Tomorrow is May Day, or International Workers’ Day — a holiday commemorating the hard-won gains of the labor movement and ongoing struggles of the working class around the world.
This year, there’s no better way to celebrate our collective power than rallying to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. If enacted, the PRO Act would be the most important piece of pro-worker legislation since the New Deal era. The bill would eliminate so-called right to work laws across the country, crack down on illegal union busting tactics, expand workers’ ability to strike and make it significantly easier to form a union and bargain for a contract. The PRO Act would not only advance labor rights but also build a path to achieve a Green New Deal
An elected official in our own backyard, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, is one of the last three Democrat holdouts on the PRO Act. That’s why we’re showing up to his Alexandria home this Saturday to demand that he stand with workers.
The rally will feature speakers from Our Revolution, Virginia Justice Democrats, La ColectiVA and other local labor leaders. We’ll also be joined by Virginia and Baltimore DSA chapter members.
HGO Town Hall Postponed and Applications Reopened
Reflecting on the application process and outreach for Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs) and current applicants, the Steering Committee would like to reopen the application for HGOs and do more targeted outreach to encourage a larger and more diverse applicant pool. This means that we'll also postpone the town hall and will aim to reschedule it for Thursday, May 13.
HGOs and the commission they will lead must address both informal and formal grievances related to implicit and explicit discrimination based on members’ racial identities. As such, this steering committee has committed to targeted outreach to BIPOC members about applying for the HGO position. We will also do intentional, targeted outreach about the position to chapter formations that support or represent other protected classes, including the Queer Section and Socialist Feminist Caucus.
Please consider applying to be an HGO or a member of the Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedure Commission! Fill out the form here.
WASHINGTON SOCIALIST
The Washington Socialist is our chapter's monthly publication — produced by volunteer writers and editors on our Publications Team.
Only a brief intro this month. May Day is a busy time for socialists — and the local Left is mobilized and on the move. Not much time to write: lotta action on the streets, lotta moving parts, lotta plans. Let's see if we can sink it.
Here's what we've got this month …
The Metro DC Mobilization Model — A long assessment of Metro DC DSA's member mobilization tactics. Our authors suggest that they've found a strong way to turn paper-members into politically engaged socialists.
On Climate, Biden Falls Far Short — Biden's infrastructure plan is a fair start to mobilizing, but no one should mistake it for a Green New Deal.
My Socialist Kick-Start — Somewhere embedded in all of our socialist souls is the memory of that first book — fiction or nonfiction — that set us on our course to socialism. One member recounts a familiar journey.
How Racism Hurts All of Us — In this summary of Heather McGhee's The Sum of Us, we are reminded how crucial racial divisions between the working class are to upholding capitalist exploitation.
Reflections from 2000: The Communists of Shaw — A short article republished from an old edition of the Socialist recounts far-left activity in one of the District's most cherished neighborhoods.
Good Links from April — Sleep through March? We've got you covered. Here's an article roundup from April.
BRIEFS
Metro DC DSA's Vaccine Outreach Updates
Our comrades in the Medicare for All Working Group returned to the Woodner Apartments on Thursday, April 29, to speak to the residents of the 1,181-unit building. We helped the Woodner Tenants’ Union book vaccine appointments for residents while also collecting the contact information of those who need help with the application for the STAY DC rental assistance program.
After the chapter’s May Day action, we will be canvassing the Marbury Plaza Apartments in Ward 8. We will be hosted by the tenants’ associwation at the Marbury Plaza and will be joined by organizers from Stomp Out Slumlords. Please meet at the Marbury Plaza Apartments (2300 Good Hope Rd SE) at 3:30pm on Saturday, May 1. Please reach out to Gayatri S. or Abel A. on Slack if you would like to join us so we can add you to the canvassers Signal chat. You can also fill out this Google form to get regular updates on our vaccine outreach efforts and how you can volunteer.
Discussion sessions on reforms to candidate endorsements
The chapter’s Political Engagement Committee (PEC) is in the process of reforming our electoral endorsement program. As part of this process, the PEC has held two meetings to discuss updates to our chapter’s endorsement process. Upcoming meetings will focus on our chapter’s candidate questionnaire and the PEC’s criteria for recommending candidates for endorsement. The schedule for these meetings is below:
-
[New!] Endorsement Recommendation Session #1, Sunday, May 2, 2 – 3:30pm ET (RSVP)
-
[New!] Endorsement Recommendation Session #2, Wednesday, May 5, 7 – 8:30pm ET (RSVP)
These sessions are scheduled for 90 minutes, so there will be plenty of time for discussion, interaction and planning among chapter members who attend. Please come with lots of ideas!
Outside of the discussion sessions, chapter members can still provide input via the endorsement process form, the questionnaire updates form and the endorsement recommendation form. As always, please feel free to send questions to the Steering Committee at [email protected] or to PEC Chair Stu K on Slack (@Stu K).
