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East Bay DSA Newsletter March 26, 2020
People in a sense are disposable. We work somebody to the point of no return and we get rid of them and get somebody else in. It’s not a culture where people are respected, are part of the team, are nourished. We have to ask ourselves if that’s the kind of economic culture we are comfortable with. And I think most Americans are not.
Bernie Sanders
Comrades,

First of all: if you feel like you have no idea what’s going to happen next, and you’re scared, please know that you are not alone. The COVID-19 crisis threatens to upend the way people relate to each other in a way not seen for a generation. Anyone who tells you they know exactly how this all is going to turn out is fooling you, or themselves, or both.

Organizing as socialists won’t help us predict the future. But it does give us a tool to fight for the future we want. Across the globe, workers are striking, organizing, and agitating to win safer work conditions (up to and including the right to stay home until it’s safe). In the coming weeks, we’ll meet virtually for a training on one-on-one organizing conversations, one of the most useful tools in an organizer’s toolbox for building working class power. Our committee meetings, social events and book groups will be online as well—even socialists need to practice social distancing. And don’t miss the news roundup to see how DSA members have amplified the voices of frontline health care workers at Highland Hospital as they fight to keep themselves and their patients safe.

Uncertainty is all around us. What a relief, then, to know that so many others are ready to fight alongside you for a better world. Debs wrote of the “ecstasy in the handclasp of a comrade”; although the handclasps are in short supply these days, your comrades are with you as always.
Last night, East Bay DSA hosted a digital town hall featuring frontline healthcare workers from across the country. Watch it here to learn how they’re fighting to improve conditions as they fight for people’s lives. Photos by nurse and organizer John Pearson RN - follow @OaklandNurse for more updates.
News and Information
Here's some of the latest COVID-19 news and information from a socialist perspective.

"Chaos on the Front Line"

Jacobin’s Meagan Day, looking at severe resource and personnel shortages at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, shows how decades of austerity politics paved the way for America’s COVID-19 crisis.

Read more

"Alameda County’s public health system is a nightmare for workers and patients. COVID-19 will make it worse"

Nick French, in East Bay Majority, explains how the Alameda Health System was privatized, how it endangers our community, and how we might get it back under community control.

Read more

"Workers Are More Valuable Than CEOs"

Capitalism makes millions for people who do nothing useful, while those who actually work barely get by. At Jacobin, Mindy Isser explains how the designation of “essential” businesses in crisis reminds us of this absurdity, and where worker organizing can lead us from here.

Read more

"Healthcare Workers & the CoViD-19 Crisis"

A digital town hall hosted by East Bay DSA last night featuring frontline healthcare workers from Chicago, New York, and Alameda Health System.

Watch online

DSA COVID-19 bulletin

Subscribe to DSA's COVID-19 bulletin for socialist analysis and updates as the crisis unfolds.

Subscribe Read the latest issue
Featured Events
While we may not be able to meet face-to-face, events are still going on that you can be a part of. RSVP below to stay updated. You can also keep track on our Events page.

Demanding Oakland City Council Pass an Eviction Moratorium Now!

Now until Friday, March 27 | 11 a.m.
No one should have to worry about an eviction notice during this pandemic. City Council must cancel all eviction notices during the state of emergency, regardless of the reason for eviction, so that Oakland tenants can focus on their families, their livelihoods, and their health.

What you can do:
 
✍️ Sign the petition and Send a letter to Oakland City Council
☎️ Find your councilmember and call them
✉️ Submit an e-comment BEFORE the meeting
📡 Join the meeting this Friday March 27 at 11 a.m. and speak during public comment remotely. See meeting details and the ordinance (Agenda Item #1).
 

NO ONE IS ILLEGAL | NADIE ES ILEGAL—READING GROUP

Friday, March 27 | 7–9 p.m.
Online—RSVP for link ♿
(Traducción al español)

As workers, we need to understand our history and join with others to change it. Join us discussing Part 4 of No One is Illegal!

What is the history of the US border? What role does neo-liberalism play in global migration? How did American racism become so entrenched in our conceptions of class? We will also have space to discuss how the right wing's response to COVID-19 has used racism, xenophobia, and border enforcement to blame this public health disaster on communities of color.

