Twin Cities
Democratic Socialists of America

Little Red Letter #123

Putting Our Office To Work, Sending YDSA Members To Conference, and A Ceasefire Remains Critical

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Putting Our Office To Work

Before anything else, let’s start off with an invitation to our upcoming office open house.  Details are further below, but as we have mentioned, last month we moved into the Spruce Tree Center, located at Snelling and University in Saint Paul. We’re excited to continue building the socialist movement in the Twin Cities from our new green tiled home, and we invite you to join us on Monday, February 19th to learn about the resources our chapter has available for members to use, learn how to reserve event time at the office, and start dreaming on how an office can grow our chapter’s organizing.

Groups are already taking advantage of a stable meeting location, with the Socialist Feminist branch returning to their roots with a good old fashioned crafting social at the new office space earlier this month. Longtime branch members as well as new members came together to do a variety of fun crafts – from knitting to card making to painting – as well as spend time with one another and engage in conversation about which direction the branch should be heading. SocFems has been without formal leadership since December and they’ve been embracing this new season as a chance to reimagine what the branch could be. The social was immediately followed by a watch party for the national call and official launch of the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy campaign. Members from the bodily autonomy working group also attended the social and it was a great opportunity to connect and begin discussing potential ways to collaborate. SocFems will be hosting more socials in the coming months, so if you missed this one there will be plenty more opportunities to come hang out and help shape the future of the branch. Join them on Slack at #socfems for updates. Folks can also join the #bodily-autonomy channel on slack to connect with members developing chapter level goals for Reproductive Justice and Trans Liberation, or attend their next meeting on Thursday, February 22nd at 7pm.

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Sending YDSA Members To Conference

Our chapter is intensely fortunate to have multiple engaged and active Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chapters in our region and across Minnesota. These organizers have had a multitude of wins and accomplishments over the past few years. In 2021, YDSA at UMN Twin Cities helped get Twin Cities DSA’s very own Ward 2 Councilmember Robin Wonsley elected. In 2022, YDSA at UMN worked directly with the UMN’s unionized Teamsters Local 320 workers to help them win every demand in their contract. Recently, Macalester YDSA has helped pave the way for undergraduate labor organizing on their campus and also held a gender-affirming clothing drive. Now, we have three new, and hopefully more, YDSA chapters starting across the Twin Cities.

Last year, thanks to generous donations from DSA members around Minnesota and the country, YDSA members were able to attend the 2023 National YDSA Conference. The YDSA Conference is an essential leadership-building experience where members have the opportunity to meet fellow socialists from across the country and participate in various trainings and workshops on organizing. Many YDSA members who attended the Conference in the past would become future leaders in their chapters and in the accomplishments listed above. This year, Minnesota YDSA chapters are trying to send 16 first-time attendees from YDSA at UMN, UMN Duluth YDSA, Macalester YDSA, Metro State YDSA, and Hamline YDSA to the 2024 National YDSA Conference, and they still need to raise $2,050 to hit their fundraising goal. Please help invest in the future of DSA and make a contribution to send YDSA members to the Conference! Donate: https://z.umn.edu/ydsa-winter-con

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A Ceasefire Remains Critical

Finally, pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza remains critical, and last Thursday, February 8th, the Minneapolis city council voted 9-3 to override Mayor Frey’s veto of the previously passed ceasefire resolution and cemented their call for a permanent ceasefire and an end to US military aid to Israel. Across the river in St Paul organizing efforts have begun to get Saint Paul city council to pass their own ceasefire resolution. TCDSA members showed up to a chapter-endorsed rally held on Tuesday, February 6th outside St Paul city hall and helped pack the room on Wednesday the 7th for the city council meeting. Our co-chair Laura spoke at the Tuesday rally alongside a number of speakers from various organizations. The Palestine Solidarity working group is currently organizing around this push for a St Paul ceasefire resolution. If you’d like to get involved, please join their next meeting happening on Thursday, February 22nd at 7p, or join on Slack in the #palestine-solidarity channel.

