Twin Cities
Democratic Socialists of America
Little Red Letter #107
Space for our Growing Impact, Progress Prompts Headlines, and Twin Cities DSA in the Community
| Our Chapter Needs Space to Grow! First off, we have an ask for members and readers. Last fall the membership of Twin Cities DSA voted for the chapter to obtain an office to serve as the home of our chapters organizing efforts and a place of community and comradeship. Our Office Search Committee has been hard at work the past few months searching for and touring local office spaces around the Twin Cities. We are on the cusp of obtaining a space, but to make this a reality we need to ensure that we have the adequate funding. We’re applying for a matching grant from National DSA and we believe with at least $1,500 new recurring monthly donations, we can afford a space we’ll be able to truly call home. We’re already off to a great start after our May General Meeting with $400 in new recurring donations! Can you donate $15/month (or more if you can) so we can rent an office for our chapter? Set up a recurring donation here: http://tcdsa.org/actred |
Twin Cities DSA Internal Elections
It has been a busy two weeks since our last publication. Our elections for the At-Large Steering Committee position and the 2023 National Convention Delegates wrapped on May 26th. Members can see the results of that election posted here. Congrats to everyone who was elected and thank you to everyone who ran! We are glad to formally welcome Clare to the Steering Committee role and to have a strong delegation to send to the convention. They carry with them the experience of all our recent wins and chapter development.
UPDATES: Minnesota Legislature, Minneapolis Ward 10
The Minnesota Legislative session has ended. We hope for a more comprehensive piece to celebrate our and Twin Ports DSA’s endorsed electeds’ accomplishments in a later edition. For now though, a high and a low. Some of you may have seen Sen. Omar Fateh hoisted onto the shoulders of Uber and Lyft drivers after they passed a bill guaranteeing a minimum rate and extending certain labor protections for these workers. Twin Cities DSA issued a statement in support of his effort with the other four endorsed electeds in MN. Despite passing the MN House and Senate, Gov. Tim Walz vetoed that bill. The fight continues to ensure the stability and dignity of work for gig workers. Read the item from our Socialist in Office Committee in Featured News.
However, the victory we’ll highlight today is related to a major priority of the chapter. Last December Twin Cities DSA officially made the East Phillips Urban Farm effort a priority. The efforts of this coalition have ranged across the full diversity of social organizing tactics, and through community organizing, electoral and legislative approaches, mutual aid, and direct action, there is now a path to community ownership of the Roof Depot, a victory for East Phillips, Little Earth, and environmental justice. Funding from the state this year will halt the Hiawatha Expansion Plan, past pledges and fundraising over the summer will enable the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to fund their side of the purchase, and additional state funding slated for next year will finally clear the way to make this a reality.
There have been rapid developments related to the DFL and Minneapolis City Council elections, which others have commented on, and you can see more specifically about the Star Tribune articles below in featured news as well as in Kip H’s piece on working class progress and associated red-baiting in member submissions. The Minneapolis DFL will conduct an electronic ballot to determine endorsement in ward 10, with the options being Aisha Chughtai or no endorsement. Nasri Warsame is still running for city council, but was barred from seeking DFL endorsement.
Twin Cities DSA in the Community
Yesterday many TCDSA and YDSA members joined Soren Stevenson’s first canvass of the season. Ward 8 will be among the most highly contested elections this year, with Soren winning the DFL endorsement handily in the race last weekend over incumbent City Council President Andrea Jenkins. There was an excellent turnout on this hot June day, with 35 people coming out to knock doors and talk to neighbors about the direction of our city.
Workday Magazine hosted an event at Arbeiter Brewing on Wednesday, March 21 to announce the re-launch of their publication and to hold a discussion on how to build pro-worker media. This event was co-hosted by In These Times, and the speakers included folks involved with the Awood Center, organizing FirstService Residential, as well as members from MFT 59 and Starbucks Workers United. This was a well attended event and a thoughtful conversation on the role of media in advancing workers struggles.
If you are free tomorrow evening, you can join General Strike Three, the new Twin Cities DSA softball team, for their inaugural game of the season. Pizza and drinks will be available, the game will be a double-header with the games at 6:15p and 7:15p. These and future games will be held at Logan Park in NE Minneapolis, and the team plans to hold post- or pre- game socials depending on the time of their games. They will also be playing at 6:15 on June 12, and you can find their full schedule here. Twin Cities DSA will also be tabling at Open Streets East Lake from 11a-5p this coming Saturday June 10th. Members are encouraged to volunteer to staff the table, and everyone is welcome to drop by and say hi!