We welcome all, and will prioritize making a space that is accessible and safe for immigrants and POC. We will have POC facilitators who will use progressive stack and community agreements to make sure voices that are historically marginalized can be heard. If you don’t get all the reading done, no problem -- come discuss this book in a casual, comradely setting.

We look forward to reading with you!

RSVP

SOCIALISTS OF COLOR DECOMPRESSION

Sunday, March 29 | 3–5 p.m.
Online via Zoom—RSVP for link ♿️
Got quarantine blues? Shake ‘em off with a COVID-19 decompression. Come hang out with East Bay DSA's Racial Solidarity Committee for a virtual kick back on Sunday, 3/29, 3:00pm PST! We will have quaran-tunes, a member-led cooking show, and karaoke! We will be sharing reflections, and hope to learn about you and yours.

These are chaotic times, so we want to hold space for people to be in community with each other. Come together with like minded people to socialize, conspire, or just kick your heels off.

We won't police people's identities, but this is an event for self-identified leftists of color.

RSVP for the Zoom link!

RSVP

LABOR COMMITTEE MEETING

Sunday, March 29 | 6–8 p.m.
RSVP for info ♿️
Please join the East Bay DSA Labor Committee for our regular monthly meeting. It's open to all DSA members who are interested in getting involved in labor work with their comrades! Learn more about how to get involved in the committee, our ongoing projects, and upcoming solidarity actions!

If you'd like to submit an item for the agenda, please email [email protected].

RSVP

THE ORGANIZER’S TOOLBOX: ONE-ON-ONE ORGANIZING MEETING

Thursday, April 2 | 6–8:30 p.m.
Online via Zoom—check back at eastbaydsa.org/events/ to RSVP
Do you want to understand how to move that not-yet-member at night school to action? Did somebody new show up to your committee meeting and you’re not sure how best to engage with them? Did you meet a person while you were canvassing who’s fired up about Bernie but hasn’t gotten involved in politics before?

In this training, we will discuss and practice the art of the one-on-one meeting. This is a powerful and foundational skill for any organizer—it helps us form a political relationship with somebody, understand more about who they are and what motivates them, and gives us an opportunity to make a concrete ask of them.

One-on-one meetings can help us develop political relationships with other working class people, build leadership in your committee, and move people to action. Come to this training to learn the components of a one-on-one and get some real-life practice.

Recommended reading: How to Have a One-on-One

Note: While everybody is welcome, this training event is geared towards people who are already active in the Democratic Socialists of America or aligned organizations. Since this meeting will take place virtually, members of chapters other than East Bay are welcome to join!
Upcoming Events

SOCIAL HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING

Wednesday, April 15 | 7–9 p.m.

RSVP for info ♿️

Our Social Housing Committee meets on the third Wednesday each month. The first half of the meeting is dedicated to learning together about social housing and about the broader housing justice movement. The second part of the meeting we discuss campaigns and working group updates. All are welcome!

RSVP
Catch up on Socialist Night School
CATCH UP ON NIGHT SCHOOL
East Bay DSA's Socialist Night School held a special session on "The Left’s Response to COVID-19" on Tuesday night via Zoom. If you missed that call, you can still learn a lot from their syllabus below:

The capitalist class never lets a good crisis go to waste, and the rapid spread of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus) is no exception. How will corporations use this crisis to further privatize our society? How will the right wing take the rapid spread of disease as an impetus to further marginalize racial minorities? How can the left resist these efforts and offer an alternative for a rational society based in democracy?

Assigned Readings + Listening You can also catch up on past night school readings on our website and watch past night schools on our YouTube channel.

Read past night school readings

Watch past night schools
Not a Member Yet? Let's Fix That.
DSA now has 60,000 members nationally, 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
Workers are more valuable than CEO’s! Stand with another kind of frontline worker - transit workers, who are fighting for reliable service and sick time protections, to keep themselves and their riders healthy. Learn more about their campaign here, and tell the AC Transit Board you support ATU 192!
Caucus Corner
Our caucuses organize events too! Check out the Caucus Corner of our website to learn more about the activities of East Bay DSA caucuses and how to participate.
Announcements
Steering Committee statement on COVID-19 crisis
East Bay DSA takes the public health and safety of our community seriously. The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 (commonly referred to as “coronavirus”) to be a global pandemic, and medical professionals are suggesting that it is crucial to flatten the curve to prevent our already-vulnerable medical infrastructure from being overwhelmed. Although we are not doctors, we do have some info from health authorities that suggests we should be taking precautions

Read the rest of the statement
The key for us is to draw more and more people into pathways of thinking and pathways of action that go in the direction of questioning established authority and giving people a meaningful say about the realities and decisions affecting their lives.
Paul Le Blanc

This email was sent to [email protected].

