Isolated, we are but straws that any boss can bend to his will,
but organized we are a mighty force that no one can break.
--
Alexandra Kollontai
Comrades,
This past weekend, 1,056 delegates attended DSA's biannual national
convention in Atlanta. It was the largest gathering of socialists in
the United States since the 1940s. As one outside observer put it
(https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/08/a-gathering-of-comrades) , "My
God, I thought, they are actually going to win."
The convention passed resolutions to support a campaign for a Green
New Deal, focus our labor efforts on rank-and-file union work and
organizing the unorganized, create an anti-fascist working group,
narrow national electoral endorsements to class-struggle candidates
who identify as open socialists, create a campaign to end cash bail,
enhance our national housing efforts, and endorse nobody in the
Democratic Party presidential primary besides Bernie Sanders.
Delegates also deliberated over a number of resolutions pertaining
to internal matters, voting to invest in a national political
education program, develop a plan to intensify grassroots fundraising
efforts for small chapters, expand childcare in DSA, beef up our
national grievance procedure, and hire more staff — including
full-time staffers dedicated to labor and Medicare for All. These are
just a few of the items that the convention passed: keep an eye out
for a more complete list in the upcoming issue of DSA's paper
newsletter Democratic Left.
One of the highlights of the convention was a speech given by Sara
Nelson, the president of the national flight attendants' union. It was
Nelson's union that stopped Trump's government shutdown by threatening
to go on strike. Nelson told DSA, "People think power is a limited
resource, but using power builds power. Once workers get a taste of
our power, we will not settle for a bad deal. And we won’t stand by
while someone else gets screwed, either."
Using power builds power — in that spirit, we are ready to begin
another two years of socialist organizing in DSA. See below for how
you can get involved right here in the East Bay. Solidarity!
Featured Events
If you're ready to use power to build power,
here's a list of official chapter events. RSVP to keep up to date. You
can also keep track on our Events page (http://eastbaydsa.org/events/)
.
** THE GLOBAL RISE OF THE
RIGHT
------------------------------------------------------------
Friday,
August 9 | 5–7 p.m.
Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph
Ave, Oakland ♿️
What does the global rise of far-right politics mean for socialist
activists across the world? How can we build international solidarity
to defeat demagogues like Trump and Duterte—and the movements that
drove them to power?
Join us for a political discussion on these questions and more with
Aaron Pedrosa, a leader in many left-wing Filipino organizations and
movements. Pedrosa currently serves as the Co-Convenor of the Campaign
for Peace with Social Justice and Co-Chair of the External Affairs
Committee for the socialist Partido Lakas ng Masa.
Don't miss this chance to discuss global perspectives on left
politics and build international solidarity!
Accessibility: Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library is
wheelchair-accessible. There is a restroom with no step up, but the
restroom doorway is narrow.
** VOTING GENERAL
MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday,
August 11 | 1–3 p.m.
Omni Commons, 4799 Shattuck Ave, Oakland
♿️
East Bay DSA's bimonthly general meetings (GMs) include
deliberation and voting on member-submitted resolutions, member
announcements, reports from our committees, and more.
Volunteering at the GM is lively, easy, and low-commitment, and
volunteers participate fully in meeting business. The contribution is
huge, though—meetings require a lot of hands, and our volunteers keep
them lively, inspiring, and productive. Join up here
(https://forms.gle/ACWiMy1cV7C3Va2q8) . Use this form, too, if you
have child supervision or accessibility needs, including the need for
an ASL interpreter.
With our new regular schedule, member-submitted resolutions will be
accepted on a rolling basis—please email them to
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . The
submissions deadline for each meeting is three weeks in advance of the
meeting itself.
General Meetings are run by the Meetings Committee—for questions or
comments, or if you are interested in joining the committee, write us
at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) !
The Omni Commons ballroom is wheelchair-accessible via a lift and
has wheelchair-accessible restrooms, and we provide child supervision
and wireless microphones with runners. It is also accessible by BART
(1/2 mile walk from MacArthur Station) and by AC Transit bus lines 18,
88, and 12. See more information on Omni accessibility
(https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Accessibility) .
RSVP/Volunteer (https://forms.gle/ACWiMy1cV7C3Va2q8)
** SOCIALIZE WITH
SOCIALISTS
------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday,
August 15 | 7–9 p.m.
Ale Industries, 3096 E. 10th St., Oakland
♿️
Come hang out with East Bay DSA members and talk about socialism,
current events, historic events, the future, music, your cat, someone
else's cat, etc. This is a great event for new members and people
curious about DSA. We'll tell you about upcoming East Bay DSA events
and how you can get involved!
Ale Industries is family friendly and allows dogs. It's a five
minute walk from Fruitvale Bart and has some parking available in
front of the brewery. While Ale Industries doesn't sell food, there
will be a food truck parked outside.
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible entrance and restrooms.
RSVP
(https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/767/2019-08-15-socialize-with-socialists/)
** RACIAL SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE MONTHLY MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday,
August 19 | 7–9 p.m.
Call / text 209-613-0810 for
location
Accessibility: Location and accessibility details may
vary.
RSVP
(https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/755/2019-08-19-racial-solidarity-committee-monthly-meeting/)
** SOCIAL HOUSING COMMITTEE MONTHLY
MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday,
August 21 | 7–9 p.m.
ACCE, 2501 International Blvd, Oakland ♿️
RSVP
(https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/691/2019-08-21-social-housing-committee-august-meeting/)
Upcoming Events
** MEMES 4 BERNIE CONTENT
PARTY!
------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday,
August 25 | 2–4 p.m.
Powderface, 3411 E. 12th St. #134, Oakland ♿️
Come meme with us! An electrifying afternoon of content creation
awaits. We'll be curating articles, hatching tweets and slappin' text
on cat pictures for Bernie Sanders and Socialism.
We'll be using this form (https://forms.gle/tAcSKyD1PsED22iC6) to
collaborate on content. Feel free to use it any time and to peruse the
replies!
This is a great event for new members, people curious about DSA or
those who want to connect with our 2020 electoral work. Please bring a
charged device!
RSVP
(https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/763/2019-08-25-memes-4-bernie-content-party/)
Not a Member Yet? Let's Fix That.
DSA has more than 56,000
members, and we're still growing. There's never been a better time to
get involved than right now! Join our national organization by
clicking below and become an official socialist organizer.
Join DSA (https://act.dsausa.org/donate/membership/)
Caucus Corner
Check the Caucus Corner of the East Bay DSA
website (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/about/caucuses/) to learn more
about the activities of East Bay DSA caucuses and how to
participate!
Announcements
EAST BAY DSA IN SEARCH OF OFFICE SPACE
Do you or someone you
know have access to an office space that East Bay DSA could rent?
Because we are a member-run organization with limited resources, we
are looking for a low-cost, below market rate office space. Please
contact [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]?subject=Office%20space) if you have any
leads. Thank you!
What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own
grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally
inevitable.
--Marx & Engels, "The Communist Manifesto"