Our vision places human needs before profits
Our chapter co-chairs responded to the article “Socialists Growing Force in Mpls” an article on the success of our endorsed Minneapolis City Council candidates that appeared as the headline story on Sunday, May 28. Our article aimed to lay out in our own words what our vision for Minneapolis is. It appeared side by side with an article by Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, titled “A leftward-lurching Minneapolis confronts another time for choosing“
Shame on Walz. The Fight Is Not Over
From our Socialist in Office Committee, Governor Tim Walz had the opportunity to stand with Minnesota’s rideshare workers and pass a bill that would have ensured them fair wages and worker protections. Instead, he sided with Uber and Lyft bosses in Silicon Valley and issued a veto. Similar to the situation with the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, it is an example of the power and influence of corporations that permeate all aspects of our society.
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!
- Volunteer with Comrades at the next Open Streets! – Sign up for a shift here
Saturday, June 10 on Lake St in Minneapolis.
Last year, we made our foray back into tabling at in-person events in the Twin Cities at Open Streets Minneapolis. It was a great success, with members volunteering to talk with folks on the street about DSA and the work we’re doing locally. Now we’re in need of volunteers again for the 2023 Open Streets! This is a great opportunity to spend time with your comrades in person and to get more involved in chapter work. No prior experience with tabling is required. Sign up for a two-hour shift here, and we’ll follow up with you soon to confirm your time. Make sure to join the #tabling channel on Slack if you haven’t already, and join us for button-making on 6/4 before the event!
- East Phillips Urban Farm
As mentioned in the introduction, there is now a path to community ownership of the Roof Depot, which is huge a victory for East Phillips, Little Earth, and environmental justice. The coalition is planning a community block party to celebrate this win and needs volunteers to make the event happen smoothly. Specifically, we will need a crew of people to staff our TCDSA table at the event and be visible since our chapter has played such a big part of this environmental justice win. Reach out to TCDSA’s EPNI Working Group at eastphillips@twincitiesdsa.org or on Slack at #epni_coalition_with_and_events to express interest in helping out with the event and/or to join the working group, as there’s still much work remaining to make the community’s vision become a reality!
- Art and Writing
- On the Left Bank Creative Writing and Art Magazine
Help us weave a better future! Submit your (short) creative writing, art, and poetry to leftbankmag@proton.me. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis. The deadline for the June/July issue (issue 5) is June 22. This issue’s loose theme will be pride!
There are no requirements for writers, authors, or artists to submit. The core theme is hopeful futures, but we accept pieces incorporating all aspects of political struggle, the fight for justice, and leftist thought.
Call for submissions for On the Left Bank: Struggle and art have always been deeply intertwined. We believe one of our core duties as socialists is to help our friends and neighbors believe a better world really is possible. That’s why we need your writing, your creativity, and your expertise. - Marxist Research and Reporting Group
You have nothing to lose but your pains (that you get listening to the false narratives of neoliberalism.) Any economists in this crowd? Or writers interested in Marxist economics? I want to start a research and reporting group to spread a Marxist understanding of the crises we live under. There is a lot of class based economics out there but most of it supports the wrong class. And most Marxist economics is academic in tone. My aim is to popularize Marxist alternatives by publishing short pieces in places and in a language where US workers will see it and understand it. My plan is to create a small collaborative of writers and researchers to promote this aim. If anyone is interested please contact me at RobbieOrrwrites@gmail.com or via DSA Slack.
- On the Left Bank Creative Writing and Art Magazine
- Twin Cities DSA Sports
- Basketball
Join us Sundays at 9:30 to play some casual pickup basketball games with comrades! Join the #socialists-play-sports-basketball Slack channel to stay in the loop! All skill levels are welcome 🏀 - Disc Golf
Disc golf is the golf of the working class! Most courses are in public parks and are free to play. Discs are inexpensive compared to most sporting gear and can be bought used, and many people who’ve been playing for a while have a collection of extra discs available to borrow. We’re organizing occasional TCDSA group rounds—join the #socialists-play-sports-disc-golf Slack channel for more info! All are welcome, regardless of athleticism.