To stop receiving emails, click here.

People in a sense are disposable. We work somebody to the point of no return and we get rid of them and get somebody else in. It’s not a culture where people are respected, are part of the team, are nourished. We have to ask ourselves if that’s the kind of economic culture we are comfortable with. And I think most Americans are not.

--Bernie Sanders

Comrades,

First of all: if you feel like you have no idea what’s going to happen next, and you’re scared, please know that you are not alone. The COVID-19 crisis threatens to upend the way people relate to each other in a way not seen for a generation. Anyone who tells you they know exactly how this all is going to turn out is fooling you, or themselves, or both.

Organizing as socialists won’t help us predict the future. But it does give us a tool to fight for the future we want. Across the globe, workers are striking, organizing, and agitating to win safer work conditions (up to and including the right to stay home until it’s safe). In the coming weeks, we’ll meet virtually for a training on one-on-one organizing conversations, one of the most useful tools in an organizer’s toolbox for building working class power. Our committee meetings, social events and book groups will be online as well—even socialists need to practice social distancing. And don’t miss the news roundup to see how DSA members have amplified the voices of frontline health care workers at Highland Hospital as they fight to keep themselves and their patients safe.

Uncertainty is all around us. What a relief, then, to know that so many others are ready to fight alongside you for a better world. Debs wrote of the “ecstasy in the handclasp of a comrade”; although the handclasps are in short supply these days, your comrades are with you as always.


News and Information
Here's some of the latest COVID-19 news and information from a socialist perspective.

** "Chaos on the Front Line (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/3/front-line-health-care-workers-california-coronavirus) "
------------------------------------------------------------
Jacobin’s Meagan Day, looking at severe resource and personnel shortages at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, shows how decades of austerity politics paved the way for America’s COVID-19 crisis.

Read more (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/3/front-line-health-care-workers-california-coronavirus)


** "Alameda County’s public health system is a nightmare for workers and patients. COVID-19 will make it worse (https://eastbaymajority.com/alameda-countys-public-health-system-is-a-nightmare-for-workers-and-patients-covid-19-will-make-it-worse/) "
------------------------------------------------------------
Nick French, in East Bay Majority, explains how the Alameda Health System was privatized, how it endangers our community, and how we might get it back under community control.

Read more (https://eastbaymajority.com/alameda-countys-public-health-system-is-a-nightmare-for-workers-and-patients-covid-19-will-make-it-worse/)


** "Workers Are More Valuable Than CEOs (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/coronavirus-low-wage-workers-front-lines-grocery-store) "
------------------------------------------------------------
Capitalism makes millions for people who do nothing useful, while those who actually work barely get by. At Jacobin, Mindy Isser explains how the designation of “essential” businesses in crisis reminds us of this absurdity, and where worker organizing can lead us from here.

Read more (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/coronavirus-low-wage-workers-front-lines-grocery-store)


** "Healthcare Workers & the CoViD-19 Crisis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA7cKx9sAvs) "
------------------------------------------------------------
A digital town hall hosted by East Bay DSA last night featuring frontline healthcare workers from Chicago, New York, and Alameda Health System.

Watch online (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA7cKx9sAvs)


** DSA COVID-19 bulletin
------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to DSA's COVID-19 bulletin for socialist analysis and updates as the crisis unfolds.

Subscribe (https://actionnetwork.org/forms/dsa-covid-19-bulletin/) Read the latest issue (https://www.dsausa.org/news/dsa-covid-19-bulletin-4-this-is-barbarism/)

Featured Events
While we may not be able to meet face-to-face, events are still going on that you can be a part of. RSVP below to stay updated. You can also keep track on our Events page (http://eastbaydsa.org/events/) .


