans/Queer Liberation Biweekly Meeting
Tuesday, December 10
6 – 7:30pm | Socialism 101: Socialist Night School
Thursday, December 12
6:15 – 7:30pm | NoVA Branch Monthly Organizing Meeting
Friday, December 13
5 – 10pm | Labor December Happy Hour
Saturday, December 14
1:30-4:30pm | Stomp Out Slumlords Anti-Eviction Canvass
2:30 – 4pm | Street Team Monthly Meeting
3 – 4:30pm | Prince George’s County Branch General Meeting (hybrid)
3 – 5pm | Abolition Solidarity Social
Sunday, December 15
2 – 5pm | Labor Organizing School
7 – 8pm | MDC DSA Internationalism December Monthly Meeting
Monday, December 16
7 – 8:15pm | MoCo Branch Steering Meeting
Tuesday, December 17
6pm | NoVA Medicare for All Working Group
6:30 – 8pm | Root Causes of Armed Conflict in the Philippines
Wednesday, December 18
7 – 8pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation
Thursday, December 19
6pm | Social Housing Organizing Meeting
Monday, December 23
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Organizing to Win: A Practical Introduction | Rising Organizers
So you’ve been told to “start organizing.” But what does that actually mean? Find out as Rising Organizers hosts this introductory organizing training to learn what this thing is and how you can get started today. All you need is yourself, your strengths, and your hope for a better future. Sign up to join this Rising Organizers training on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:45pm at MLK Memorial Library, where attendees will take a deep dive into the core principles of community organizing, talk about building people power, and brainstorm ways to move people from inaction to action.
Homegrown Strategies: Fun and Effective Action Planning | Homegrown Revolutions
Have you ever wanted to make a change in your community, city, country, or the world but gotten stuck wondering how? Are you excited about taking action and making a difference, but feel intimidated by coming up with a strategy for change? Wondering how to get the attention of elected officials or other powerful people, but need some support and inspiration? Then join Homegrown Revolutions for this interactive online training on Saturday, December 14 at 12pm that will teach you how to think strategically when you want to make a difference. The training will include case studies from Homegrown Revolution’s founders’ decades of experience, and a simulation that will be worked through together.
Monolingual Spanish Meeting | Defend DC
Defend DC is organizing a monolingual Spanish meeting on Wednesday, December 11, at 7pm in NW DC to share resources, skills, and organizing opportunities to protect each other over the next four years. This will be an opportunity to learn, share ideas, and connect with others who are committed to defending our rights and our safety. Learn more about this Defend DC event and RSVP here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip line.
How the US Media Helped the Biden Administration Distance Itself From the Horrors of Gaza
White House–curated stories of performative outrage and feigned helplessness provided cover for an administration arming death on an industrial scale. The Nation via our comrade Dan S, 5 Lefty Links
Wisconsin Unions Score Major Win With Court Ruling Restoring Collective Bargaining Rights
Wisconsin public workers have won a major legal victory with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under Act 10, a 2011 state law forced through by then-Governor Scott Walker. Seven unions and three labor leaders filed the suit. Portside
FTC Says Data Brokers Unlawfully Tracked Protesters and US Military Personnel
The FTC is targeting data brokers that monitored people’s movements during protests and around US military installations. But signs suggest the Trump administration will be far more lenient. WIRED
How Native Americans Guarded Their Societies Against Tyranny
When the founders of the United States designed the Constitution, they were learning from history that democracy was likely to fail — to [elevate] someone who would fool the people into giving him complete power and end the democracy. The American colonists and founders thought Native American societies were simple and primitive — but they were not. As research has found, Native American communities were elaborate consensus democracies, many of which had survived for generations because of careful attention to checking and balancing power. The Conversation
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
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