Twin Cities
Democratic Socialists of America
Little Red Letter #111
Reviving the Dance Party, The Organizing Doesn’t Stop, and Onward to DSA Convention 2023!
A little bit late, but well worth it after a busy weekend packed with DSA events. From our bartender Mark to DJ Bree and our MC Ian, everyone who donated a silent auction item and all the event organizers, the revival of Twin Cities DSA Dance Parties was a hit! Thank you to everyone who joined us at Black Hart on Saturday or donated to our delegation fundraiser.
All together we raised nearly $3,000 that will help send our delegation to Chicago to represent our chapter, and it was a welcome moment of comradery for delegates in the middle of studying up on a 300-plus page proposal compendium and 41 NPC candidates. Many of our delegates are taking off on the train tomorrow, some are making their own way or already there, and all of them are looking forward to meeting with over 1,000 delegates at the convention and getting down to business.
Also this past weekend, members got out there on the doors to support our endorsed candidates in Saint Paul. Council Member Nelsie Yang and Hwa Jeong Kim are both running without serious opposition in their elections, and that opens possibilities. On the doors with Hwa Jeong Kim we were able to highlight the glaring carve outs in city ordinances that have been victories in past years, from landlords that can self-certify 8% rent increases to employers exempt from the city’s minimum wage ordinance. Our St Paul branch followed that up with an apartment door knock with Nelsie Yang to talk to renters about the rent stabilization ordinance and the need to restore rent control.
In Minneapolis the Fair Drives, Safe Rides policy was introduced by Council members Wonsley, Chavez & Osman. This policy is similar to measures passed elsewhere in the country such as New York City and Seattle and aims to protect basic workers’ rights and guarantee a minimum compensation for rideshare workers. A statewide version of this was passed in the legislative session, spearheaded by Senator Omar Fateh. This was then vetoed by Governor Tim Walz. People are invited to learn more about the policy and share your feedback in support by attending the upcoming information sessions and public hearing, or emailing the Minneapolis City Council to tell them to pass this measure.
Hot Labor Summer moves forward as Delta ramp and cargo workers held an informational picket at MSP Airport to protest Delta’s union busting on July 21 as the joint campaign by the Teamsters, AFA, and IAM to unionize Delta continues. The Teamsters bargaining team announced a tentative agreement with UPS with one week to go before they went on strike. Union members will vote on accepting or rejecting the agreement from August 3 to August 22, and DSA remains ready to stand in solidarity with the workers whatever they decide. And UAW began their negotiations with the big three automakers, the first negotiations following the election of members of the reform caucus Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) to leadership.
Lastly, the People’s Party fundraiser wasn’t the only chance for members to get together, with our chapter softball league “General Strike Three” playing their last two games of the summer season. Down to the last day new comrades were joining us for the pre-game socials and our team ended the season in good spirits. Unfortunately the open fall league we applied to was canceled, but we have registered for the co-ed fall league, and anyone interested in playing should head to the #socialists-play-sports-softball Slack channel, especially women or women-identifying folks!
Brake Light Clinics 2023: A Recap & Analysis On TCDSA Mutual Aid
This July, a group of comrades from the chapter’s Street Corps Working Group organized and carried out two Brake Light Clinics. Shane M wrote a recap of these events as well as an analysis of mutual aid work in our chapter.
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!
- East Phillips Urban Farm
- Following the huge Roof Depot victory, there’s still plenty of work to be done to continue the fight for environmental justice in the Twin Cities. Current focuses are:
- Shutting down the HERC Trash Incinerator
- Shutting down Smith Foundry and Bituminous Roadways
- Reimagining Highway I-94
- Continuing community engagement in East Phillips for the realization of the Urban Farm
- If you’re interested in any of this work, reach out to TCDSA’s East Phillips and EJ Working Group at eastphillips@twincitiesdsa.org or on Slack at #epni_coalition_with_and_events to get plugged in!
- Following the huge Roof Depot victory, there’s still plenty of work to be done to continue the fight for environmental justice in the Twin Cities. Current focuses are:
- Twin Cities DSA Sports
- Softball
TCDSA has registered a team for an eight week fall league! Games will be Tuesday evenings from August 6 – September 11, and we need players to fill our roster. In particular, because we needed to register for a co-ed league instead of the open league, we specifically need a few women or women-identifying players! If you’re interested please join the #socialists-play-sports-softball Slack channel!
- Basketball
Join us Sundays at 9:00 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.
- Softball
- Doorknock with Soren Stevenson for Minneapolis Ward 8 – Register Here
- Saturday, August 12, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Join us and the Robin Wonsley campaign to door knock with Soren Stevenson in Minneapolis Ward 8! We’ll have a BBQ afterwards. We’ll be meeting up at the picnic area at Nicollet Ave and 41st Street.
- Saturday, August 12, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
- DSA Ice Cream Social(ism) – RSVP Here
- Saturday, August 12, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Building community is integral to building socialism, and what better way to get to know each other than over ice cream! Please RSVP so we know how much ice cream to get! All are welcome, members and non-members alike.
- Saturday, August 12, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
- Picnic in the Park with the West Metro & Wright County Group – RSVP Here
- Wednesday, August 16, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM – West Pulaski Park
Join us for a picnic full of pride and solidarity! The West Metro & Wright County Democratic Socialists invite you to a picnic on Wednesday, August 16th at West Pulaski Park in Buffalo at 5:30 pm. We’re going to celebrate our recent successes and plan for a powerful future. But the main thing is to hang out with some friends and comrades! We’ll share outdoor games, food, drinks, and fun. Families and friends are welcome. Bring folding chairs if you have them. The picnic is pot-luck, but all are welcome, whether or not you bring something to share. RSVP and let us know if you plan to bring something!
- Wednesday, August 16, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM – West Pulaski Park
- • Internal Organizing Phone Bank – Wednesday, 8/2, 6:00pm-7:00pm
- 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 of TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter, and what brought 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 of TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter, and what brought them to socialism. All are welcome to join!
- East Phillips Urban Farm Working Group – Monday, 8/7, 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.
- Electoral Phone Bank – Tuesday, 8/8, 5:00pm – 6:00pm – Zoom Registration
- We’ll be calling TCDSA members to let them know about our August 12 door knock with Soren Stevenson for Minneapolis Ward 8 City Council.
- Street Corps Working Group – Tuesday, 8/8, 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.
- The Street Corps Working Group works on addressing issues in the community through mutual aid, community building, and community defense initiatives.
- Internal Organizing Committee – Wednesday, 8/9, 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.
- All are welcome to join our monthly meetings of the TCDSA Internal Organizing Committee (IOC).
- Political Education Committee – Thursday, 8/10, 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.
- 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.
Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything!
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