Update on KOSA censorship bill; attend upcoming Member Engagement Department forum; join comrades at summer picnics and more ...
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
KOSA update: Internet censorship bill appears stalled in House
A (duplicitously named) bill called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) passed in the US Senate last week, 91-3. However, the House companion bill appears to be stalled, according to an update reported in Punchbowl News early Thursday. Although the legislation may be on hold for the remainder of the year, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters it’s something he’d like to get done. Readers are encouraged to contact Congressional Reps — particularly Republicans — to oppose the legislation, and can use this tool to send correspondence to Senators and Reps.
If passed, KOSA would provide individual state attorneys general the ability to monitor and restrict access to content they happen to feel is “harmful.” With vague directive, the legislation is expected to be a plot by the right wing to isolate trans kids from community and health information. The legislation’s lead sponsor, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, has explicitly stated as such in rollout of the legislation.
Join the DSA National Queer Socialist Working Group campaign to fight KOSA here. The WG’s next organizing call is scheduled for this Saturday, August 3rd, at 5pm.
Metro DC DSA to unveil new membership recruitment, retention and onboarding system at upcoming forum — August 8 at 7pm
Think “DSA should be doing more to grow its membership?” Join the club — literally. Metro DC DSA’s Member Engagement Department (MED), the formation charged with recruiting new members and mobilizing them into campaigns, is holding a Member Engagement Forum next week to discuss membership growth and onboarding pipelines to our working groups and campaigns.
During the forum, MED will unveil its new structure as well as opportunities to get involved with the department. Attendees will also have time to co-create goals for this fall, building on the energies of the election cycle that can be sustained into next year. Ultimately, MED plans to support our chapter to impact local elections and the material conditions of residents in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Interested chapter members — especially those involved in working groups or campaigns — are highly encouraged to attend and get engaged.
RSVP now in order to get involved and share thoughts about member engagement for prospective, new, lapsed and inactive members.
Socialist picnics planned in Montgomery County (August 4) and Northern Virginia (August 10)
In deep summer, socialists in the DMV are planning a set of picnics and meet-ups in Montgomery County and Northern Virginia over the next week. The events — which include grilling and relaxation — are open to all, and hope to foster a greater sense of familiarity and comradeship between DSA members, progressives and leftists in the DMV area.
This Sunday, August 4th from 2 to 5pm, socialists will be meeting at Wheaton Forest Local Park, just a short walk away from the Wheaton Metro Station (1700 University Blvd W, Wheaton, MD 20902). The picnic will take place at a covered picnic area in the park, and will include lawn games, grilling and art activities. RSVP requested so organizers know how much to plan for — and volunteers are always welcome.
And next Saturday, August 10th from 2 to 8pm, socialists will be holding a cookout at Quincy Park Pavilion in Arlington, just outside the GMU Metro stop in Northern Virginia (1021 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201). The event will take place right after the Northern Virginia branch monthly organizing meeting. There will be grilling, games and a surprise musical guest. RSVP here.(Want to bring something? Send NOVA an email to coordinate.)
BRIEFS
Results for Metro DC DSA chapter resolution amendments
Results of the recent round of internal chapter resolution amendments were released to voting chapter members on Thursday at midnight. Results are as follows:
Amendment One to Resolution 2024-07-GR1 failed adoption 54-94. Of 159 ballots counted, 54 voted yes (36%), 94 voted no (64%), and 11 abstained.
Amendment Two to Resolution 2024-07-GR1 was adopted 146-7. Of 159 ballots counted, 146 voted yes (95%), 7 voted no (5%), and 6 abstained.
The statement period for amended resolution 2024-07-GR1A will remain open until August 8. Members of Metro DC DSA can submit statements in support or opposition through the chapter’s Red Desk system. (Recommendation for members submitting statements — draft the statement on Google or on a word processor to ensure proper formatting.) Members with questions can reach out in the #steering channel in the chapter Slack to ask additional questions. Ballots are planned to go out on Saturday, August 10th.
Interested in Metro DC DSA’s internal voting history? Local members can access the Vote Archive on the chapter’s new wiki, which includes links to resolution language, voting results and more. Submit a request in the Red Desk system to get login credentials.
Spread the word about Abolition’s Backpack Drive — August 3
MDC DSA’s Abolition Working Group will be embarking on outreach for the upcoming MDC DSA Backpack Drive tomorrow, August 3. The working group will meet at L’enfant Plaza Metro Station Entrance at 650 D St SW (7th and D st SW on D St), do a quick tutorial, and then disperse to locations across the city in groups to paste these posters everywhere. New members interested in getting involved, or community members interested in learning how to distribute posters and outreach, are welcome to attend. RSVP and get more details here.
Canvass with Stomp Out Slumlords to defend DC tenants’ rights — Monday, August 5th at 6:30pm
SOS’s campaign to defend DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act from the landlord lobby’s attacks continues on Monday at the Cromwell Apartments in Columbia Heights (1515 Ogden St NW). Help reach out to tenants to educate them about the threat to tenants’ rights and what they can do to fight back. As with our anti-eviction canvassing, we’ll do a short training before and pair up more and less experienced door-knockers. To RSVP or get information about future canvassing dates, email [email protected].
