Socialists hit the streets in MD in final stretch of electoral campaign; Socialists planning takeover of Pepco — Socialist Night School on October 15; Learn the art of Class war with the Northern Virginia Labor Federation
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
Socialists hit the streets in Greenbelt and Gaithersburg in final stretch of electoral campaign
Metro DC DSA will be canvassing endorsed candidates Frankie
Santos Fritz for Greenbelt City Council and Omodamola Williams for
Gaithersburg City Council. Frankie and Omo are fighting to support
working people in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Canvassing
operations have been split between two cadre teams based out of PG
County and Montgomery County, and have maintained a consistent
canvassing schedule over the past month and a half.
Frankie’s team is kicking off canvasses at noon on Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5 at the Greenbelt Metro Station. Omo’s team is kicking off canvasses this Saturday at 11am, Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 11am and Sunday at 2pm
at Gaithersburg Elementary (35 N Summit Ave, Gaithersburg, MD).
Carpooling is available from the Shady Grove Metro station — DSA members
can reach out in the #electoral chapter Slack channel with questions or to arrange a pick-up 15 minutes before the canvass.
Socialists planning takeover of Pepco — Socialist Night School on October 15 @ 6pm to spell out the socialist’s plot to take over DC’s power company
It is clear to most DC residents that Pepco sucks —
skyrocketing rates have left a quarter of DC residents in utility debt,
thousands of DC customers receive shutoff notices each month, and
despite the unfolding planetary crisis, Pepco still sources the vast
majority of its energy from fossil fuels. This is the nature of energy
under an investor owned utility (IOU).
But there is another way:
an energy utility that is publicly owned and operated, and thus
democratically accountable to the people of DC — in other words, public
power. We Power DC, Metro DC DSA’s municipalization campaign, has spent
the last year working on a report detailing the failures of the IOU
model here in DC, the advantages of a public power utility, and the path
to municipalization. On Wednesday, October 15,
the socialists’ plan to spell out their plot for taking over DC’s power
supply company in the city to develop a utility that works for the
people of DC, not far away billionaire investors.
This next
Socialist Night School is being organized by the chapter’s Political
Education and We Power working groups, and is being organized hybrid and
in-person. The Road to Public Power event is taking place at Shaw/Watha
T. Daniel Library, Meeting Room 1 and will begin at 6pm. RSVP for this hybrid event here.
Learn the art of Class war: Virginia socialists to join Northern Virginia Labor Federation at three-day labor organizing training in Alexandria — October 3 – 5
The next three-day Inside Organizer School (IOS) is
happening from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5 in Alexandria. The
school will be led by workers who spearheaded the Starbucks union
campaign and will provide valuable instruction on organizing and
bargaining skills. The event will also convene labor organizers from
across the DMV for networking and co-instruction. Thanks to the Northern
Virginia Labor Federation, there is no cost to attend the school and
meals will be provided. Sign up here to attend.
The
strategies pioneered and taught by the school have been pivotal in many
recent high-profile labor struggles at Starbucks, Amazon, and other
corporate employers. Advancing an emboldened labor movement is one of
the best ways for the working class to fight back against the powers of
capital, and plays a key role in backboning fights in other sites of
struggle against capitalism. Understanding the importance of building a
strong bench of labor organizers ready for action, United Auto Workers
President Shawn Fain and Flight Association (AFA-CWA) President Sara
Nelson stopped by to address organizers at last year’s Virginia IOS.
Learn more about the IOS’ tactics in Business Week: “The Undercover Organizers Behind America’s Union Wins.”
BRIEFS
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, October 4 at 3pm
Join the Metro DC DSA Street Team at their next monthly meeting on
Saturday, October 4 from 3 to 4:30pm at MLK Memorial Library to learn
how to build power and visibility for the chapter’s working groups at
upcoming community events in the DMV. Organizers of all experience
levels are welcome to attend this meeting, where free EC 4 DC
reproductive health kits will be available, courtesy of the Bodily
Autonomy Working Group. Topics on the agenda range from upcoming event
coordination to talking about socialism and connecting prospective
members to the chapter. All are encouraged to attend in-person. RSVP here for the monthly meeting.
Results from Metro DC DSA’s September General Body Meeting — Member statements due by Saturday, October 4
The results are in for items debated at Metro DC DSA’s September General Body Meeting. The results are as follows:
The period for member statements on Resolution 2025-09-GR02: Invest In Party Infrastructure: Staff for Metro DC DSA As Amended by 2025-09-GR02-A02 is now open. To submit a member statement, submit a RedDesk ticket under "Agenda Item / Submit Member Statement" with the full text of your statement. The chapter strongly recommends making a Red Desk account and including a shared Google Doc with the full amendment text to avoid the webpage timing out while writing, and making sure to check your email inbox for confirmation once you submit. The deadline to submit member statements is Saturday, October 4 at 11:59pm.
