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June 10, 2022
CONTENTS
UP FRONT
DC Primaries are coming up — all hands on deck for GOTV
Defund & Refunk the District — Saturday June 11 in Lansburgh Park Pavillion
Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting — This Sunday, June 12th at 7pm
DC Primaries are coming up — all hands on deck for GOTV
On Wednesday, Zachary Parker, MDC DSA-endorsed candidate for DC’s Ward 5, added more endorsements to his ever-growing coalition: Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen and National Nurses United DC, a local nurse’s union. Those latest endorsers join Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, Attorney General Karl Racine, MDC DSA, Sunrise Movement DC, local unions across sectors and others in forming the grassroots working-class alliance that is the core of Zachary’s campaign.
But polls show that the race is close, and the establishment opposition won’t go down easy. Recent polls show that he’s neck and neck with Vincent Orange, the corporate-funded and developer-backed former councilmember. With a crowded field, it’s clear that this race will be decided by hundreds or even dozens of votes. Every single in-person conversation we have with voters counts.
Though the opposition has dark money and a vast pool of corporate and developer-funded resources, we have the power of the people. There are only two weekends left to canvass for Zachary — sign up here. You can find additional opportunities to volunteer for Zachary’s campaign on his website.
DSA has knocked on more than 26,000 doors for Zachary Parker this cycle and shown what it means to run a people-powered, unapologetically socialist campaign. We want to knock on 30,000 doors in DC, and we can only do it with your help!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us on Slack (#dc-electoral) or email the Political Engagement Committee at pec@mdcdsa.org.
Defund & Refunk the District — Saturday, June 11 in Lansburgh Park Pavillion
The District continues to thrive through a pandemic and an uptick in community harm. Yet we are constantly told the only way to survive this is with more police. Building sustainable public safety in our neighborhoods will require so much more than more badges on the street.
This Saturday at 1pm, join Metro DC DSA in partnership with Transverse Cooperative and local music collective Good Vibe Tribe in reimagining our city as a place where everyone feels safe — free of over-policing, police abuse, occupation, terror and harassment. At Lansburgh Park Pavillion, through a series of guided conversations, we’ll discuss the nature of public space, what it means to feel safe in our neighborhoods and what it means to build a city and environment that cares for and includes everyone.
Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting — This Sunday, June 12th at 7pm
Join us this Sunday at 7pm for our monthly general body meeting. Our general body meetings convene chapter members across working groups, committees and branches to provide key updates on campaigns, hear from others in the chapter and get to know other members.
This month, we’ll be hearing from our electoral working group leadership as we near the DC and Maryland primaries (June 21 and July 19, respectively) and will also celebrate Pride month with a presentation from the Queer section. This GBM will also include the second read of BA-2022-05-BA01: Expand the PEC and ensure branch representation as well as the second read of the Resolution to Approve a School Board Candidate Endorsement Questionnaire for the Metro DC DSA Chapter. After the GBM, the OpaVote for both of these items will be emailed to all members in good standing. Members who want to submit statements for or against either of these items must do so through Red Desk by Sunday, June 12th at 11:59pm. 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 spend a Sunday evening! Sign up here.
BRIEFS
We Power DC Rallies for Public Power
On Wednesday, DSA priority campaign We Power DC joined forces with dozens of DC residents, politicians and local grassroots groups to rally for public power at the headquarters of Pepco — DC’s for-profit, monopoly utility. We Power organized the rally as part of its plan to have the DC Council take over Pepco and run it as a green, democratically controlled institution. Speakers included Ward 1 Councilmember and candidate Brianne Nadeau, Ward 5 candidate Zachary Parker, Council Chair candidate Erin Palmer, Maryland Delegate Gabriel Acevero, MoCo DSA organizer/candidate for Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee at-large Sarah Brand and DSA member/Maryland state senate candidate Max Socol.
Gabriel Acevero noted, “We are here not only because we understand that public utilities should be in public hands, but also that we need carbon-free electricity not in twenty years, but right now. We cannot decarbonize as long as the process is in the hands of private corporations.”
We Power will use the rally to pressure undecided CMs and candidates to declare their stance on public power and will continue to help canvass for Zachary Parker in Ward 5.
Join the push for public power in the District by signing up through the We Power DC website.
Preliminary Community Accountability Meeting — Monday, June 13 at 6:30pm
Are you interested in building a more inclusive community in MDC DSA? Do you want to help create a curriculum and coordinate trainings for conflict resolution in the chapter? Do you yourself want to serve as a mediator to help resolve conflicts? If you answered yes to any of the above, we hope you’ll join us Monday, June 13 at 6:30pm for the preliminary meeting of what will be a chapter community accountability committee.
