The Burning Case for a Socialist Green New Deal: A Conversation with Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò; Socialists mobilizing to defend DC’s sanctuary status; Rockville Rent Stabilization draws big turnout at city budget hearing as tenant bill moves through MD state senate
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. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
The Burning Case for a Socialist Green New Deal: A Conversation with Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò — Tuesday, April 8 at 7pm
The neoliberal climate
agenda has failed us. As we face down four years of federal
environmental backsliding, the need for locally-driven movements to
advance transformative climate justice policy and build a Green New Deal
has never been more urgent.
Join Metro DC DSA on Tuesday, April 8 from 7 to 9pm for a conversation on socialist climate politics with Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Georgetown professor, DSA member, and author of Reconsidering Reparations and Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else), followed by an interactive session about DC’s local GND campaigns and strategies for the path forward.
Attendees will learn specifics about and strategize on:
The importance of local GND organizing
The intersections between environmental justice and the Green New Deal
The importance of explicitly socialist climate politics
Socialists mobilizing to defend DC’s sanctuary status; outreach canvasses begin this weekend — Saturday, March 29 at 10am
As a part of her many
capitulations to the Trump regime, Mayor Muriel Bowser has done an
about-face in her rhetoric about DC’s status as a sanctuary city.
Migrant Families Collective, a newly-formed grassroots group led by
directly impacted community members of diverse ages and backgrounds, is calling a press conference to defend the city’s sanctuary status at 5:30pm on Friday, April 4 at Lamont Plaza.
Defending immigrant rights is vital to the democratic socialist
political vision — protecting immigrant rights means protecting the
rights of the wider working-class. Pulling together masses in support of
immigrant rights, and against ICE, will be vital for pushing Bowser to
change direction.
To rally the community, socialists and allies are organizing outreach for the press conference this weekend to spread the word, thanks to the tireless work of Metro DC DSA new Migrant Justice subcommittee. Comrades will gather at Adams Morgan Plaza on Saturday, March 29 at 10am
to table and canvass neighbors in the area to promote the press
conference. No experience is needed — recruits will be given a script to
use when talking to folks and provided with fliers for distribution.
Canvassers will survey the area in groups of 2 or 3. RSVP here for the canvass.
Rockville Rent Stabilization draws big turnout at city budget hearing as tenant bill moves through MD state senate
Local renters and supporters
packed Rockville City Hall on Monday to share stories of escalating
rents and community displacement. The hearing was standing room only,
with attendees listening in from the hallway and in an overflow room
across the hall. Tenants dispelled common myths about rent stabilization
and shared research and data to back up their claims. A representative
of SEIU 500, the union for support staff in Montgomery County Public
Schools and adjunct faculty at Montgomery College, warned the City
Council members and mayor that inaction on rent stabilization would have
consequences in the next municipal election. Only minutes after he was
introduced by the mayor and council, a newly appointed member of the
city’s Human Rights Commission stepped to the mic to declare his support
for rent stabilization. “Housing is a human right,” he told the city
leaders. “Housing should be available to everyone.” The point was clear:
Rockville’s leaders must enact a rent stabilization law as strong or
stronger than the law protecting other tenants in Montgomery County.
Meanwhile,
in the Maryland State Senate, a critical tenant protection bill (HB
767) is stalled in a Senate committee. The 2025 session of the Maryland
General Assembly ends April 7 and time is short. The Tenant Possessions
Recovery Act provides families a 14-day notice of their scheduled
eviction so that they are aware when their eviction is happening. In
addition, if a family is evicted, they are allowed to recover their
belongings up to 10 days after the eviction. This kind of notice and
reclamation period is standard practice in Virginia, DC and other
neighboring states — but not Maryland. The Maryland House of Delegates
has already passed this important bill. Now, all eyes turn to the Senate
Judicial Proceedings Committee. MD residents can use this form to contact key legislators to urge them to take action.
WASHINGTON SOCIALIST SPRING 2025
The Washington Socialist is Metro DC DSA’s quarterly political journal, which has published consistently since 2017. Articles provide contemporary commentary and debate on contemporary realities facing socialists in the DMV.
Understanding our past, forging our future ... There will be no working-class liberation without close study of the past. A thoughtful essay from longtime member Kurt Stand.
The Future of Reproductive Health ... Alex Mell-Taylor interviews local chapter member Adele B on the socialist vision of reproductive health.
David Lynch: The Modern Cassandra ... weirdo's rejoice - the Socialist's resident film critic Tom McMahon ponders the death of gonzo director David Lynch
Stay tuned next week for an additional entry. Interested in writing, editing or designing for the publication? Chapter members can reach out to washingtonsocialist@mdcdsa.org , and members can send a note to the Publications team on the chapter slack (#publications)
BRIEFS
Trans & Queer Liberation hosting Trans Day of Vision picnic and rally — Sunday, March 30 at 1pm
In 2009, organizers began
celebrating Trans Day of Visibility. Although public awareness has
increased since then, so has the hate and hostility from a vocal
minority who seek to remove us from society. This year, join us on
Sunday, March 30 at 1pm for the first Trans Day of Vision. A better world is on the horizon. Can you see it too?