No Kings, No Fascists, No Billionaires — October 18 at 11am
The American working class is under attack by a radical
right-wing government backed by a small clique of super-rich oligarchs.
But millions of people are assembling across the country on October 18
to stand up and fight back. Join Metro DC DSA and allies to send the
fascists in power a message: No kings, no fascists, and no billionaires.
Join
the Metro DC DSA contingent at John Marshall Park (400 C St NW,
Washington, DC 20001, near the Judiciary Square Metro stop) at 11am on
Saturday, October 18. Volunteers are needed, so please RSVP early if
interested.
Convention recap suggests continued democracy tendency
“The DSA took a decisive step to the left this biennial, an MDC DSA participant writes.
“Deliberations showed, however, that no one caucus defined its
direction. Each caucus was, at best, able to secure their priorities but
faltered in fights outside those priorities.” Get the scoop on the
two-year direction of the DSA in this detailed reporting on DSA’s most
recent national convention.
Abolition’s coat distribution fundraiser happy hour — Tuesday, October 7 at 5pm
Join the Abolition Working Group at Electric Cool-Aid (512 Rhode Island
Ave NW) for their coat drive fundraiser. There will be raffles and
prizes from businesses across DC (as well as from Abolition members),
free Plan B courtesy of EC4DC, refreshments, and community. Every dollar
raised goes straight to purchasing coats for DC residents to stay warm
this winter. Come out and support your neighbors. RSVP here or donate directly here.
Join NoVA socialists for fiber arts this weekend, then come to their first distribution on October 12
The chapter’s mutual aid efforts continue on Sunday, October 12 as the Northern Virginia Mutual Aid Working Group plans to organize a mutual aid distribution outside the Crystal City Metro station, starting at 11am. Comrades interested in volunteering can fill out NoVA MAWG’s interest form as well as donating directly or purchasing from their wish list.
A one-time donation helps purchase goods to directly improve the lives
and material conditions of the hungry and unhoused in Crystal City. A
recurring donation helps to properly scale this and future
distributions. Any amount helps. Masks, socks and underwear, COVID
tests, and packaged food will be available for those in need, as well as
any donations brought directly to the distribution.
NoVA MAWG’s Fiber Arts Club is also scheduled to meet tomorrow, Saturday, October 4 at 10:30am
at the Sherwood Regional Library. The event is kid friendly, and
supplies will be provided. Free Plan B will be available, courtesy of
our comrades at EC4DC. Their next working group meeting is scheduled for October 30 at 7pm on Zoom. And stay tuned for their upcoming timebank/skillshare,
currently in beta — do you have skills you’d like to trade with others
outside the confines of capitalism? If so, the timebank needs you.
Socialists must live the kind of society we seek to build.
Celebrate the Socialist Feminist Section’s new stewards with a happy hour — Thursday, October 9 at 5:30pmy
Join the Socialist Feminist Section for their first happy hour with new
stewards Leah T. and Tarini K. at Dew Drop Inn on Thursday, October 9
from 5:30 – 7pm. Come for the great drinks and free Plan B — again, courtesy of friends at EC4DC — and stay for the camaraderie. Look for DSA merch when you arrive or check the #socialist-feminist channel on Slack or our Instagram to find them. RSVP here.
Get (physically) active with the movement by joining Socialist Movement — walking club on October 26 at 2pm
The Metro DC DSA Community Builders are proud to announce the formation
of Socialist Movement, a new initiative centered around getting our DSA
comrades (and friends) together for active recreational activities —
walks, sports, etc. Their first event will be an October Walking Club on
October 26 at 2pm (note the new date). Please complete this form
to RSVP for their October walk from Cleveland Park to Mt. Pleasant.
There is no attendance maximum, but they would like to keep it under 25 people, so sign up soon.
DC Spanish Club for Socialists planning next meetup — October 6 at 7pm
The DC Spanish Club for Socialists is a project of multiple area
socialist and mutual aid organizations including Metro DC DSA. The event
is about 90 minutes long and is split into beginner, intermediate, and
advanced groups, so learners of all levels should feel welcome. The next
session is scheduled for Monday, September 15 from 7 – 8:30pm at
Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd NW). Sign up here for calendar updates and conversation guides.
Socialists of Faith planning solidarity service — Sunday, October 12 at 4pm
Do you practice or have practiced some form of faith? Does it inform some of your organizing efforts? If so, come out to the Religious Socialist Solidarity Service
on Sunday, October 12 at 4pm. All faiths and those seeking spiritual
community are welcome. Participants will be sharing songs, poems,
religious texts, and stories about how their relationships with faith
and religion have informed their politics.