The creation of a community accountability committee was discussed at a Conflict Resolution Town Hall in March facilitated by the Harassment and Grievance Officer (HGO) Commission. The committee will be a new chapter formation tasked with assisting in mediation and conflict resolution, as well as education and training around community accountability, transformative justice and conflict resolution.
During this upcoming meeting, we will go over the points brought up at the town hall by members; discuss the high level goals of a community accountability committee; discuss how to best create a democratic structure for the committee; and begin assigning tasks for some of the projects the committee will work on.
The meeting will be facilitated by members of the HGO Commission, but this will be a space for everyone to share their ideas and get more involved! We hope you’ll join us and be part of starting this important work in the chapter.
REDBUG — the Washington Socialist election guide — is now live
Want to get plugged in to the local debates happening in DC’s Democratic primaries? REDBUG is now live on the Washington Socialist. The system tracks candidates running for the DC Council — including fundraising numbers, positions along a few key issues and notable endorsements. We also include an archive of available debates, forums and voter guides that have been published around the District. We hope to include live results on election night as well.
This is the first trial run for the project, which we plan to keep live for the full DC election cycle. Going forward, we hope to bring this system to other jurisdictions in the DMV — Montgomery County, PG County and Northern Virginia — to anchor a socialist perspective in local politics.
Join a Metro DC DSA Reading Group This Summer
Metro DC DSA’s Political Education Working Group is proud to host three reading groups this summer! Starting in late June, groups will be on:
- Silvia Federici’s Caliban and the Witch (Tuesday nights)
- Murray Bookchin’s Post-Scarcity Anarchism (Wednesday nights)
- Mark Fisher’s Anti-Capitalist Music Criticism (Sunday nights)
Sign up using this form here! If you’re interested in leading or developing a reading group for Fall 2022 or Spring 2023, sign up here or reach out to either Jackson or Elizabeth using the contact information on the sign-up sheet.
Invitation: In-Person Reading Group on Reproductive Freedom on Thursday, June 23rd at 7pm
Anyone interested in understanding and organizing around reproductive freedom 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 participate in political actions and other events around abortion rights in the meantime. Please make sure to RSVP so we have an accurate number of seats!
Teachers rally Saturday against gun violence
From Union City, Wednesday a.m. — Saying that “It’s past time for elected officials to end the slaughter of schoolchildren and others in our communities,” the American Federation of Teachers is partnering with the student activists of March for Our Lives to fight for an end to gun violence in our schools and communities. This Saturday, June 11 from 10am to 2pm at the Washington Monument (on the National Mall, 15th St NW between Constitution and Independence), “educators will be standing together with students, parents and the community in a march on our nation’s capital to demand that lawmakers take action to help keep children, our members, families and communities safe,” rally organizers say. The Washington Teachers’ Union is among the local supporters who will be turning out. More info/details here.
MDC DSA’s Queer and Socialist Feminist sections to participate in the DC Dyke March
The Dykes are back to take the streets of DC. This year, we’re marching for body liberation and saying Hands Off Our Bodies!
Join the MDC DSA Queer and Socialist Feminist sections at DC Dyke March 2022 TODAY, Friday, June 10 at 6pm. Event kicks off at Franklin Park (1332 I St NW). What is Dyke March? It is a non-pride-affiliated and unpermitted march that typically happens the day before Capital Pride (June 11, 2022). It aims to center dykes of all identities, including those who are trans, queer, lesbians and other identities that are oft-marginalized by the mainstream LGBT+ movement. It is anti-capitalist, anti-displacement and anti-police.
INFO ACCESS
Check out the June issue of the Washington Socialist, including a new interview on queer liberation with our chapter’s own Marie Lewis.
Catch our chapter at the Columbia Heights Day Festival!
On Saturday, June 18, MDC DSA will be tabling at the Columbia Heights Day Festival, organized by District Bridges. Stay tuned for more information on when you can swing by, chat with a comrade and grab some cool swag. Interested in volunteering or have working group/campaign material to share? Reach out to Amanda L. (she/they) on Slack or email.
Publications Schedule: June Updates will appear Fridays, June 17 and 24. Article deadline for the Friday, July 1st issue of the Washington Socialist monthly newsletter is Saturday, June 25.
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 one of our comrades!
