Comrades,
The DSA National Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus (AFROSOC) is planning two new member orientations for the month of March!
AFROSOC advocates for and builds power with DSA’s Black/POC membership and their communities. We pursue this work to build a multiracial working-class base, the only viable strategy for securing a socialist future.
Through public and internal education & agitation, we aim to continue the legacy of the Black radical tradition, as well as the radical traditions of other oppressed minorities. Our goal is to act as a network that will support and develop non-white DSA members as leaders in the organization. Sign up for orientations here:
CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS
WE’RE BACK! Jail support is up and running again! We’re providing food, care, bus passes, Lyft rides, and more to our recently-released neighbors and any community members who may need it outside Denver City Jail every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. We’ve got an all-volunteer meeting on March 24 from 5:30-7 PM, which you can register for
here. We’ll be going through the new schedule, the new supply team, our new stats form, and how to get involved. Don’t miss it!
Do you have questions about DSA? Things you wish you knew when you first joined? We're compiling a new member handbook designed to help new and veteran members feel comfortable, informed, and ready to organize! Our next meeting is
March 22 at 7:30 PM. This is a great first way to get involved if you haven’t been a part of anything else in the chapter yet.
(Register here)
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
Senate Bill 21-62, Jail Population Management Tools seeks to address mass incarceration in Colorado by adopting some of the jail population reduction policies put in place during the COVID-19 crisis and enshrining them into law going forward. The bill aims to keep those accused of low-level crimes out of jail, ensuring jails are reserved only for people who pose a public safety threat. It increases the use of summons in lieu of arrest, and greatly decreases the use of cash bonds—a tool that enhances the racist and classist disparities already present in our criminal justice system.
SB21-062 has the potential to reduce Colorado’s jail population by over 33%. This bill is the product of a collaboration between state lawmakers, ACLU Colorado, the Colorado Freedom Fund, public defender organizations, and progressive prosecutors. It's the first of 3 bills that Elisabeth Epps of the Colorado Freedom Fund is working tirelessly to get passed through the state Senate this session. SB21-062 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, but it's facing tough opposition from Boulder NIMBY groups, Boulder’s Mayor Pelle, and several police organizations. Your elected representatives need to hear from you!
Read more about SB21-062 (and easily send an email to your State Senator!) by clicking here.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
See all upcoming events here
People's Climate Tribunal, Part II: People v. The State (REGISTER)
Saturday, March 20 | 12:00 PM
We the people are putting Colorado on trial! Learn how our state government has committed negligence, collusion, and malfeasance in its failure to address climate change, and how we're demanding transformative justice to a worker-led, green economy!
Electoral Committee Meeting (REGISTER)
Saturday, March 20 | 10:00 AM
Join the Electoral Committee Saturday morning to hear from the first candidate interested in our endorsement for Aurora City Council!
SocFem Books & Brunch (REGISTER)
Sunday, March 21 | 3:00 PM
This month we are reading the second half of Dean Spade's new book, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)
Labor Town Hall: Workers Rights and the PRO Act (REGISTER)
Wednesday, March 24 | 7:00 PM
The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in Congress would strengthen labor unions and help us build the collective power to win a better world. Join DSA and the Communication Workers of America (CWA) for a panel discussion about how we fight to pass the PRO Act!
Political Education: Weapons of the Class War: Anti-Homeless Laws in Denver (REGISTER)
Thursday, March 25 | 5:00—7:00 PM
Concerned about Mayor Hancock’s ongoing brutality about the homeless community? Join us to learn more about the history of anti-homelessness laws in Denver and the movement against them. We'll be learning about the discriminatory practices on the books in Denver's legal code, and then we'll do a quick training on how to join in the fight to stop the sweeps and take care of our neighbors.
COMMUNITY
In the aftermath of the horrific hate crime committed against Asian women in Atlanta, it's with sorrow and rage that we stand in solidarity with Asian, Asian-American & AAPI communities everywhere, today and every day. For Denver community:
Read Atlanta DSA's statement here. Red Canary Song is a transnational Asian sex worker organizing collective—find their Linktree here.
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Donate directly to Denver DSA
If you like the work we're doing, please consider donating directly to the chapter so we have the financial means to keep doing it! While we receive quarterly dues shares from National, your direct donation to Denver DSA gets money into organizers’ hands quicker. We have one-time and monthly options of virtually any amount available. Give us socialist cash to beat capitalist trash!
https://denverdsa.org/donate