Socialist Transit riders fighting for our mobility future
The Metro DC DSA Transit Working Group is fighting back
against a failure to deliver better transit for riders across the DC
area. Eighteen months after local leaders started their DMV Moves initiative
to make once-in-a-generation progress to improve transit, those same
leaders are about to make our transit status quo even worse than it
already is. With no commitment to a secure source of operations funding,
expansion of bus rapid transit, consolidation of regional bus
operators, or rail expansion, DMV Moves is committing the region to
future decades of a stagnant, ineffective transit system that does not
meet the needs of the public.
The Metro DC DSA Transit Working
Group is mobilizing over the next month to pressure DMV Moves to
reconsider the impacts of this disappointing plan. To find out how to
get involved, check out the Transit Working Group Action Network page.
INFO ACCESS
The DMV continues to be under siege by militarist authoritarians. Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! We’re the alternative that works for people, not profiteers and their captive politicians.
The next session of MDC DSA’s “Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation” is an in-person version set for Wednesday, October 8, 7 – 8pm. Later in October, there’s a virtual version Wednesday, October 22. Learn about the Metro DC chapter — branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — at any time right here. Get inside our ideas and our work through our acclaimed “Socialist Night School” — archive is here.
Members are encouraged to join our Slack for real-time info on working
group and campaign events, strategy/tactic exchange, and inspiration.
Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get
access.
Mid-Autumn Festival on October 4 | Save Chinatown Solidarity Network
Join
the Save Chinatown Solidarity Network on Saturday, October 4, for their
Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. They will have mooncakes, tea, crafts,
tai chi, and more. Find more info on Instagram here.
2025 DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival on October 10-12
As
we approach two years of unrelenting genocide in Gaza, this year’s DC
Palestinian Film and Arts Festival uncovers the layers of disruption
that shape the experiences and threaten the livelihoods of Palestinians
and Occupied Palestine and those in the diaspora witnessing it. Learn
more about the full lineup and get tickets here.
Solidarity Series: Resisting Criminalization | New Virginia Majority & Showing Up for Racial Justice
On
Saturday, October 25 at 1pm, join New Virginia Majority and Showing up
for Racial Justice for a training on how white allies can show
solidarity with immigrant and other targeted communities. Under the
current regime, we are seeing more and more everyday acts of survival
and solidarity defined as “criminal,” from migration, abortion, and
trans health care to protest and mutual aid. This training will discuss
how we can resist these efforts to isolate and harm our communities by
rejecting criminalization and learning from the leadership of
criminalized people. Masking is strongly encouraged. RSVP here.
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.
Advocates
warn that new HUD demands, looming funding cuts, and potential work
rules could dismantle Housing Choice Vouchers and upend low-income
households nationwide.The Trump administration is escalating its efforts
to dismantle federal rental assistance, targeting the Housing Choice
Voucher Program—commonly known as Section 8—through budget cuts, new
eligibility requirements, and sweeping administrative directives. The
changes could displace millions of households, including families with
children, seniors, disabled tenants, and low-wage workers. The Housing
Choice Voucher Program is the largest federal rental assistance
initiative, serving approximately 2.3 million low-income households
across the country. According to data cited by USAFacts, the program
provides stable housing to 2.7 percent of U.S. residents. Nation of Change via Portside
The
Moore administration is facing increasing pressure from activists and
the head of the Legislative Latino Caucus to boot a discount airline
from Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport
because it has been flying immigrants targeted for deportation to a
detention facility in Louisiana. The activists are calling out Avelo
Airlines, which signed charter contracts earlier this year with the
Department of Homeland Security to carry immigrants rounded up by the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency from airports across the
country [where protests are also active] to a detention center in
Alexandria, Louisiana, where detainees arrive shackled and in handcuffs.
Avelo operated about 20% of the deportation flights in the U.S. in
August, according to data compiled by the website Travel and Tour World. Maryland Matters >> A petition urging action by Moore is here.
Hundreds
of generals and admirals converged on Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30,
2025, after being summoned from across the globe by their boss, Pentagon
chief Pete Hegseth, for a session that, as expected, covered what
Hegseth often describes as the “warrior ethos.” Listening quietly, they heard Hegseth promise to make the military “stronger, tougher, faster, fiercer and more powerful than it has ever been before,” and declare that he would fix “decades of decay”
in the military.,,, Trump’s rebranding of the Department of Defense
into the Department of War signals a shift toward framing U.S. power
primarily in terms of military force. Such a framing emphasizes the use
of violence as the principal means of solving problems and equates
hostility and aggression with leadership.Yet historical experience shows
that military dominance alone has not translated into strategic
success. The Conversation
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.
Thinking about it, but want to get this email Update every Friday? SIGN UP
HERE.
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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