Comrades:



We hope this finds you and your family healthy and safe.



The news today that Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the Presidential
primary is a gut-wrenching reminder of the obstacles we face. This is not
the first time we have been confronted with considerable setbacks, but this
time, we have come further. Our numbers have grown as we mobilized over the
past months, we have built broader connections across our community, and we
have constructed a resilient organization committed to the fight for
democratic socialism. Now is the time to maintain that momentum.



Please join us at our next Chapter Meeting on Thursday, April 16, at 7p,
via Zoom
<[link removed]>
(call
info to follow).

Our members have been checking in on each other throughout the crisis --
you may have received a call or voicemail from us recently -- and we want
to continue those conversations at the upcoming meeting, particularly
around how to extend Berkshires DSA’s ongoing response to the COVID crisis.

So far, we have been reaching out to other organizations in the area,
including the NAACP and the Elizabeth Freeman Center, as well as our
comrades in Pioneer Valley DSA. We endorsed a bill currently being
considered in the Mass legislature to put a moratorium on evictions and
foreclosures <[link removed]>. We’ve also been
active in other areas, such as reaching out to comrades in Cape Cod DSA to
support the Mashpee Wampanoag
<[link removed]>
in defending against being removed from their land.



These are just first steps; as a chapter, we need to discuss strategies for
addressing both the immediate and long-term consequences of COVID. One path
we will discuss is founding a Labor Working Group, and coordinating closely
with the Restaurant Worker Project
<[link removed]>
of the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission. Please join us at the meeting
on Thursday, April 16, at 7p, to discuss these ideas and more. Bring
suggestions!



With Bernie’s departure from the primary, and the ongoing COVID crisis,
there has never been a better time to renew your commitment to organizing
at the local level. This is also a time of renewal for our chapter, as a
new Executive Committee comes in. Our new Co-Chairs, Christian Kennedy and
Sidney Rothstein, along with Jessica Cappelli as Treasurer/Secretary and
Amillie Coster continuing as Communications Coordinator, are excited to
build on the strong foundations provided by Dan Raftery, John Prusinski,
and Brian Hunt.



Keep an eye out for an email from us with call info for our upcoming
meeting. We’re looking forward to seeing you next week!



In solidarity,



Christian Kennedy

Sidney Rothstein

Co-Chairs, Executive Committee

Berkshires DSA

Berkshiresdsa.org

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