The Bodily Autonomy Working Group’s Trans & Queer Liberation Campaign, along with community allies, are hosting a community picnic and rally to launch our community’s first Trans Day of Vision. Join
us and our cosponsors for a potluck picnic and rally in Malcolm X park.
Share your vision of liberation as we proclaim that visibility and
polite requests for acceptance are not enough. It is time to declare,
and demand, our vision of a fully liberated society and our place within
it.
People of Adams Morgan stop Wednesday morning ICE kidnapping; scramble to ward off ICE raids on elementary schools
Early Wednesday morning, ICE agents descended
on H.D. Cooke Elementary School in Adams Morgan. Their target: An
elementary school staffer. Staff at the school quickly intervened by
repelling the eight agents, successfully stopping the arrest. In
response to reports of other ICE mobilizations targeting Elementary
Schools at closing time in Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant and Adams
Morgan, local anti-fascists quickly mobilized to protect staff and
students from potential arrest, scaring off the lowlifes who make up
America’s immigration enforcement networks. Authority has expanded
beyond ICE in recent weeks. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), US
Marshals, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the
Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) have all been deputized to carry out
immigration enforcement crackdowns.
The
terror campaign has expanded beyond the bounds of undocumented
immigrants. Legal immigrants deemed as enemies of Trump are also being
disappeared without any clear legal pretense. On Wednesday, Tufts
student Rumeysa Ozturk was kidnaped in broad daylight in the streets of
Medford. In New York, a twenty-one year old permanent resident from
Korea is being dogged by jackboots for having participated in Palestine solidarity protests. Last week, Georgetown University professor Badar Khan Suri was abducted from his Rosslyn home (sparking protests on campus). And this modern Gestapo has a civilian wing, as Zionist groups stalk students and activists who dare stand against racial supremacy and genocide. These groups, who have received funding by Republican operators for some time, appear to be coordinating in some way with Trump’s regime.
DC area locals are encouraged to follow guidance
from DC Migrant Mutual Aid in reporting suspected ICE activity in your
neighborhood, or if you know someone detained by them, call Migrant
Solidarity Mutual Aid’s emergency hotline at (202) 335-1183. If a
bystander, document but do not engage: Verify the federal agency, record
date times and locations, take photos and videos of interactions but do
NOT post them on social media. Find additional immigrant support
resources in English and Español.
DC funding update — Congressional bill to restore DC funding still in stasis on Capitol Hill
A congressional bill
that would allow DC to spend $1 billion of its already-levied tax
revenue has stalled on Capitol Hill. DC locals have continued organizing
outreach to Congressional representatives, asking for the House to pass
a bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate two weeks ago, but Congress
is dragging their feet. Although local political leaders suggest
Congress’ attack on DC is just a misunderstanding. However, the word among activists is that fellows from the Heritage Foundation — a right-wing holding pen for failsons of the rich — are trying to convince Repubs on the house to tie discrete demands to funding. Among them: trying DC children as adults, banning noncitizen voting and ending city services for undocumented residents, among other bonkers demands. We'll see if this holds up.
Meanwhile, DC
leadership appears to be slowly surrendering to Trump’s regime. As
reported by Politico: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is one of the Democratic
officials who has spent the early part of 2025 genuflecting to Trump.
“This week may have brought the most Trump-pleasing move yet: The
vandals accused of writing anti-Elon Musk graffiti on Tesla windshields,
DC police said, will potentially be on the hook for hate crimes,” Michael Schaffer writes in his latest must-read Capital City column.
“The announcement,” he jibes, “read more like pro-Tesla White House
messaging than a public-safety notice from a blue city’s police force.” And late breaking: Trump issued an Executive Order calling for mobilization of DC's many police forces.
Metro DC DSA overwhelmingly passes ‘Aquí Estamos, Y No Nos Vamos!’ in united rebuke to federal immigration policies
On March 16, members of the chapter received their ballot to vote on the amended Voting on Resolution 2025-02-GR01: Aquí Estamos, Y No Nos Vamos!
as amended. The resolution passed with 94.92% of votes in favor. The
resolution proposed a chapter-wide approach to organizing around
immigrant rights and opposition to ICE activities in the region, and was
amended to include the development of a formal subcommittee to organize
migrant justice operations in the chapter, among other changes to
strategy and approach.
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, April 5 at 11am
Build power in the DMV and
join the Metro DC DSA Street Team by attending the monthly meeting on
Saturday, April 5 from 11am to 12:30pm at the Cleveland Park Library 2nd
floor meeting room. 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. A happy hour is
to follow. All are encouraged to attend in-person. RSVP for the Street Team monthly meeting here.