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• Rethinking I-94 Survey Review Party! – RSVP Here – UMN East Bank
  
  • Wednesday, 2/21, 5:00p – 7:00p
    Saturday, 2/24, 10:00a – 12:00p
    
    Join Our Streets and other Twin Cities Boulevard coalition partners for a gathering to review MNDOT survey entries and get plugged into the upcoming I-94 fight! We will be hosting two events and are asking anyone who is interested in helping out to come to one or both sessions!
    
    The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently completed their Rethinking I-94 project options survey and we have obtained the survey results through a public data request. We want to review the raw data of more than 3,000 survey results to learn what the community is saying about the proposed plans and make those findings available to the public. This is a huge undertaking, so we need your help! Please bring your own laptop or tablet if possible.
    
    Food and beverages will be provided both days. We will meet at the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus (details on location will be emailed to everyone who signs up).

• DFL Caucusing with Twin Cities DSA – Sign-up Here
  
  • Become a precinct captain or DFL convention delegate:
    
    Precinct captains turn out DSA members in their precinct to go to caucus, connect with neighbors, and provide leadership on caucus night to maximize our impact.
    
    One of the key tasks at precinct caucuses is electing delegates and alternates to the next convention. Delegate vote on DFL endorsements, platform, and party leadership elections.
    
    These roles will receive training and support.

• General Strike Three Softball Call for Players
  
  • Softball season is around the corner, and after an amazing first season last summer/fall, General Strike Three is coming back in full force! Registration for leagues opens this month, and we need your input to figure out which league to enroll in. Potential league info is here.
    
    Please complete this interest form by February 21st to note your interest and indicate your availability and preferences. Be sure to join the #socialists-play-sports-softball channel on Slack to stay informed as we figure out details!

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• MFT Rally at the School Board: Stabilize Our Schools by Stabilizing Our Workforce – Tuesday, 2/13, 4:45p – 6:00p – RSVP Here – Minneapolis Public Schools, 1250 W Broadway, Minneapolis, MN
  
  • From MFT:
    Join us for a rally at the school board on February 13th. This will be the first school board meeting with our new superintendent, Dr. Sayles-Adams. March and hear our fantastic MFT musicians at 5pm, a few speakers, and then we’ll walk into the meeting together at 5:30pm.
    
    Our kids can’t wait! The MPS bargaining team has not addressed the number one priority of our chapters and there is no room to delay. We know how to avoid another mass exodus of educators from MPS and attract high quality teachers and ESPs!
    
    STABILIZE OUR SCHOOLS and increase enrollment, by stabilizing our workforce. See you there!

• TCDSA 101 – Saturday, 2/17, 10:00a – 12:00p – 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.

• Office Open House – Monday, 2/19, 4:00p – 7:00p – RSVP Here – Spruce Tree Center, 1600 University Ave W, Suite 3, St Paul, MN
  
  • Join us on Monday, February 19 for an open house at our new office!
    
    Stop by to see what resources our chapter has available for members to use, learn how to reserve space and start dreaming on how an office can transform our chapter’s organizing.

• Precinct Caucus Training – Tuesday, 2/20, 7:00p – 8:00p – Zoom Registration
  
  • Participants should also fill out this form.
    
    This is a training to prepare members to attend DFL precinct caucuses on Tuesday, February 27th. The precinct caucus is a neighborhood meeting is the first step in making decisions in the Minnesota DFL Party, including candidate endorsements and determining the party’s platform.
    
    This training will cover what happens at a precinct caucus and how to maximize your voice in this process. We will cover subjects such as: becoming a delegate or alternate, introducing platform resolutions, engaging your neighbors, the walking sub-caucus, and more.

• Hold The Line Documentary Screening – Saturday, 2/24, 2:30p – 4:30p – RSVP Here – Minneapolis Central Library S-280, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN
  
  • The Political Education Committee and the Labor Branch of the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America are excited to invite you to a screening of the documentary, Hold the Line, about the 2022 Minneapolis educator strike. The film follows the staff at Ella Baker School as they walk the picket line day after day to demand better schools and better jobs. Interviews with dozens of educators while they are on the line draws an intimate portrait of what it’s like to walk off the job with solidarity and determination. The screening will be followed by a QA and discussion with the director and the audience.
    
