This is obviously a very difficult time for the world, and for political organizing. Just as all of us have been quickly adjusting to the new normal of daily life under social distancing given the current COVID-19 virus public health emergency, we will now be holding meetings online.
As COVID-19 triggers a national state of emergency, and a statewide call to stay home and stay sheltered, many Angelenos are forced to put their health on the line simply to keep a roof over their heads. Over 240 advocacy organizations, worker centers, labor unions, service providers, religious congregations, community groups, and more have come together to form the Healthy LA coalition to push for policies to protect residents in crisis during this time.
CALL TO ACTION
The Los Angeles City Council will be meeting this Tuesday, April 7th, at 10:00 AM PDT to discuss emergency measures in response to COVID-19. There will be time for some public comment, but this crisis is affecting everyone in our city. One afternoon simply is not enough time to capture how drastically life has changed for millions of Angelenos.
That’s why we’re extending public comment by asking our neighbors to share how COVID-19 is affecting you, and why City Council needs to take action to protect those most vulnerable in this crisis.
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
Whether you’re on your way to work or at home social distancing, take a moment and record your 1-minute COVID-19 story and share your story with your local representatives.
1. Look up your elected representatives 2. Record your COVID-19 story and tag your CITY COUNCILMEMBER and COUNTY SUPERVISOR.
3. Remember to use the hashtag #HealthyLA!
VIDEO TIPS
• Be as specific as you can! Small details are what help make our stories powerful.
• Describe how your life looks like right now. How have things changed for you?
• How are you feeling right now? What worries do you have?
• What decisions are you facing, and how does it feel to have to make those decisions?
What do you need most right now? What would you like to see happening for you, your co-workers, your neighbors?
COUNTY BOARD UPDATE
At the L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting on March 31st, they approved a motion for a moratorium on water shut-offs in LA County. We appreciate everyone's help in ensuring that motion was successful!
The current crisis has led to unprecedented levels of joblessness, job insecurity, and exploitation. Workers deemed essential continue to face hazardous conditions without the proper protection and without just compensation. In this last week alone our country saw strikes or job stoppages from workers at Instacart, Whole Foods, and Amazon. Those who are on the frontlines of this crisis in the healthcare industry continue to pressure hospitals to provide more personal protective equipment and institute proper safety protocols. At the national level DSA is responding to the wave of workers who are self-organizing by developing the resources, the networks, and the training workers need to win their demands in this crisis.
EMERGENCY WORKPLACE ORGANIZING PROJECT
Would you like to organize your workplace and need help doing so? Fill out this form to be put in touch with DSA’s Emergency Workplace Organizing Project.
Were you working in the restaurant industry before Covid-19 (restaurant, bar, fast food, other hospitality)? By all accounts the industry will not be the same when this is over. Fill out this form or join this call if you’d like to be part of a project to win worker power and relief in the industry.
COVID-19 INFO & RESOURCES
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
Los Angeles is in crisis — and not just a public health crisis, but a deep economic crisis that is deepening the housing affordability and homelessness crises we've already been facing. Many of us have always been one paycheck away from losing our housing, and we are now losing work and facing housing insecurity. Many of us weren't able to pay our rent on April 1st.
But take a deep breath. We can ALL work with our friends, neighbors, and fellow tenants to leverage the power of numbers against landlords. We're taking some key actions to support both housed and unhoused tenants through this COVID-19 crisis.
We've compiled some resources on how you can organize your fellow tenants and request a rent reduction or suspension, either on your own or with your organized building:
We are working to push these resources out to our entire membership and beyond to lay the groundwork for potential rent strikes when it is necessary or strategic to do so. One key component of this effort is a new team of tenants' rights first responders, who can connect other members with resources and guidance on their rights as tenants during COVID-19. If you want to be a part of that team, email [email protected].
Our Street Watch LA initiative is working in overdrive to provide crucial supplies for our unhoused comrades during this time, such ashandwashing stations, hygiene and harm reduction supplies, tents, and food. Donate to our fundraiser to support these efforts! We also need volunteers to report on city-operated handwashing stations for unhoused people near them — take a walk and see if it has water, soap, or exists at all! Email [email protected] if you want to help.
Reclaiming Our Homes needs volunteers! Are you healthy, under 60 years old, and willing to support the reclaimers in person with a socially distant security shift? Fill out this form. We also need people to make calls to elected officials pushing them to support the Reclaimers' demand for vacant publicly-owned housing to be used as social housing immediately.
This call will lay out a broad picture of how capitalism created the COVID-19 crisis: from ecological disasters of unfettered capitalism; to a pharmaceutical industry fueled by profits not healthcare; to the gutting of healthcare, public health funding, and social safety nets; to the shameful response of the government — they sacrificed our lives and loved ones for their profits. This discussion will delve into the causes and character of the crisis, and its implications for the future of our world.
LA County Library Virtual Story Hour If you missed Levar Burton's livestream reading of stories from Neil Gaiman or want more, the LA County Library has hosted multiple bilingual virtual story hours! They are recorded and can be watched after as well.
The Wiki Game A very fun game that promotes skills with computer literacy, planning/problem solving, and making logical connections. This can also be played informally and you can compete with your kid to get from TikTok to Danny Devito and vice versa.
Free Rice Run by World Food Programme, this site was initially a vocabulary builder, but has expanded the categories to include geography, basic science facts, and more.
STRATEGIC MUTUAL AID
This blog containing a variety of resources for mutual aid work.
This resource with information on how to safely approach mutual aid work during this pandemic.
Join the Political Education Committee every week as we read and discuss Silvia Federici's classic text, "Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation". Meetings will be held via Zoom and open to all. RSVP to each meeting to receive the Zoom link to join!
READING & DISCUSSION SCHEDULE
*THIS WEEK* Thursday, April 9 - Part 3: "The Great Caliban" (pgs. 232-287 in PDF) Wednesday, April 15 - Part 4: "The Great Witch-Hunt in Europe" (pgs. 288-383 in PDF) Thursday, April 23 - Part 5: "Colonization and Christianization" (pgs. 384-428 in PDF)
Let's share reflections on Self-Care under COVID-19, Black Identity within DSA-LA, and different projects by the AFROSOC Caucus. We won't police people's identities, but this is an event for those who identify as black or part of the african diaspora. Follow the AFROSOCIALISTS AND SOCIALISTS OF COLOR CAUCUS on Twitter // Facebook.
Are you new or newly returning to DSA? To Los Angeles? To the Left? Then join us for DSA 101!
At this orientation, we'll talk about what capitalism is, how it functions, and why socialism is ideologically opposed to it. Participants will also learn about the history of our organization and our chapter in particular, the current projects we're working on, and how you can get involved.
Pre-registration for this event is required. Click here to RSVP! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the information on how to join this meeting.
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