Upcoming Labor working group updates -- upcoming events, campaigns and calls for support
A few updates from our Labor Working Group:
-
THIS SUNDAY, May Day at Mark Warner’s House
Virginia DSAers will be rallying in Charlottesville, Richmond, Norfolk and Alexandria demanding that Sen. Mark Warner listen to Virginians over Amazon and sign on to the PRO Act. Metro DC DSA's rally in Alexandria begins at noon! Rides from the King Street metro station (about 1 mile from the rally point) are available on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP here.
-
NEXT MONDAY, Labor Speaker Series
Our next LSS will feature Jana Silverman, a member of OPEIU Local 2 and the DSA International Committee's Labor Subcommittee. May's LSS will be on Monday, May 10th at 7pm. RSVP here!
-
MAY 5, Virtual Rally for Essential Workers' Bill of Rights
On May 5, DC Jobs With Justice and the Metro Washington Labor Council will hold a virtual rally demanding that Mayor Bowser enact the Essential Workers' Bill of Rights to ensure protections for these front-line workers in DC. RSVP here.
Fund-A-Thon Campaign benefitting DC Abortion Fund continues
We are just $800 away from our team goal of our benefit goal! Join us May 8 at 10am in Mitchell Park for a yoga class led by one of our comrades. There are five more spots available, so sign up today! On May 25, we will host a Zoom trivia night along with local abortion rights community organizer RJ Lucas of Abortion AF. Teams can sign up here.
MDC DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, May 1
11:30am – 3pm | May Day Action
Join us on May 1 as we rally in support of the PRO Act! Let's tell Sen. Warner that he needs to stand with working people and help pass the most progressive labor bill in generations.
Sunday, May 2
2 – 3:30pm | Discussion #1: Metro DC DSA's Recommendation Criteria for Electoral Endorsements
2 – 4:30pm | MoCo DSA May Branch Meeting
5 – 6:30pm | Medicare for All Work Group Weekly Meeting
5 – 7pm | Defund MPD Phonebank
Monday, May 3
7 – 8pm | NoVA Branch Office Hours
Tuesday, May 4
6 – 6:30pm | Medicare for All Working Group: Research Team
Wednesday, May 5
2 – 4pm | DC Funk Rally to #FreeTheVaccine for Everyone, Everywhere
The surge in COVID-19 deaths in India has proven that a global pandemic requires a global solution. Join a coalition of health justice organizations, including Metro DC DSA, for the DC Funk Rally to #FreeTheVaccine as we call on the Biden administration to support the TRIPS waiver at the World Trade Organization. Meet at the National Mall (4th St & Madison Dr NW), starting at 2pm.
5:30 – 6:30pm | NoVA Tenant Organizing Planning Meeting
7 – 8:30pm | Discussion #2: Metro DC DSA's Recommendation Criteria for Electoral Endorsements
7 – 9pm | PG County Branch DSA Steering Committee Meeting
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
Thursday, May 6
5:30 – 7:30pm | Defund MPD Phone Bank
Saturday, May 8
10 – 11am | Fund-A-Thon Yoga in the Park
11am – 1pm | PG County Branch Ecosocialism WG Meeting
Sunday, May 9
5 – 6:30pm | Medicare for All Working Group Weekly Meeting
Monday, May 10
6 – 8pm | Queer Caucus Happy Hour
7 – 8:30pm | May Labor Speaker Series
Join Metro DC DSA's Labor Working Group for our monthly Labor Speaker Series event! For May, we'll be joined by Jana Silverman, member of the Labor Subcommittee of DSA's International Committee and member of OPEIU Local 2. Jana will speak on her history as a labor activist in the US and abroad and her work at the Solidarity Center supporting the international worker movement.
Wednesday, May 12
5:30 – 7:30pm | Defund MPD Phone Bank
8 – 9pm | Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation
Thursday, May 13
7 – 8:30pm | NoVA Executive Meeting
7 – 9pm | SocFem Grrrlz Night Social Hour
Note: Currently, all SocFem gatherings and discussions are welcoming only those who identify as womxn, nonbinary people or those of marginalized genders. We ask that men do not participate at this time.
Saturday, May 15
7 – 8:30pm | NoVA Book Club: The Happiness Industry
Join the next NoVa Book Club to discuss The Happiness Industry by William Davies. Registration and book details at link.
Sunday, May 16
5 – 6:30pm | Medicare for All Working Group Weekly Meeting
6 – 7:30pm | Defund MPD Working Group - Monthly Meeting
Sunday, May 23
3 – 5pm | General Body Meeting | May
NATIONAL DSA HIGHLIGHTS
Friday, April 30
7pm | Anti-Racist Movements in Brazil: Activist Series - Iêda Leal
Around the world, Black-led movements are raising the stakes in our collective struggles. This discussion series with leading Black and Indigenous militants from across Brazil spotlights their experiences in organizing against state violence, workplace exploitation and structural racism everywhere from education to health care. … more at link
8:30pm | Impunity of an Empire: The Cost of Plunder in the Philippines and the Resistance
Hear from Filipino solidarity activists about the historical relationship between the US and the Philippines and the dire consequences of its colonial dynamics. With updates on the current situation in the Philippines under the Duterte dictatorship … more at link
Saturday, May 8
3pm | DSA Q&A feat. the PRO Act
Interested in DSA but haven’t joined yet? Looking to get involved in the fights to stop evictions, win Medicare for All, defund the police or pass a Green New Deal, but unsure how to get started? Join DSA leaders from across the country to talk about how passing the PRO Act is central to our goals. RSVP here.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN + ALLIED EVENTS
A new section to amplify smaller notices from allied organizations, community groups and mutual aid formations.
