Hi everyone,

Lots of folks have been asking, and the answer is YES! We will be releasing a voter guide for the upcoming election this week! This year's voter guide will be one of the most expansive voter guides we've released to date. Our Municipal Action Committee has been hard at work for weeks to research and write analyses of the numerous decisions that will be on your ballot.

On Thursday, October 15th, at 7 PM, join the Municipal Action Committee for a q+a about their process of writing and researching the voter guide, as well as short presentations about some key sections of the guide. Register for that call here.

This weekend, we will be doing our first "Solidarity in the Park" event in A.L. Davis Park since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We have adapted our health fairs and brake light clinics to follow social distancing guidelines, so come on by to help fix some brake lights (training provided!) and provide information about disputing medical debt. We'll also have information about signing up for unemployment and free food and basic health screenings! Sign up to volunteer here!

Also, the DSA 100K recruitment drive is still underway. We are up to almost 5000 new members nationally, which means we are well on our way to a hundred thousand dues-paying DSA members by 2021. Have you signed the 100K pledge yet? You can do so here! Recruit three members to DSA and not only will you build working class power, you'll get a cool pink hat! Once you've signed the pledge, generate your unique join link here.

The most important tool that the working class has is organization. We're strong when we fight together. We have to build a durable, mass political organization to wield the kind of power we need to win real change in our society. If you aren't a dues-paying member of DSA yet, join here!

Solidarity,

DSA New Orleans Local Council

P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter's new member resources here. You can also always email [email protected] with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing.

New Orleans DSA Upcoming Events

BIPOC Caucus - Join other black and brown folks to discuss organizing and politics in an exclusively POC space. Register for the call here. Monday, October 12th @ 5:30 PM.

Health Justice Campaign Organizing Call. The urgent need for a more just health care system has never been more clear than it is this moment. Join our chapter's Health Care Committee for conference-call discussions on how to organize for health justice during this pandemic. Register for the meeting here.Tuesday, October 13th @ 5:30 PM.

Organizer Training: Introduction to Medicare for All. Passionate about health justice but want to get up to speed with an M4A 101? Register for the meeting here. Tuesday, October 13th @ 6:30 PM.

Emergent Strategy Discussion Group. An open discussion on adrienne maree brown's organizing book: Emergent Strategy. Register for the meeting here. Wednesday, October 14th @ 6 PM.

Building a Mass Movement for Socialism in Louisiana. Interested in helping to make Louisiana a better place for the working class? New Orleans DSA and Soutwest Louisiana DSA need you to join our fight! We can build a better world! Register for the meeting here. Wednesday, October 14th @ 6 PM.

Ecosocialist Interest Meeting. Interested in helping our chapter develop an approach to Ecosocialist work and the Green New Deal? Join this call, all are welcome! Register for the call here. (PW: 785320). Wednesday, October 14th @ 8 PM

Care Over Cops: Our Health; Our Lives. Society has historically tried to erase those struggling with severe mental illness by throwing them behind bars. Join us in discussing ways we can provide care outside the carceral system for people in our community suffering from mental illnesses. Our panelists will address the dangers of dispatching cops to address mental health crises while offering suggestions for how to aid in emergencies without calling the police. Join our comrades at Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition for the fourth of their five-part virtual #CareOverCops community conversation series. Register in advance here. Thursday, October 15th @ 5:30 PM.

Municipal Action Committee: Voter Guide Release Party! We will be rolling out our voter guide on this fall's elections, a massive undertaking that springs from the work of almost 15 members and covers 37 races and 7 amendments. Register for the call here. Thursday, October 15th @ 7:30 PM.

DSA Free Food Distribution. Come join us every Friday afternoon just outside the Southern Rep theater in MidCity to distribute food, register folks to vote, and offer information about the DSA! Or come to pick up a meal! Drive through or walk up, because there is such a thing as free lunch under socialism. 2541 Bayou Rd. Friday, October 16th from 4 PM to 7 PM.

Solidarity in the Park: Health Fair & Brake Light Clinic. We have re-launched our brake light clinics in a safe, socially distanced manner. This month we will be holding a joint Brake Light Clinic and Health Fair at A. L. Davis Park. Join us to safely change brake lights for our neighbors, and to provide resources and information to benefit the health of our community! A.L. Davis Park on LaSalle St between Washington & 3rd St. Saturday, October 17th @ 10:30 AM.

DSA: How We're Fighting. Not sure where to plug into our organizing? New to DSA? This is our weekly check-in call. We'll get brief updates about campaigns and projects. We'll hear from our coalition partners on what they're working on, and we'll have open discussion about different political issues. Register for the call here. Saturday, October 17th @ 2 PM.

Political Education Planning Call. Whether you're new to DSA or have been around for years, one thing's for sure: the learning never stops! Join us to help develop a political education program for the chapter so we can better apply lessons from history and theory to our contemporary lives and organizing work (and vice-versa!). Register for this recurring call here. Sunday, October 18th @ 11 AM.

Electoral Organizing Meeting. Join us for a discussion of electoral organizing within our DSA chapter. Register for the call here. Sunday, October 18th @ 2 PM.

National DSA Upcoming Events

Immigrants’ Struggles in the Time of Covid/La lucha en los tiempos de Covid! This People’s Indigenous Day, join the Immigrants’ Rights Working Group (IRWG) for a webinar: Immigrants’ Struggles in the Time of Covid/La lucha en los tiempos de Covid! We will be joined by comrades on the front lines of the immigrants’ rights movement and find out ways to get involved! Join us for an evening of discussion. Register for the call here. Monday, October 12th @ 7 PM CST.

Election 2020: What Should Socialists Be Doing? The presidential election, amidst a pandemic and deep economic crisis, has opened a number of questions for leftists. On the one hand, we are seeing high levels of organizing and uprising, both in the workplace and outside of it. On the other hand, state repression has met this increased political activity and threatens to worsen if Trump wins. Still, a Biden victory doesn’t spell out any guarantees for our class — if he wins, he is likely to be the most conservative Democrat in office in years, refusing to support Medicare for All even as a virus threatens the lives of millions of Americans. So what should socialists be doing now, as the election looms large in people’s minds? What outcomes should we prepare for, and how? Register for the call here. Tuesday, October 13th @ 8 PM CST.

Labor Rights and Struggle in Mexico. Join us for a panel including author and journalist David Bacon, Suzanna Miller of the IndustriALL International Union Federation, and Héctor de la Cueva of the CILAS Labor Center of Mexico City on the conditions of struggle for workers’ rights and politics in Mexico. Panelists will cover issues such as maquiladora sweat shop workers fighting to unionize, the new USMCA agreement, and the independent trade union movement of the Mexican Electrical Workers union (SME) who are pushing back against privatization and the state crushing of fair union elections. Register for the call here. Sunday, October 18th @ 12 PM CST.