Twin Cities
Democratic Socialists of America

Little Red Letter #103

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DSA in Action, Cub Foods Strike Averted, State Power Struggles and More!

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Over the last few editions we have noted current events near and far as we continue to watch and participate in the struggle for a better world. That fight begins with organization, and today we look at what DSA is doing to build and sustain the fight.

First off, we want to encourage all readers to donate to send our local Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) members to the 2023 conference held from April 14th to 16th. The theme of this conference is “Socialism is the Future”. This has been an engaging and valuable experience for past attendees, and we have been joined by many new YDSA chapters this year! This year they will be joined by organizers from DSA’s National Labor Committee and National Electoral Committee, with more workshops available and opportunities to interact with experienced organizers.

Meanwhile, the DSA 2023 National Convention is approaching from August 4th to 6th. The convention is held every other year, and is the highest decision-making body of the organization. All chapters elect delegates to attend the convention and set our course for the next two years, including electing our new National Political Committee (NPC). There are numerous questions facing our organization, including the future of priority campaigns, the future of our labor and electoral organizing, and questions on the structure of our organization.

This is our first in-person convention since 2019, and will also have opportunities for workshops, presentations, and interacting with comrades from across the country. Twin Cities DSA will be represented by 22 delegates and two alternates. These delegates are elected by our general membership. Members can expect communications regarding the DSA National Convention in the next couple weeks. Start thinking about if you or someone you know in DSA would like to attend the Convention and represent TCDSA!

At our next general meeting, in addition to discussion about the convention, we will also be holding a special election to fill a seat on our Steering Committee. At-large member Qannani O will be stepping down from the position. Clare D has been temporarily filling the position, and per our bylaws we will need a special election to permanently fill the position. Nominations for delegates and the at-large seat will open soon.

Lastly we want to highlight the exciting events and actions our chapter is involved with! 

Closing out March, our chapter was visited by two organizers from DSA National, including the new field organizer for our region. They joined members for a social at Lake Monster Brewing and hosted a training on running effective meetings, while experiencing the delight that was the blizzard on April 1st.

On Sunday April 2 TCDSA hosted a Socialist Job Fair. Presenting half a dozen organizing opportunities, workers and union organizers discussed opportunities to get involved in some of the most dynamic and exciting opportunities to build a militant labor movement, including speakers involved with Starbucks Workers United and the Delta organizing drive.

On Monday, Macalester YDSA, TCDSA, and UMN YDSA hosted a second event in our Socialists in City Hall series. Our panel included Minneapolis Council Member Robin Wonsley, St. Paul Council Member Nelsie Yang, and St. Paul City Council Executive Assistant Tom Basgen. After a brief presentation on government structure, our panelists share their thoughts on the role of a city councilor inside and out of City Hall, their experience as socialists in local government, and why local government needs to be taken seriously by socialists and how to engage with it. Also Monday, members met for a conversation about socialists and the labor movement. This discussion explored the past and present reasons why socialists believe the working class and its unions are so key to the transformation of society. Keep an eye out for a future event with Peter Rachleff, labor historian, activist, and cofounder of the East Side Freedom Library for a deeper exploration of this topic.

Throughout the week and this week as well, TCDSA has been holding Q&A calls for candidates who have applied for endorsement in 2023. Members will receive an additional update on the current status of that process. Additional Q&A calls are scheduled for this week, and all members are invited to our endorsement meeting on April 15th, at 1pm, for a brief introduction by candidates about why they are seeking DSA endorsement, and to discuss candidate endorsements and how these races will help us achieve the chapter’s goals.

Finally there are multiple events which TCDSA members can attend. We have additional items listed in the upcoming events section below, but we want to highlight a couple; First, the upcoming rally at the St. Paul Labor Center on April 15th at 4pm in support of the Delta organizing drive. More details are available below, and after attending our endorsement meeting, this is an excellent event to connect with the reason for all the work we do, by showing up to support workers organizing and pushing to improve their conditions. Second, an Earth Day event in opposition of the planned city demolition of the Roof Depot in East Phillips. With the potential of increased pollution in an already overburdened community, this event will stand against the history of environmental racism in Minneapolis and the idea that the interests of the ruling class are more important than clean air and drinking water.

