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**
THE
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twin cities
democratic socialists
of america


** Little Red Letter No. 63
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Calls to Action
What Does the Election Mean for Health Justice?
Sunday, October 11 at 12:00pm on Zoom ([link removed])

Join the TCDSA Health Justice Working Group for another visioning meeting, this time about what the election and months ahead mean for us and for healthcare. All are welcome, especially new folks! These meetings are focused on small groups discussion, where you will meet and hear from fellow comrades in the struggle.
Free Higher Education? Oh, you mean TCDSA 101!
Attention new members! Or even not that new if you haven't been as active as you'd like because you can't find the right door. Join the Zoom call Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 6:00 pm (register here ([link removed]) ) and learn about Twin Cities DSA's structure, current projects, recent history, and whatever else you have been wondering about. This is even less boring than it sounds!
We Demand: Sex Worker Social Movements in the United States!

Join the Socialist Feminist Branch and Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Minneapolis for a webinar presented by Dr. Jayne Swift on the past and present of sex worker social movements in the United States. There will be time for a Q&A as well - come learn about the politics of sex work and SWOP’s campaigns to effect change! Register here ([link removed] ) to join us.
Dr. Jayne Swift is a sex worker-activist-scholar, whose monograph, Lusty Ladies: Sex Work and Sex-Positive Politics, 1970-2013, analyzes the history and politics of sex-positivity in late 20^th-century US. She is also Principal Organizer and Researcher with the Minneapolis chapter of SWOP. You can find out more about her work here ([link removed]) .

Psst - did you know?
DSA is in the midst of a national membership drive with a goal of 100K members. Sign up to take part here ([link removed]) . We'll have more on this next month.
SAVE THE DATE!
OCTOBER 10, 2020
1:00-3:00pm
Zoom registration link below

Due to grave uncertainty about how the General Election is going to play out and the aftermath, a Special Membership Meeting will be called to strategize and plan.
Keep the day open and look for an announcement soon.
Upcoming Events

NOTE: All events are on Zoom unless location is given. Zoom links are found on the calendar near the date of the event if public, otherwise in Slack.
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Ops / Tech Committee
Mon., Oct. 5 - 7:00 pm

Transition of Power - How Do Socialists Prepare?
Special Membership Meeting
Sat., Oct. 10 - 1:00 pm
Zoom registration ([link removed])

Health Justice Discussion: What does the election mean for health justice?
Sun., Oct. 11 - Noon
Zoom registration ([link removed])

Political Education Committee
Tues., Oct. 13 - 6:00 pm

Steering Committee
Wed., Oct. 14 - 6:30 pm

Labor Branch General Meeting
Thurs., Oct. 15 - 6:00 pm

Socialist Reading Group
Sun., Oct. 18 - 3:00 pm

Ops / Tech Committee
Mon., Oct. 19 - 7:00 pm

TCDSA 101
A Teach-in from Pol Ed Committee
Wed., Oct. 21 - 6:00 pm
ZOOM registration ([link removed])

Socialist-Feminist Branch Meeting
Tues., Oct. 27 - 6:30 pm
ZOOM registration ([link removed])

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Socialist-Feminists Webinar with SWOP (see sidebar)
Thurs., Oct. 29 - 6:30 pm
ZOOM registration ([link removed])
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Mental Health WG Wellness Hour - Teach-in
Sat., Oct. 31 - 2:00 pm

Ops / Tech Committee
Mon., Nov. 2 - 7:00 pm

USA General Election
Tues., Nov. 3 - All day


Check our calendar ([link removed]) for more events as they're scheduled or changed!
Annual Meeting Online Voting - Results Are In!
The day after the Annual Meeting on September 19, the chapter sent out 1058 voting links through OpaVote to members in good standing. All of the officer role candidates were unopposed, and most winners garnered in the high 90%s of votes cast - 144 ballots were returned. This exceeded the 106 needed for a quorum. There was also one amendment, which required a supermajority of 67% to pass.
Co-chair - Rita T. (incumbent) won
Political Action Coordinator - Isuru H (incumbent) won
Political Education Co-chairs (new positions - 2) - Deb R. and Michelle W. won
Grievance Committee members (new positions - 5) - Elle B., Jessy N., John H., Chrissy H., and Kara P. won.
Proposed Bylaw Amendment (adding 3 Member At-large Reps to SC) - passed
Chapter News & Views of News
In Memoriam David Graeber, 1961-2020. ([link removed]) Chapter co-chair Tim's reflections on what Graeber meant to him and to history.
Don't Mourn, Organize : Labor Branch Overview ([link removed])