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, August 3 at 4pm
Build power in the DMV and join the Metro DC DSA Street Team by attending our monthly meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, August 3 at 4pm. This event is for anyone interested in getting active in the chapter’s Street Team to build socialist power in the DMV. The Street Team hosts and attends community events to connect Metro DC DSA and its campaigns with the community in the DMV in order to expand the chapter’s base and build a more democratic society. We are interested in talking to DMV residents to hear what is going on in their everyday lives and talk about how many of these issues connect to our campaigns. In this meeting the Metro DC DSA Street Team will be discussing future structuring within the chapter as well as summer events, with a happy hour to follow. All are encouraged to attend in-person at MLK Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC, room 401-F. RSVP here.
Washington Socialist x After the Storm writing workshop planned for August 25
Interested in bringing a new world into being? After the Storm seeks to use writing to share visions for a collective way forward out of our current system of exploitation and oppression. In partnership with the Washington Socialist, come out for a socialist writing workshop on Sunday, August 25 from 2 to 4pm at Sudhouse DC and join comrades in writing manifestos with collaborative exercises and discussion about socialist imaginaries. Signups are capped at 30 people — RSVP here.
Hyatt Crystal City staff continue weekly pickets in support of union fight — every Saturday
Unionizing hotel workers at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA) are picketing their union-busting bosses after filing for a union election, and they need community support. Locals are encouraged to show strength and solidarity with housekeeping staff who are engaged in a fight for their rights to unionize and collectively bargain. Picketing is scheduled for Saturdays, August 3 (7am) and August 10 (5pm). Locals interested in support can reach out to UNITE HERE Local 25 for more information.
INFO ACCESS
Find out in depth about our MDC DSA local chapter — structure, campaigns and working groups, Night School and reading groups — HERE. And live from our studio, Wednesday, August 14, 7 – 8pm, Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation (with Q&A). MDC DSA members: Join our Slack for real-time info, convo and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access. #Publications (our working group’s Slack channel) is always ready to onboard new socialist communicators.
MDC DSA Publications is information central for not just MDC DSA but the entire DMV left. TheWashington Socialist publishes articles on a quarterly schedule; the Summer 2024 edition is now live and will be updated on a rolling basis. Anyone, MDC DSA members or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Get your socialist self on the record.
Weekly Updates are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are on the web here. Submit your Update suggestions to the tip line, including nominating articles for ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES. Donate to our Comradery page if you would like to financially support socialist publishing in the DMV.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Black Books Matter Day: Local Author Edition | Mahogany Books
Honor James Baldwin’s 100th birthday weekend with Mahogany Books. On August 3 from 11am to 3pm at their National Harbor location, they’ll be featuring local authors and vendors integral to the surrounding DC community as they celebrate the importance of Black writers. Stay for their book swap, vendor market, library card signup and children’s storytime. Learn more here.
Bike for Safety and Liberation! Demand ICE out of Arlington and Ceasefire resolution
The ICE Out of Arlington Coalition, in collaboration with Arlington for Palestine and Never Again Action, is excited to announce a bike action on Tuesday, August 6! Join us as we make our voices heard and advocate for Safety and Liberation for All. This action is inspired by the Ella Baker Center’s Night Out for Safety and Liberation as an alternative to Arlington’s National Night Out. We will take action and gather for our own event emphasizing true safety and liberation for all. As County Board members went out for their August recess without taking action in support of our communities, we will continue to add pressure to get ICE out of Arlington and demand a ceasefire resolution by the Arlington County board. Learn more and RSVP here.
Free Cyanotype Printmaking Workshop
Join Luke on Saturday, August 24, from 12 to 4pm at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Community Cyanotypes, a community-focused free printmaking workshop to bridge the arts divide across the river. RSVP here.
Through the Portal Learning Series | Haymarket Books
Calling artists, designers, and content creators who aspire to contribute to the movements for collective liberation with grassroots organizers/educators working in the areas of solidarity economy/economic democracy, climate justice and abolition! Haymarket Books and Social Justice Initiatives are hosting a three-part online workshop where artists and culture workers will be invited to connect with individuals working deeply within each of these three “portals,” hear examples where artistic and cultural production have been pivotal in these movements, and engage in a Q&A with organizers. The first session begins on August 7. Learn more and RSVP here.
Anti-Zionist Rally & Walking Tour
This Tuesday, August 6 at 6pm, join JVP DC Metro at Lafayette square for a public rally, followed by educational walking tours of corporations that profit from zionism and the genocide of Palestinians, as well as common pro-Palestine boycott targets. In case you can’t make it at 6pm, tours will leave from Lafayette Square anytime from 6:30pm to 8pm. Bring comfortable shoes – there will be places to sit along the route, but we will be doing about a mile of walking. Bathrooms have been scouted along the route. Please wear a mask.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip line.
Rockville councilman: I was wrong about rent stabilization
Rockville City Council Member Dr. David Myles explains why he regrets signing a letter opposing rent stabilization in Montgomery County and why the city of Rockville needs rent stabilization to keep tenants housed in the Baltimore Sun.
‘No Children in the Village’: Tribes’ Losses to Indian Boarding Schools “'My aunt said after we all left, after the planes came and we all left, she said the village was so quiet because there was no children. No children in the village,' another student from Alaska told a panel convened to hear from boarding students…" Arizona Republic via Portside
How We Beat Fascism by April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO — Sims calls on labor to unite to defeat Project 2025: “Because it is our people, us, the working class who are under attack. Fascist ideology targets some workers explicitly — immigrants, people of color, disabled people, trans and queer people. But what fascists want for this country threatens us all.”
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
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 vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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