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TCDSA committees and working groups need members to get involved in order to create the multi-racial, worker-powered socialist future we’re all aiming for. Below are some opportunities to be part of the exciting work going on in our chapter right now!

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• East Phillips Urban Farm 
  
  TCDSA has endorsed the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s (EPNI) Urban Farm initiative to resist the City’s Hiawatha Campus Expansion plan. Not only could this release arsenic into the environment and further pollute the neighborhood with diesel fuel exhaust from city fleet services onsite, but it would also dash the community’s plan to develop this site as a neighborhood hub (with socialist solutions such as cooperatively owned businesses, solar energy, and jobs for East Phillips residents). 
  
  The coalition maintains a sheet with their current calls to action, links to stay informed, and their working group meeting schedule.  The coalition has specifically asked our chapter for help with administrative tasks such as updating documents with video links for archival purposes and helping EPNI with tabling at some upcoming health and environmental events scheduled in the spring. Reach out to Connor S (eastphillips@twincitiesdsa.org) to become part of TCDSA’s EPNI Working Group and/or to express interest in these specific tasks.

• Twin Cities DSA Basketball
  
  Want to play some casual pickup basketball with comrades? With the arrival of warmer weather, we’re looking to identify who’s interested in playing and to pick out a time/place to play each week. Hopefully we can start over the next few weeks sometime! Please fill out this short form to indicate your interest and availability, and join the #socialists -play-sports-basketball Slack channel to join in the coordination for our first gathering.

• Call for Poster & Sticker Art Submissions
  
  Twin Cities DSA is seeking submissions for art for chapter recruitment posters and stickers. The theme is: Building a multiracial worker-powered socialist future. The submission window is from now until 11:59PM on Sunday May 7th. Find more details here.

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• Twin Cities 2023 Candidate Q&A’s
  
  
  • See Scheduled Q&A’s and Register Here
    
    Q&A meetings are an opportunity for membership to ask questions in advance of the chapter endorsement meeting. Are there topics you want to hear about from candidates? Is there something on their questionnaire you want to follow up on? All members are encouraged to attend or submit your questions here.

• Twin Cities 2023 Endorsement Meeting – Register Here
  
  
  • Saturday, 4/15, 1:00pm
    
    At the endorsement meeting, candidates will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and their platform.  After candidates have spoken, members will have the opportunity to discuss candidate endorsements, and how these races fit in with the chapter’s strategic goals. Our endorsement meetings require a quorum of 50 members to continue the endorsement process. We invite all TCDSA members to come and participate, as this is for the endorsement of the entire chapter.

• Delta Workers Rally
  
  
  • Saturday, 4/15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm – Saint Paul Labor Center
    
    Join a Solidarity Rally in support of organizing Delta Worker! Speakers will include Sara Nelson, President of the AFA, Richie Johnsen, newly elected leader of the Transportation Territory of the IAM and Tom Erickson, Vice President of the Midwest Region of the IBT. Delta workers from Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis and JFK airport will be speaking as well. They will be joined by Starbucks workers and workers from the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee.

• Earth Day 2023 – Fight Environmental Racism
  
  
  • Sunday, 4/23, 2:00pm – 4:00pm  – Location TBD
    
    With the potential of increased pollution in an already overburdened community, this event will stand against the history of environmental racism in Minneapolis and the idea that the interests of the ruling class are more important than clean air and drinking water.

• On the Left Bank 4th Issue Launch Social
  
  
  • Sunday, 4/23, 4:00pm – Location TBD
    
    The On the Left Bank editorial board is proud to release the fourth issue of our homegrown Twin Cities Socialist lit and art zine! Issue 4 has our best collection yet. We’re planning to host a reading, art launch, and social on April 23rd. Stay tuned for more details! 

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• Tech Ops Committee, Monday, 4/10, 7:00pm-8:00pm – Zoom Registration
  
  
  • The Tech Ops Committee meets on the 2nd Monday of the month. To see the latest agenda (top of the page): https://wiki.twincitiesdsa.org/books/tech-operations-committee/chapter/agendas-minutes

• Street Corps Working Group – Tuesday, 4/11, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
  
  
  • The Street Corps Working Group works on addressing issues in the community through mutual aid, community building, and community defense initiatives. This group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. For further information about joining this meeting, check out the #street-corps-working-group channel.