- Basketball
- The Street Corps Working Group Mutual Aid Series
Interested in getting involved in Chapter organizing? Interested in mutual aid and helping the community? The Street Corps Working Group is launching several prospective mutual aid and community building programs for this Spring and Summer. We have coordinators ready to help lead these programs but volunteers are needed to make these projects a reality. We encourage you to take a look and sign up for a project you are interested in here.
- TODAY: Button-making Social – Register Here
- Sunday, 6/4 – 12:30PM to 2:30PM – East Lake Library
We’ll be doing a lot of tabling this summer and will be holding a button-making social to make some swag to have on hand. Come, hang out, make some buttons, and get to know new and old chapter members.
- Sunday, 6/4 – 12:30PM to 2:30PM – East Lake Library
- TCDSA General Strike Three Softball Doubleheader Opening Night
- Monday, 6/5 – 6:00PM to 8:30PM – Logan Park SB/KB 2 Field
Come cheer on our softball team on opening night where we’ll be playing a doubleheader! Games are at 6:15 and 7:15. We’ll order some pizzas. Be sure to bring water to stay hydrated!
- Monday, 6/5 – 6:00PM to 8:30PM – Logan Park SB/KB 2 Field
- Hwa Jeong Kim DSA Endorsement Party
- Thursday, 6/8 – 6:00PM – 8:00PM – Register Here
We are proud to have endorsed Hwa Jeong Kim for St. Paul Ward 5, let’s celebrate! Come on over to hang out with Hwa Jeong, mix, mingle, and enjoy the blueberry lemon cake with buttercream icing. She is excited to engage with more of our members and work with us to build the Saint Paul that residents deserve.
- Thursday, 6/8 – 6:00PM – 8:00PM – Register Here
- YWC Rock the Boat 2024 Fundraiser
- Thursday, 6/8 – 8:30pm to 11:00pm – Driftwood Char Bar
Here’s a great opportunity to mix it up with the Young Workers’ Caucus, who will be raising money for the 2024 Solidarity Fund with this event. If you want to have some fun with workers, union members, and organizers from across the 2024 effort and help raise money for a very good cause, plan to be at Rock the Boat.
- Thursday, 6/8 – 8:30pm to 11:00pm – Driftwood Char Bar
- Open Streets Tabling
- Saturday, 6/10 – 11:00AM to 5:00PM – West end of event route, near 35W
We’ll be tabling at Open Streets East Lake. If you’re at the festival drop by to say hi to fellow comrades. If you’re interested and available, you can also volunteer to staff the table! Look for us at the west end of the event route, near 35W.
- Saturday, 6/10 – 11:00AM to 5:00PM – West end of event route, near 35W
- TCDSA 101
- Sunday, 6/11 – 12:00PM – 2:00PM – Zoom Registration
Join us for an introduction to Twin Cities DSA! Designed mainly for new members but any member might benefit. This event will acquaint you with the ideas behind socialism, the structure, culture, and history of Twin Cities DSA, its position in the national and local left ecosystem, and help you discern where you might find the most rewarding opportunities to get involved.
- Sunday, 6/11 – 12:00PM – 2:00PM – Zoom Registration
- TCDSA General Strike Three Softball Game and Post-Game Social
- Monday, 6/12 – 6:00PM to 9:00PM – Logan Park SB/KB 2 Field and Sociable Cider Werks
Come cheer on our softball team General Strike Three. Game is at 6:15. After the game we’ll head to Sociable Cider Werks to hang out!
- Monday, 6/12 – 6:00PM to 9:00PM – Logan Park SB/KB 2 Field and Sociable Cider Werks
- Exploring The Red Deal
- Monday, 6/12 – 6:30PM to 8:00PM – Register Here
Nick Estes, author of Red Nation and Chair of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee along with Joe Vital, key leader of the East Phillips Urban Farm coalition, will be speaking about this important book and its implications for our social justice and socialist work. Check slack and our events page for sign up info.
- Monday, 6/12 – 6:30PM to 8:00PM – Register Here
- Socialism vs Liberalism
- Thursday, 6/15 – 7:00PM to 8:30PM – University of Minnesota, Folwell Hall, Room 108 – Register Here
Join TCDSA and YDSA for an in-person event to learn from Professor August Nimtz on socialism versus liberalism.
- Thursday, 6/15 – 7:00PM to 8:30PM – University of Minnesota, Folwell Hall, Room 108 – Register Here
Who in the world was István Mészáros, and why is he essential for 21st-century socialists?