Twin Cities DSA Labor Branch has been in the center of the organizing drives rocking local breweries, distilleries, coffee shops, and restaurants. At the same time, organizing among educators is kicking off, with a new DSA Educators Working Group. Our members are also playing important roles in AFSCME, the United Food and Commercial Workers, Service Employees Union and Teamsters.

DSA is moving more into the center of the workers movement. Socialism will never happen without a strong workers movement and the workers movement can’t reach its potential without a strong socialist presence
.

TCDSA members can join the Labor Branch email group and receive the weekly newsletter, by emailing a request to the Labor Branch co-chairs at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
Bernie B, VP of Education Minnesota, with Erin M, state senate candidate, and Andrea C., head marshall at TC educators' march for safety and equity on September 30. Photo used with permission.
How Metro Education Workers Are Organizing in Response to COVID-19 ([link removed])

TCDSA organizer Deb R writes a twice-yearly column on education issues for Southside Pride paper. This piece was rewritten exclusively for this newsletter, interviewing TCDSA Labor Branch members Kip H and Beth D., both of whom work in the education sector.

Start Now, Move Quickly ([link removed])

Many are inspired to action by the failure to hold the killers of Breonna Taylor to account. In Start Now, Move Quickly, TCDSA organizer Julia offers those who want to work for transformative justice some practical suggestions for the learning and the work.

"Mimi Kim, co-founder of INCITE! and founder of Creative Interventions, spoke recently to Violence Free MN about the work of transformative justice. When asked what she would say to people who are new to this work, she said: 'Start now. Move quickly'.”
Found on left Twitter. LOL.
Do you have opinions? Hot takes? Cool things you've been doing with DSA or our allies? Write for us ([link removed]) !
For Further Review
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With so many great podcasts, articles, books and videos coming out, it's easy to miss something great. Here's a few things members have found and loved recently.

10 Tips for Going to a Picket Line As a DSA Member ([link removed])
Service industry organizing is popping off in the Twin Cities. For anyone who’s interested in supporting the workers and has never been to a picket line before, here’s some good advice from Chicago DSA. -TMW

There's No Such Thing as "Bi Enough" ([link removed])
From Teen Vogue. Not only is internalized bi-phobia definitely a thing, once you overcome it, you don't get any gold stars for finally claiming your orientation publicly. Far from it. -DR

In the Navajo Nation, Anarchism Has Indigenous Roots ([link removed])
This piece on anarchist organizing among the Dine (Navajo) and why it is traditional. -several members

On the Party Question: The Ballot Line, Third-partyism, and a Fighting DSA ([link removed])
“In summary, the coming years should mainly consist of an attempt to root our organization in all spheres of working class life.”
An essay from NYC’s Emerge caucus proposing that DSA can and should build a political party — or something like it. -TMW

On Medicare-for-All, fight for what we want, not for what we think we can get ([link removed])
This might be the best thing I have read all this month. From Labor Notes. -DR

First Vigil: Tracking White Supremacist and Neo-Nazi Violence ([link removed])
Direct action for indoor kids: In First Vigil, data scientist Emily Gorcenski is compiling legal information on fascists to help others understand their organizing methods, networks, and objectives. -SG

Gandhi Mahal Restaurant - former employees say it's toxic for women ([link removed])
Another local progressive icon (and long-time friend of our chapter) is revealed to have feet of clay. Just one week after being the cover photo of City Pages, Ruhel Islam was the subject of a bombshell article in the same paper about enabling gross sexual misconduct among some of his male relatives and employees. -DR

If you find something that should be shared, post to the #linkroundup channel on slack, or reply to this email.
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