• West Metro and Wright County Social – Tuesday, 4/11, 6:00pm-8:00pm – RSVP Here 
  
  
  • Join West Metro and Wright County Twin Cities DSA comrades for a social at Gather Kitchen, 200 Central Ave, Buffalo, MN 55313, USA on April 11th from 6-8 pm. Food and drinks provided.

• Internal Organizing Committee Meeting – Wednesday, 4/12, 6:30pm-8:00pm
  
  • All are welcome to join our monthly meetings of the TCDSA Internal Organizing Committee (IOC). This committee works to create the spaces, structures, and resources to initiate and sustain members’ active and healthy participation in chapter work. Through internal organizing, we strive to grow our capacity by developing confident and skilled organizers and leaders who are empowered to turn their resources into collective power to make socialist change. Join the #internal-organizing channel on Slack for more info. stay tuned for the Zoom link or visit the #internal-organizing Slack channel.

• Political Education Committee Meeting – Thursday, 4/13, 6:00pm-7:30pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • All members are welcome to join the Political Education committee or to attend any of our meetings to discuss the continuation of Socialism 101 and lifting up Pol Ed for new, curious, and established TCDSA members. This group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month. For more information, check out the #politicaleducation Slack channel. Not on Slack? Submit tcdsa.org/slack to verify you’re on the member list.

• Steering Committee Meeting – Sunday, 4/16, 3:00pm-4:30pm 
  
  • Check #steeringcommittee for the zoom link and agenda. If you are a member and need access to slack, sign up at tcdsa.org/slack

• Street Corps WG Security Committee Meeting – Tuesday, 4/18, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • The goal of the Street Corps WG Security Committee is to increase overall security literacy for chapter members and build capacity to maintain security literacy within the chapter. Anyone interested in protest marshalling, antifascist action, self-defense, first aid, or infosec is welcome to attend no matter their experience level. Street Corps Security Committee meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.

• Labor Branch Meeting – Tuesday, 4/18, 7:00pm-8:30pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • The TCDSA Labor Branch meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. For information about this meeting, see the #labor channel on Slack. Not on Slack? Submit tcdsa.org/slack to verify you’re on the member list.

• Internal Organizing Phonebank – Wednesday, 4/19, 6:00pm-7:00pm
  
  • Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our bimonthly phonebank to call new TCDSA members.
    
    We meet on Zoom to go over the script, mute ourselves and make phone calls to other DSA members, and then return to debrief how our calls went. A brief training is provided and no prior experience is required. These phonebanks are a chance to meet newer members to TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter and what brings them to socialism. All are welcome to join, but new members should note that this is a group calling session where we will call you, not an event designed for new members.
    
    IO phonebanks are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. For more information about joining this meeting, see the #internal-organizing Slack channel. Not on Slack? Submit tcdsa.org/slack to verify you’re on the member list.

• Socialists in Office: City Edition – Wednesday, 4/19, 7:00pm-8:30pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • Celeste R, policy aide to councilmember Wonsley, will present on the city legislative processes. Then we’ll vote on next steps for forming the Socialists in Office Committee for the city.

• Event Marshalling 101 – Thursday, 4/20, 7:00pm-8:30pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • Event marshalling is one of the most basic ways we as organizers can provide on-the-ground support for labor strikes and civil actions. The Street Corp will be beginning a marshall training series as part of an ongoing project of the Security Committee to rebuild the capacity of TCDSA to provide organized support for direct action. For those who have never marshalled before, and want a better understanding before going out onto the streets, this zoom training will walk you through the basics. You’ll learn that almost anyone can marshall an event as a way to support their comrades and community. Look forward to seeing you in the streets!

• Communications Committee Meeting – Thursday, 4/20, 6:00pm-7:30pm – Zoom Registration
  
  • The Communications Committee meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month. 
    
    For information on joining this meeting, see the #communications channel on Slack. Not on Slack? Submit tcdsa.org/slack to verify you’re on the member list.

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Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything!

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If you find something that should be shared, you can post it to the #linkroundup channel on Slack.

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