** Demanding Oakland City Council Pass an Eviction Moratorium Now!
------------------------------------------------------------
Now until Friday, March 27 | 11 a.m.

No one should have to worry about an eviction notice during this pandemic. City Council must cancel all eviction notices during the state of emergency, regardless of the reason for eviction, so that Oakland tenants can focus on their families, their livelihoods, and their health.

What you can do:

✍️ Sign the petition (https://actionnetwork.org/letters/oakland-eviction-moratorium-now/) and Send a letter to Oakland City Council
☎️ Find your councilmember (http://gisapps1.mapoakland.com/councildistricts/) and call them
✉️ Submit an e-comment (https://oakland.granicusideas.com/meetings/4008-star-special-meeting-of-the-oakland-city-council-on-2020-03-27-11-00-am/agenda_items) BEFORE the meeting
📡 Join the meeting this Friday March 27 at 11 a.m. and speak during public comment remotely. See meeting details (https://oakland.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=772750&GUID=960CE31F-D9DE-4A86-8270-A5070FCDEE04&Options=info&Search=&fbclid=IwAR0lFITvykhu2YVSPVZJXZqcDRp-ENkEIms_tkGJcbWvCrwJrCuzqpS9eBg) and the ordinance (Agenda Item #1).


** NO ONE IS ILLEGAL | NADIE ES ILEGAL—READING GROUP
------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, March 27 | 7–9 p.m.
Online—RSVP for link ♿
(Traducción al español (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/1271/2020-03-27-no-one-is-illegal-nadie-es-ilegal-reading-group/) )

As workers, we need to understand our history and join with others to change it. Join us discussing Part 4 of No One is Illegal!

What is the history of the US border? What role does neo-liberalism play in global migration? How did American racism become so entrenched in our conceptions of class? We will also have space to discuss how the right wing's response to COVID-19 has used racism, xenophobia, and border enforcement to blame this public health disaster on communities of color.

We welcome all, and will prioritize making a space that is accessible and safe for immigrants and POC. We will have POC facilitators who will use progressive stack and community agreements to make sure voices that are historically marginalized can be heard. If you don’t get all the reading done, no problem -- come discuss this book in a casual, comradely setting.

We look forward to reading with you!

RSVP (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/1271/2020-03-27-no-one-is-illegal-nadie-es-ilegal-reading-group/)


** SOCIALISTS OF COLOR DECOMPRESSION
------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, March 29 | 3–5 p.m.
Online via Zoom—RSVP for link ♿️

Got quarantine blues? Shake ‘em off with a COVID-19 decompression. Come hang out with East Bay DSA's Racial Solidarity Committee for a virtual kick back on Sunday, 3/29, 3:00pm PST! We will have quaran-tunes, a member-led cooking show, and karaoke! We will be sharing reflections, and hope to learn about you and yours.

These are chaotic times, so we want to hold space for people to be in community with each other. Come together with like minded people to socialize, conspire, or just kick your heels off.

We won't police people's identities, but this is an event for self-identified leftists of color.

RSVP for the Zoom link!

RSVP (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/1270/2020-03-29-socialists-of-color-decompression/)


** LABOR COMMITTEE MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, March 29 | 6–8 p.m.
RSVP for info ♿️

Please join the East Bay DSA Labor Committee for our regular monthly meeting. It's open to all DSA members who are interested in getting involved in labor work with their comrades! Learn more about how to get involved in the committee, our ongoing projects, and upcoming solidarity actions!

If you'd like to submit an item for the agenda, please email [email protected].

RSVP (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/872/2020-03-29-labor-committee-meeting/)


** THE ORGANIZER’S TOOLBOX: ONE-ON-ONE ORGANIZING MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, April 2 | 6–8:30 p.m.
Online via Zoom—check back at eastbaydsa.org/events/ (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/) to RSVP

Do you want to understand how to move that not-yet-member at night school to action? Did somebody new show up to your committee meeting and you’re not sure how best to engage with them? Did you meet a person while you were canvassing who’s fired up about Bernie but hasn’t gotten involved in politics before?

In this training, we will discuss and practice the art of the one-on-one meeting. This is a powerful and foundational skill for any organizer—it helps us form a political relationship with somebody, understand more about who they are and what motivates them, and gives us an opportunity to make a concrete ask of them.