The 2021 DC Labor Film Fest launches on May Day with the Global Labor Film Festival presentation of the new film HAYMARKET: The Bomb, The Anarchists, The Labor Struggle. You'll be able to watch the film online at your convenience starting on April 28. FilmFest director Chris Garlock will host a discussion with director Adrian Prawica and labor historians Joe McCartin (Georgetown University) and Steven Brier (CUNY School of Labor) on May Day as part of the 2021 Global Labor Film Festival. Register here.
VIVA la Raza X Heal Da Homies May Day Flea Market
On Saturday, May 1 from 2 – 6pm, Heal Da Homies will be hosting a flea market in Adams Morgan Plaza. All proceeds go to support DC mutual aid and organizers!
La ColectiVA tamales fundraiser
For those who missed out on the tamales fundraiser, La ColectiVA's next dish for mutual aid fundraising is carne guisada! Available Sunday, May 2, with delivery for folks in Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria. Orders must be placed TODAY!
Pantry Tacos with Sohla on Instagram Live
On Sunday, May 2 at 5pm, join DC Fridge Collective for a virtual cooking demonstration using items found in DC FC's vessels! DCFC has also been looking for fridge mechanics, so please reach out if you have this skill!
Audelia Community Response Team (ACRT) Cheery Blossom Fundraiser
Celebrate spring and raise money for a great cause by registering for ACRT's Spring Art Workshop Series on how to make flower crowns and springtime collages. All funds will support the ACRT, a mutual aid network based in Langley Park that has been supporting immigrant, undocumented and mixed-status families with food, essential items, academic support and COVID-19 testing throughout the pandemic. Workshops take place on May 7 and 8. If you'd like to reserve supplies provided by the event organizers, the priority registration deadline is this Friday, April 30 at 5pm. Click here for all details and registration info.
INFO ACCESS
Publications Schedule: May updates are published Fridays, May 7, 14, 21 and 28. The June issue of the Washington Socialist will be published Friday, June 4.
WHERE’S the #@%&ing Zoom link!?!? Are you trying to join an MDC DSA event that you RSVP’d for but can’t find the Zoom link? Don’t throw your laptop out the window! Here’s the solution: Go to your confirm or reminder email for the event and click “Click here to view the event details.” Zoom link! Conversely, you can always re-register for the event to access the link.
Our Slack platform, with numerous channels for all our caucuses, branches, campaigns and working groups, is a great place to get connected with the kind of socialist work YOU want to do in DSA. Are you an MDC DSA member who wonders how to get on our chapter Slack? Just email [email protected] and identify yourself as a member. Put “request for #Slack” in the subject line. Use the email address national DSA knows you by. If you are a new member, forward the email national DSA initially sent you acknowledging your status.
GOOD READS
How is Republican Governor Larry Hogan one of the most popular governors in the country, despite governing a deep-blue state? Dan Watson examines this and reviews Hogan’s COVID “victory” memoir in Current Affairs.
For those of you who like reporting about organizations, Aaron Freedman investigates the identity crisis at the progressive Jewish advocacy group IfNotNow in Jewish Currents.
In New York Magazine, Sarah Jones discusses the liberal rehabilitation of George W. Bush and the murderous, oppressive legacy of his “compassionate conservatism.”
Santi Elijah Holley, writing for The New Republic, talks with veteran Black Panthers about how Hollywood mythologizes the group and conveniently erases the members who, to this day, remain imprisoned.
Good listen: After spending the first season investigating (and retelling the story of) the Iraq War, Brendan James and Noah Kulwin explore the Cuban Revolution in Blowback, season two.
From Common Dreams: "‘How can Americans who don't watch Fox News and find Tucker Carlson's conduct repugnant stop subsidizing his $10 million salary?’ … Until companies like AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum and Verizon step up to break the bundle — or we see policy changes favoring consumer ‘a la carte’ — cutting the cord is the only option for those who don't want a cent of their monthly bills to subsidize hate and disinformation.”
Also from Common Dreams: “With people dying in India's streets, Biden's failure to share vaccine doses, ingredients, and tech is becoming a moral failure that will haunt America … The pictures coming back from India — and the world's worst COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic was declared over a year ago — look more like images from a medieval Black Death plague than anything you'd expect to see in the 21st century.”
Ages have come and gone, kingdoms and powers and dynasties have risen and fallen, old glories and ancient wisdoms have been turned into dust, heroes and sages have been forgotten and many a mighty and fearsome god has been hurled into the lightless chasms of oblivion.
But ye, Plebs, Populace, People, Rabble, Mob, Proletariat, live and abide forever.
- Arturo Giovannitti