Members organize club for socialist parents — meet up on Sunday, April 6 at 11am
Sign up and spread the word:
the new Socialist Parents Club in Metro DC DSA is hosting its first
meet up on Sunday, April 6 at 11am at Kalorama Park (1865 Kalorama Rd.
NW, DC). This will be a place for parents in Metro DC DSA and their kids
to connect with each other socially. Sit and hang out with comrades to
chat about parenting bloopers, current events, and more while our kids
work their energy out on the playgrounds, open space, and basketball
courts. If you are raising kids as a socialist and are interested in
joining this affinity group, make sure to fill out the sign up form (even if you can’t make it on April 6).
INFO ACCESS
MDC Dispatch (new feature!) The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and enable “All” notifications to be alerted to new installments.
Staying current:
MDC DSA members: Join our all-member Slack for real-time info on
working group and campaign events, convo, and inspiration. Email
slack@mdcdsa.org with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack
access. Chapter members are also invited to read — and edit — MDC DSA’s internal wiki. Email techops@mdcdsa.org to get set up or ask in #helpdesk.
Making MDC DSA hum: MDC DSA Publications Working Group is information central not only for MDC DSA but the entire DMV left. #publications
(our working group’s Slack channel) is how to get a flavor of how we
work. Weekly Updates like the one you are reading are scheduled and
emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are on the web here. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update here. Submit your Update suggestions or DMV scandal tips to our tip line.
The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; the Spring 2025 edition is live; Spring’s quarterly issue is now live. Check out our indexed and searchable archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to washingtonsocialist@mdcdsa.org. Get your socialist self on the record. Donate to our Comradery page if you would like to financially support socialist publishing in the DMV.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Boycott Target: Picket and Economic Education on March 29 | Faith Strategies Kick
off a boycott of the Target store on 14th and Irving Streets NW on
March 29 from 11am to 2pm, where Faith Strategies is organizing a picket
in opposition to Target’s removal of DEI policies. Learn more about the boycott here.
Spring Festival on April 12 | Wangari Gardens
Celebrate
the coming of spring at Wangari Gardens! Join your neighbors for a
potluck, yard games, music, and educational workshops. The Metro DC DSA
Street Team will be in attendance tabling a book exchange with art
printmaking, free buttons, books from After the Storm, and ways to get involved with the chapter. Learn more on Instagram here.
People’s Music Network Song Circle on March 30 | Bloombars
Want
to connect with a community of activists, artists and allies? Feel the
urge to sing songs of freedom and justice in a circle of peace, or bring
your own original songs for the group to learn and sing? Come through BloomBars for the monthly People’s Music Network (PMN) DC Chapter Song Circle on March 30, from 3 to 5pm.
Munther Isaac Book Talk April 1 and 2| “Christ in the Rubble”
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.
Trump’s Antisocial State: The
administration is attempting to incapacitate the redistributive and
social protective arms of the state, while exploiting its vast
bureaucratic powers to silence, threaten, and deport. “The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership: Project 2025
has produced a much more focused Trump than we saw the first time
around. It has found a way to convert the president’s flare ups into a
constant source of energy and to arrange his thought bubbles into a
sequential narrative,” Melinda Cooper writes in DISSENT. The document
and the administration’s action so far “represents the apotheosis of the
antisocial state: a state form that has withdrawn from the task of
social insurance and placed its entire administrative apparatus in the
hands of a small group of uber-wealthy business partners.”
The Decline of the Rest: What comes after the end of the American-led world order? – “Democracy has been eroding for decades. In its latest report on the state of democracy, issued six weeks into the Trump administration but based on data through 2024, the V-Dem Institute
in Sweden noted that there are fewer democracies than autocracies for
the first time in more than 20 years. Almost three out of four people in
the world live under autocratic governments, the highest share since
1978, well before the end of the Cold War. Liberal democracies host 12
percent of the world population.” Not a very nice prospect, but maybe
what we have to deal with. Eduardo Porter writing in the WaPo
Where are the firebreaks? We
should fight elections, in advance of as well as in 2026, and bolster
courts and a defiant Federal Reserve, says Robert Kuttner in the Prospect,
but “an aroused public could be the most important firebreak of all.
One question that good organizers always ask of themselves is: What is
our theory of change? In this case, what are the mechanisms that might
slow down Trump and his wrecking crew, and how might they be activated?” American Prospect via Portside.
Fascism Today: Trump World Report of Dirty Deeds:
DHS has cut support for a research database at UMCP that tracks and
analyzes incidents of mass violence (school shootings, domestic
terrorist events etc.) — and no wonder; according to WaPo“[Project
Director Michael] Jensen said this cancellation comes at a time when
their data revealed the first two months of 2025 saw a 25 percent
increase in terrorism and targeted violence incidents compared to the
first two months of last year.” No word on whether Tesla defacements are
included.
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.
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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
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