Enjoy your August National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected 18-person body (including two YDSA members who share a vote) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. This month, hear Kansas DSA members on protecting abortion access, join our Starbucks worker solidarity, hear from the NPC on our Fireside Chat, and more!

And to make sure you get our newsletters in your inbox, sign up here! Each one features action alerts, upcoming events, political education, and more.

• From the National Political Committee — Going on the Offensive
• Hear Lawrence DSA Members on Beating Kansas’s Anti-Abortion Ballot Measure! Campaign Debrief Call Monday 8/29
• Solidarity is Brewing for Labor Day! Join Us Monday 8/29
• Immigrant Rights Working Group Restarting — General Meeting Saturday 8/27
• RSVP for Meditation 101 for Socialist Organizers Tuesday 9/13
• New Date! Wednesday 9/14 — Race and Class Series Political Education Call “Organizing Within Racial Capitalism”
• National Tech Committee — Chapter Websites Commission and Steering Committee Applications
• Deadline Extended Until Sunday 9/18: Apply for the National Committee of Grievance Officers!
• Socialism 2022 Labor Day Weekend — Registration Deadline Sunday 8/28
• Sign Up for the Democratic Left Newsletter!
• Meet Your Staff

FROM THE NATIONAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE — GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE

Last weekend, the NPC met in person in New York City for our summer quarterly meeting. We discussed the increasingly difficult political moment the multiracial working class is faced with today. Through a decades-long strategy building grassroots as well as legislative, presidential and judicial power, the Right has grown and undone fifty years of precedent with the overturning of Roe v Wade. Not only that, our basic civil and democratic rights are also on the chopping block. In our meeting, we discussed how DSA also needs a decades-long strategy. One that soberly assesses the challenges ahead (climate change, the crisis of liberal democracy, the rise of authoritarianism and right wing violence, escalating geopolitical conflict, and economic downturn), but also the possibilities held within the next ten years. The big question is can socialists and workers regroup ourselves in that time so that, as crises unfold, we are capable of moving on to the offensive?

Doing so means seizing the opportunities in front of us. In the last year, we have witnessed a labor uptick that includes stirrings in workplaces across the country — mostly in retail, media, and logistics — that might point to the long-awaited but so often frustrated renewal of labor struggle. But this won’t happen on its own, and we in DSA must do everything we can to fan the flames by helping by preparing strike solidarity ahead of a likely 2023 UPS strike, strengthening our support for organizing campaigns in Starbucks and Amazon and engaging in new organizing through work like the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC), and making our unions more militant and democratic forces. In order to prepare for that moment, we made decisions that will continue our fight to defend and expand abortion rights and a democracy that puts workers first. So far, DSA has been organizing on the state level around legislation to protect abortion. Our chapters worked on the successful vote NO campaign in Kansas with its stunning victory, including forming a PAC that made 25,000 positive ID’s to get out the vote. Our Kentucky comrades are gearing up to launch the same fight. The NPC voted to endorse both at the national level to ensure these campaigns had the resources they needed to win. In other places such as NYC DSA, our comrades organized an action which went viral against the Federalist Society, in collaboration with NYC for Abortion Rights (NYCFAR), a local abortions rights group. This work at the ballot box, in the streets, and in our workplaces must continue. Only working class organizations can defend and expand our rights.

We also approved the hiring of three new staff members, two electoral and a field, as a way to continue helping chapters with support, guidance, and direction. Finally, we voted on 2023 Convention Steering Committee specifications and general Convention structure, both in hopes of fostering as much democratic debate and deliberation as possible so that we can come out of this event with more direction on the fight ahead. We will be meeting again in the next couple weeks to finish out our agenda.

In the meantime, we invite you out to our next Fireside Chat, taking place this Sunday, 8/28 at 6 pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/3pm PT. We will be discussing the August primaries, and how DSA’s campaigns have done — our wins, losses, where we’ve built power, and lessons learned. Be sure to register by Saturday 8/27 at 11:59 pm EST on both Action Kit and Zoom or you will not be able to join the call. Also make sure to read over our Community Agreements. Our next Fireside Chat call will take place Sunday 9/25 if you’re unable to make it, but we hope to see you there!

Solidarity forever,

Your National Political Committee 

HEAR LAWRENCE DSA MEMBERS ON BEATING KANSAS’S ANTI-ABORTION BALLOT MEASURE! CAMPAIGN DEBRIEF CALL MONDAY 8/29

Join us Monday 8/29 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT to hear Lawrence DSA members on how they organized their state to defend abortion — and won big. From creating a PAC to fundraising, organizing rural communities, and identifying tens of thousands of voters, Lawrence DSA members will discuss how they won in a red state and how your DSA chapters can do it too.

