Metro DC DSA elects new steering committee, affirms 2024 priority campaigns; Sign up and volunteer: Spies and US Imperialism Walking Tour; Spring 2024 reading group signups from Metro DC DSA now open
Metro DC DSA elects new steering committee, affirms 2024 priority campaigns
MDC DSA members voted on the
2024 Steering Committee, priority campaigns and convention resolutions
by OpaVote between December 12 and 16. Following a vote of 280 members
using the approval voting method, our 2024 Steering Committee is as
follows:
Aparna R; Bakari W; Carl R; Claire M; Eduarda S; Emily N; Hayden D; Imara C.
Secretary
Michael M, Treasurer Tim S and Campaigns Council Chair Gary Z ran
unopposed, and were confirmed to the executive officer positions.
In
addition, all five priority campaign resolutions were passed. Our 2024
priority campaigns are Labor, We Power DC, Stomp Out Slumlords,
Electoral and Abolition. More information about these priority campaigns
will be included on our chapter website in the new year.
All
MDC DSA members in good standing should have received an OpaVote email
on December 17 detailing election results. The results in detail can
also be found on the Member Portal (see the #2023-local-convention Slack channel for a link if needed).
Sign up and volunteer: Spies and US Imperialism Walking Tour — January 27
Everyone is invited to sign up in advance
for the Spies and US Imperialism walking tour at 1pm on Saturday,
January 27 at Gateway Park in Rosslyn. Walking tours are great ways to
learn about socialism, bring friends to DSA events, start volunteering
for events and get connected to local organizing. The tour will explore
three sites (including two about to be demolished) connected to how
imperialism and spycraft have shaped the landscape and architecture of
the region over the past century — specifically,
how global reactionary networks were forged in Rosslyn and Langley by
the Reagan CIA, how the “Watergate Scandal” reflected larger systems of
repression against the Left and the history behind why the region is a
hub for the internet’s infrastructure. Hot chocolate and hand warmers
will be provided — make sure to sign up in advance for weather updates and to volunteer at the tour.
Spring 2024 reading group signups from Metro DC DSA now open
Sign-ups are now open
for Spring 2024 reading groups through Metro DC DSA. These reading
groups are a great way to meet new people, learn core works connected to
socialism, build our capacity to learn and debate ideas and get
connected to political education in the chapter. Spring reading groups
include cultural readings in Late Capitalism, a group reading through
Marx’s Capital Vol. 1, Liberation Theology, the Radical Climate Fiction group reading Parable of the Sower,
the If We Burn group reading about 2010s social movements, a group
covering two key works related to The Nonprofit Industrial Complex, the
Palestinian Liberation Film and Reading Group alternating films with
readings, and groups sponsored by formations such as the Socialist
Feminist section, the Migrant Justice working group and Public Power (We
Power DC). Most groups will meet online but with regular in-person
social meet ups to build group camaraderie.
BRIEFS
MLK weekend wheatpasting — January 13 and 15
MDC DSA is hosting two
outreach events this MLK Day weekend, at 1pm on both Saturday, January
13 at Farragut Square and Monday, January 15 in Rosslyn, to spread the
word about DSA and its upcoming educational work. Come out to help put
up posters around the area — no experience is required and it is a
perfect event for new members or those trying to get more involved. The
outings will put up posters related to the chapter’s upcoming walking
tour and Spring 2024 reading groups — all you need to do to help is sign up in advance through either the walking tour form (for either date) or the January 13 event specifically, and then show up in light-colored clothes and shoes you do not mind getting dirty.
Stay warm in socialist gear
Cold weather means you may just need a new MDC DSA hoodie. Head over to our merch store to see our selection of hats, tees and hoodies to stay warm this winter. Each item is proudly union-made.
INFO ACCESS
MDC DSA Publications Schedule: Friday, January 5 will offer the weekly Update plus the first Washington Socialist
of 2024. Write your scenario of the terms of struggle and victory for
DSA in 2024 now; submit to [email protected]. We publish
the newsletter’s articles when they are ready, monthly or not. But do
not let that great idea slip away. Other Updates for January 2024 will
appear Fridays, January 12th, 19th and 26th.
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 in 2024 and beyond. 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, submit your
suggestions to the tip line.
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.
Punk rock karaoke and benefit for Palestine Legal | Black Cat
Come out on Saturday, December 30 to the Black Cat for a night of karaoke in support of Palestine Legal. Their karaoke books have been expanded to make sure it’s a smashing success. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Queer New Year’s Eve guide | DC Trans Events
A list of queer-focused and/or queer-friendly New Year’s Eve events compiled by Eli of DC Trans Events.
NYE on the farm | Edgewood Community Farm
Want
to go out on New Year’s Eve, but looking to avoid the high price tags
and excessive drinking that often comes with NYE events? The Edgewood
Community Farm “Megahaus” is welcoming community members to celebrate
with them on December 31, starting at 7pm. Guests are encouraged to
dress up (the event will be inside the house at 2304 2nd Street NE,
adjacent to the garden) and free food and beverages will be provided.
Details here, no RSVP is required.
Weekly mutual aid fundraising | Feed the People Mutual Aid
Taking care of our unhoused comrades does not end when the holidays start and the temperature drops. FTP Mutual Aid continues to fundraise and distribute supplies freely to people in need on Saturdays in Dupont Circle. Please consider donating directly.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
Skulduggery/”Philanthropy” Revealed: how US residents are funding illegal settlements in the West Bank:
“An Israeli crowdfunding platform, IsraelGives, has allowed US
residents to donate millions of dollars since 7 October to causes
including illegal West Bank settlements, paramilitary groups, and Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) units currently operating in Gaza and the occupied
West Bank. Legal experts say that some of these campaigns may be
illegal under US tax law, but that this is rarely enforced on donors to
Israeli causes.” The Guardian
10 Victories for the Working Class in 2023: From
the picket lines to state houses to the White House, champions in the
fight against inequality landed huge wins. Inequality.org via Portside
And another win: Vermont’s New AFL-CIO President Is a Democratic Socialist and Labor Reformer
Katie Maurice is a Democratic Socialists of America member and labor
activist. She was recently elected president of the Vermont AFL-CIO on a
platform of boosting rank-and-file participation and building power
outside the Democratic Party. Steve Early reports in Jacobin.
And In 2023, organized labor became core to the climate movement:
“Labor leaders and climate organizations are jumping at the possibility
that a skilled workforce with a strong training pipeline could bring
jobs to struggling fossil fuel communities. Union involvement, they
said, will ensure that those jobs remain local, as opposed to going to
an out-of-state contractor, and offer competitive wages.” From Grist
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 its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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