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, June 11
1 – 3pm | Defund & Refunk the District
Sunday, June 12
1 – 2:30pm | Veterans for Socialism Section study group
7 – 9pm | MDC DSA General Body Meeting for June
Monday, June 13
6:30 – 8pm | Preliminary Community Accountability meeting
Wednesday, June 15
5:30pm | Stomp Out Slumlords Happy Hour and Fundraiser
7 – 9pm | The Dawn of Everything Reading Group
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
Thursday, June 16
6 – 8:30pm NoVA Branch Social (in person, Courthaus Social)
6:30 – 7:30pm | Cuba Campaign Planning Meeting
Monday, June 20
6:30 – 7:30pm | Medicare 4 All Working Group Biweekly Meeting
Wednesday, June 22
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
8:30 – 9:45pm | DSA Mutual Aid Working Group (national) | ET virtual event
Thursday, June 23
6:30 – 7:30pm | Cuba Campaign Planning Meeting
7pm | Without Apology In-Person Reading Group (download free e-book here)
Wednesday, June 29
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
Thursday, June 30
6:30 – 7:30pm | Cuba Campaign Planning Meeting
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Hiring! Seasonal Farm Positions | Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
A temporary farm position is being offered by DPR, which is seeking support in maintaining their urban farms across DC. TODAY, Friday, June 10, is the LAST day to apply, so get your applications in quick if you see this! This temporary position will be working on the DPR Communal Farms Lederer Gardens, Edgewood Rooftop Farm and Powell Communal Farm during the summer to help grow food and facilitate weekly veggie giveaways. Pay is $17/hr, and DPR is open to full- or part-time work (please mention when applying if you’re interested in part-time or full-time). Starts June 20th and ends August 16th. Email Josh Singer at joshua.singer@dc.gov for additional details or to apply.
Celebrate the Season at Washington Youth Garden’s B-Day Party! | Washington Youth Garden
Come see what’s growing and celebrate Washington Youth Garden’s 50th birthday extravaganza this Saturday, June 11! Metro DSA member-led organization Share a Seed will also be on site planting with guests and maybe even distributing some more flower bombs! This event is free and takes place from 11am to 1:30pm at WYG, which is inside the National Arboretum. Activities, games and even birthday cake will be shared!
Ward 4 Community Town Hall | HIPS DC, et al
On June 15 from 6 to 8pm, HIPS will be partnering with DC Humanities Truck, Sunrise Movement DC, Ward 4 mutual aid and the office of CM Lewis George to host a “Community Town Hall” on opioids, the overdose crisis and how we can come together to support each other as a community. The event will be held at Iowa & Georgia Ave NW, next to the Petworth Neighborhood Library. Narcan training will be provided, as well as dinner from Shortneestreeteatz.
The Zine Event | Dream Dimension, Heal Da Homies, Leftist Living Room Library
Come learn about zines at Creative Grounds DC! Hosted by Dream Dimension, this free event will feature a discussion on a new zine drop about faith-washing as well as materials and information to make your own zines. This will be an indoor, MASKED event on June 17, 5 to 7pm, at 1822 N Capitol St NW.
GOOD READS / ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
From Jacobin, quick reaction to a bad election outcome that was about nothing but right-wing money and a police work-to-rule action (“To Protect [us] and Serve [the ruling class]”). “A billionaire-funded recall campaign pinned San Francisco’s myriad problems on progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin. That recall succeeded on Tuesday, but the city’s problems aren’t going anywhere as long as inequality remains meaningfully unaddressed.”
“For years, Thomas Piketty has articulated a cogent critique of 21st-century capitalism. He now appears to be moving beyond just critique to call for a 21st-century socialism.” Here is Jacobin’s review of Piketty’s latest book, Time for Socialism.
Workers are always trying to catch up with inflation (tip: having a union helps). Fast-consolidating corporate oligarchies are always ahead of inflation, causing more. Business Insider has this study about it. It’s from, um, the Boston Fed.
“What threatens the United States today is not fascism but the continuing erosion of a domestic political consensus without which democratic governance becomes difficult, if not impossible,” writes Andrew Bacevich in TomDispatch (via Portside) — On the Repurposed and Misapplied F-Word: Fascism
Co-ops are restoring their historic roots in Wisconsin, with a social justice emphasis: “A business model that allows workers to have a stake in how their employer pays and supports them while also tackling social justice issues is expanding in Madison and statewide,” as we read in the Popular Resistance newsletter. Touted by our comrade Bob B, an ESOP advocate.
From Mondoweiss: coverage of a fight between two Zionist organizations — J Street and AIPAC — over power and influence in the Democratic Party. Could the outcome of the political struggle between these two organizations lead to new openings for the Palestinian freedom movement here in the States?
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