SOLIDARITY IS BREWING FOR LABOR DAY! JOIN US MONDAY 8/29

Solidarity is Brewing for Labor Day! Workers have gone on strike at 55 locations in 17 states to combat union busting, and DSA has their backs. Coordinate with workers at a Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) organized store near you for a national day of action and attend our national call Monday 8/29 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. This is a historic opportunity for DSA to engage in labor solidarity across the country!

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS WORKING GROUP RESTARTING — GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY 8/27

Our Immigrant Rights Working Group (IRWG) is restarting and convening its first general meeting in several months on Saturday 8/27 at 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT. If we have a good turnout, we will organize a Steering Committee election soon after. If you still consider yourself a member of this working group, and are interested in participating, please fill out this form to receive the meeting link.

RSVP FOR MEDITATION 101 FOR SOCIALIST ORGANIZERS TUESDAY 9/13

Join our Religion and Socialism Working Group for Meditation 101 for Socialist Organizers, with members of the DSA Buddhist Circle providing an introduction to meditative practices. The call will be held on Tuesday 9/13 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. There will be a brief discussion on how meditation can help organizers to safeguard their capacity and limit burnout. We will close with a group meditation, then a period for reflection and questions.

NEW DATE! WEDNESDAY 9/14 — RACE AND CLASS SERIES POLITICAL EDUCATION CALL “ORGANIZING WITHIN RACIAL CAPITALISM”

Join DSA’s National Political Education Committee in collaboration with comrades in the Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus Wednesday 9/14 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT for part two of our race and class series: Organizing Within Racial Capitalism. Last session we learned about the concept of racial capitalism. This session, join our panel in discussion on what racial capitalism means for our work and how race and class impact people’s role in the struggle. Local chapters are encouraged to hold viewings and post-event discussions with their fellow chapter members. Send in your questions on the topic of organizing within racial capitalism to [email protected], or reach out for more information.

NATIONAL TECH COMMITTEE — CHAPTER WEBSITES COMMISSION AND STEERING COMMITTEE APPLICATIONS

The National Tech Committee (NTC) is pleased to announce a new initiative that may be of interest to your chapter: the Chapter Websites Commission. The Commission will be responsible for creating and deploying a website and domain name to the many DSA Chapters and Organizing Committees that currently lack a website. There is no cost to chapters! Fill out this form for more information and to sign up.

The NTC Steering Committee will be starting a new term on October 15. Applications are open now! We’re looking for members with tech know-how to help lead our thriving committee. Applications close September 15! Fill out this form to apply.

Want to join the NTC? We’re looking for tech-minded members of all kinds. Project opportunities available for data analysts, front-end and back-end developers, members with WordPress experience, UI/UX designers, writers, project managers, and more! Don’t have much experience but have a love of tech or data? That’s okay! Fill out this form and join us today!

DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY 9/18: APPLY FOR THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF GRIEVANCE OFFICERS!

Applications are now being re-opened for the National Committee of Grievance Officers, a new committee that will organize quarterly meetings for chapter HGOs and develop skill-shares, trainings, and recommendations about how DSA can create a culture of safety, accountability, and healthy conflict management. We are looking for HGOs, former HGOs, and those with experience in conflict management to join the committee. If you have previously applied to the committee, you do not need to re-apply. To avoid confusion: this committee will NOT adjudicate grievances.

To apply, please fill out this form. Applications are open until Sunday 9/18 at 11:59PM PST. You will need to provide two character references and will be interviewed as part of the application process. Committee meetings will be held every two weeks. Questions can be sent to [email protected]

SOCIALISM 2022 LABOR DAY WEEKEND — REGISTRATION DEADLINE SUNDAY 8/28

Join us Labor Day weekend in Chicago for Socialism 2022! The National Political Committee and the National Political Education Committee have organized almost a dozen DSA panels for our members and other socialists to attend. There will also be opportunities for informal meet ups, and a special Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) how-to-organize-your-workplace training on Saturday afternoon. Free, professional, on-site childcare will be available, plus discounted hotel rooms for conference goers. The registration deadline is Sunday 8/28. For more information, check out our FAQ.

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MEET YOUR STAFF

Hayley, Field Organizer 

My name is Hayley, and I’m ecstatic to join DSA staff as a Field Organizer. Before joining DSA, I worked for a local progressive nonprofit, where my coworkers and I started our first staff union to improve our working conditions. Prior to that, I worked on a variety of campaigns, including two of Denver DSA’s own endorsees, Lorena Garcia for US Senate and Paid Family and Medical Leave for Coloradans. I’ve been a member of DSA since early 2020 and supported my local Denver chapter as our Electoral Committee Chair in 2021. DSA has been my political home since I joined and I am beyond ready to more deeply build power with my comrades across the country.