One-on-one meetings can help us develop political relationships with other working class people, build leadership in your committee, and move people to action. Come to this training to learn the components of a one-on-one and get some real-life practice.

Recommended reading: How to Have a One-on-One (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xteNmYcti_wTem9uK3wcL0NYXoatr4dd/view)

Note: While everybody is welcome, this training event is geared towards people who are already active in the Democratic Socialists of America or aligned organizations. Since this meeting will take place virtually, members of chapters other than East Bay are welcome to join!
Upcoming Events


** SOCIAL HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING
------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 15 | 7–9 p.m.

RSVP for info ♿️

Our Social Housing Committee meets on the third Wednesday each month. The first half of the meeting is dedicated to learning together about social housing and about the broader housing justice movement. The second part of the meeting we discuss campaigns and working group updates. All are welcome!

RSVP (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/events/927/2020-04-15-social-housing-committee-monthly-meeting/)
Catch up on Socialist Night School
CATCH UP ON NIGHT SCHOOL
East Bay DSA's Socialist Night School held a special session on "The Left’s Response to COVID-19" on Tuesday night via Zoom. If you missed that call, you can still learn a lot from their syllabus below:

The capitalist class never lets a good crisis go to waste, and the rapid spread of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus) is no exception. How will corporations use this crisis to further privatize our society? How will the right wing take the rapid spread of disease as an impetus to further marginalize racial minorities? How can the left resist these efforts and offer an alternative for a rational society based in democracy?

Assigned Readings + Listening
* "Coronavirus Capitalism — and How to Beat It (https://youtu.be/niwNTI9Nqd8) ," Naomi Klein, YouTube video, 9 minutes, The Intercept
* "Mike Davis on Coronavirus: “In a Plague Year”, (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/mike-davis-coronavirus-outbreak-capitalism-left-international-solidarity) " Mike Davis, Jacobin
* "Bill Gates Wants Socialist Medicine to Combat Coronavirus — Without the Socialists (https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/03/bill-gates-coronavirus-covid-socialist-medicine) ," Leigh Phillips, Jacobin
* "We can’t stop coronavirus without confronting rightwing nationalism (https://organizingupgrade.com/we-cant-stop-coronavirus-without-confronting-rightwing-nationalism/) ," Tobita Chow, Organizing Upgrade
* "Go on Strike for Your Health and Safety (https://jacobinmag.com/2020/3/new-york-city-public-school-teacher-organizing) ," Ryan Bruckenthal, Jacobin
* "Health Nativism (https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/health-nativism) ," Stephanie DeGooyer and Srinivas Murthy, Dissent

You can also catch up on past night school readings on our website and watch past night schools on our YouTube channel.

Read past night school readings (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/night-school/)

Watch past night schools (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeMYhhCCTFq1jGdOt6lcF8l7HQJwnJndD)

Not a Member Yet? Let's Fix That.
DSA now has 60,000 members nationally, 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/)

Workers are more valuable than CEOs! Stand with another kind of frontline worker - transit workers, who are fighting for reliable service and sick time protections, to keep themselves and their riders healthy. Learn more about their campaign here (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/campaigns/atu-192-strike-support/) , and tell the AC Transit Board (http://www.actransit.org/about-us/board-of%20-%20directors/) you support ATU 192!

Caucus Corner
Our caucuses organize events too! Check out the Caucus Corner of our website (https://www.eastbaydsa.org/about/caucuses/) to learn more about the activities of East Bay DSA caucuses and how to participate.

Announcements

Steering Committee statement on COVID-19 crisis
East Bay DSA takes the public health and safety of our community seriously. The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 (commonly referred to as “coronavirus”) to be a global pandemic, and medical professionals are suggesting that it is crucial to flatten the curve to prevent our already-vulnerable medical infrastructure from being overwhelmed. Although we are not doctors, we do have some info from health authorities that suggests we should be taking precautions

Read the rest of the statement


The key for us is to draw more and more people into pathways of thinking and pathways of action that go in the direction of questioning established authority and giving people a meaningful say about the realities and decisions affecting their lives.

--Paul Le Blanc

============================================================