Mészáros was a Hungarian Marxist philosopher who participated in the 1956 revolt against an autocratic Soviet-style state. He was exiled to Italy and then England, where he continued to teach, write and study Marxism. A mentor to Hugo Chavez, he helped develop the bottom-up aspect of the Venezuelan revolution. By Robbie O.
Amidst Working Class Progress, the Ruling Class Strikes Back
On Sunday, May 28, the Star Tribune ran a front-page red-baiting article by David Orrick that relied heavily on quotes from Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council President Andrea Jenkins to attack TCDSA. The intention of the article was to sow distrust of DSA and paint us as a group of extreme left-wing activists who could possibly be violent. Kip H provides his perspective on the significance of this, and what it means going forward.
- TODAY: Brake Light Clinic Organizing Meeting – Sunday, 6/4, 4:00pm-5:00pm – Boneshaker Books
- Organizing meeting for upcoming Brake Light Clinics to be hosted by our chapter. All interested volunteers encouraged and welcome to attend! We will be covering expected clinic dates and locations, our advertising strategy, and the basics of changing a brake light.
Questions can be directed to Shane on the chapter slack @Shane or to the Street Corps Working Group email: DemSocStreetCorps@gmail.com
- Organizing meeting for upcoming Brake Light Clinics to be hosted by our chapter. All interested volunteers encouraged and welcome to attend! We will be covering expected clinic dates and locations, our advertising strategy, and the basics of changing a brake light.
- East Phillips Urban Farm Working Group – Monday, 6/5, 8:00pm-9:30pm – Zoom Registration
- The East Phillips Urban Farm working group meets weekly on Monday at 8p.TCDSA has endorsed the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s (EPNI) Urban Farm initiative to resist the City’s Hiawatha Campus Expansion plan.
- Minneapolis Rent Control Working Group – Tuesday, 6/6, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- Join us to discuss our strategy for winning meaningful rent control in Minneapolis.
- Internal Organizing Phone Bank – Wednesday, 6/7, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our monthly lapsed member phonebank. 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 other members to TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter and what brings them to socialism. All are welcome to join!
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.
- Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our monthly lapsed member phonebank. 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 other members to TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter and what brings them to socialism. All are welcome to join!
- Political Education Committee – Thursday, 6/8, 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, 6/11, 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
- Tech Ops Committee – Monday, 6/12, 7:00pm-8:00pm – Zoom Registration
- The Tech Ops Committee meets on the 2nd Monday of the month
- East Phillips Urban Farm Working Group – Monday, 6/12, 8:00pm-9:30pm – Zoom Registration
- The East Phillips Urban Farm working group meets weekly on Monday at 8p.TCDSA has endorsed the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s (EPNI) Urban Farm initiative to resist the City’s Hiawatha Campus Expansion plan.
- Street Corps Working Group – Tuesday, 6/13, 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.
- Electoral Internal Phone Bank – Wednesday, 6/14, 5:30pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- We’ll be phone banking to ask members to activate for this year’s electoral work.
- Internal Organizing Committee – Wednesday, 6/14, 6:30pm-8:00pm – Zoom Registration
- 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.
- Communications Committee Meeting – Thursday, 6/15, 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.
- The Communications Committee meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month.
Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything!
Imagine a Renters’ Utopia. It Might Look Like Vienna.
If you could imagine a renter’s utopia, it would look a lot like present-day Vienna. From the NYT via Portside aggregator.
from Deb K R
When Racial Justice Meant Universal Social Benefits
This article argues that the best approach to resolving racial economic disparities is pushing for full employment. This supports the approach TCDSA is taking with our focus on the multiracial working class. The Green New Deal is a great jobs program that could cut unemployment in communities of color. Adolphus Reed’s article doesn’t address the simultaneous need for antiracism.
from Robbie O
A Billionaire Conserving Montana Is Funding the Group Bulldozing the Atlanta Forest
In These Times has a story covering Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and major funder of the murderous project we call Cop City. #StopCopCity is at a critical point with Monday June 5 being the date of the pivotal Atlanta City Council to renege on their gift of the Atlanta Forest to the working class of Atlanta, and instead spend $50M bulldozing it and building a military style police training complex on the southeast
from Deb K R
If you find something that should be shared, you can post it to the #linkroundup channel on Slack.
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