    The screening will take place in the screening room of the Minneapolis Central Library in Room S-280 on the second floor. 

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• Political Education Committee – Tuesday, 2/13, 6:30p – 8:00p – Zoom Registration
  
  • All members are welcome to join the Political Education Committee or to attend any of our meetings to discuss the continuation of programming like TCDSA 101, debate nights, and Solidarity School, and lifting up Poli Ed for new, curious, and established TCDSA members. This group meets on the 2nd Tuesday 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. 

• Local Elected Socialists in Office: Administrative Meeting – Thursday, 2/15, 5:30p – 7:00p – Zoom Registration
  
  • All branches, committees, and working groups are encouraged to bring ideas for how we can collaborate with electeds.
    
    This is a hybrid meeting meeting In-person at Spruce Tree Center, 1600 University Ave W, Suite 3, St Paul, MN

• Rent Control Door-knock – Saturday, 2/17, 1:00p – 3:00p – Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
  
  Join the TCDSA Minneapolis Rent Control Working Group for a door-knock in support of rent control in Minneapolis! We’ll meet outside the Convention Center (more precise location TBD) and we will spread out to nearby street corners and apartment buildings to talk to our neighbors about rent control.

• Pickup Basketball
  
  • Saturday, 2/17, 1:30p – 3:30p
    Saturday, 2/24, 1:30p – 3:30p
    
    We’ve found a place to play basketball indoors during the winter! Super informal, please come out if you’re interested in playing and meeting other comrades. All skill levels welcome, we’re a very casual group!
    
    For location details and to spot check that we’re on for the session each week, check out the #socialists-play-sports-basketball channel on Slack.
    
    Do make sure to check as some weeks we might have overlapping events that would motivate us to cancel. If you’re not already on Slack, you can sign up here: tcdsa.org/slack

• Steering Committee Meeting – Sunday, 2/18, 2:30p – 04:00p
  
  • Check #steeringcommittee for the zoom link and agenda. If you are a member and need access to slack, sign up at tcdsa.org/slack
    
    Log on early for a “Leadership Operations Skill-Share” where a leader in TCDSA does a skill-share about skill that is important for chapter operations. These skill-shares will be from 2:10-2:30pm before the SC meeting begins

• East Phillips Health Team – Tuesday, 2/20 6:00p – 7:30p
  
  • Note, this is NOT the DSA Health Justice WG.
    
    Goal: To improve health outcomes in East Phillips by reducing air pollution in the neighborhood. Jointly led by TCDSA, Seward Vaccine Equity Project (SVEP), and East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI).
    
    This group meets every other Tuesday from 6:00p to 7:30p. It is on Zoom, but not always on DSA accounts. Please email eastphillips@twincitiesdsa.org for access to the Zoom link.

• Labor Branch Meeting – Tuesday, 2/20, 7:00p – 8:30p – 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, 2/21, 6:00p – 7:00p – Zoom Registration
  
  • Join the Internal Organizing Committee for a New 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, but new members should note that we will be calling you!
    
    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.

• Palestine Solidarity Working Group – Thursday, 2/22, 7:00p – 8:00p – Zoom Link
  
  • Regular biweekly meeting of the TCDSA Palestine Solidarity Working Group. Join us as TCDSA organizes with allies in the community towards a ceasefire in Gaza.

• Bodily Autonomy Campaign Meeting – Thursday, 2/22, 7:00p – 8:00p – Zoom Registration – In-person RSVP
  
  • At this meeting we’ll be taking a deeper dive into each of our building blocks for our chapter’s work in reproductive justice and trans liberation: coalition partnership, regional DSA outreach, and planning actions in March. 
    
    Please come to this meeting if you are interested in contributing or just learning more about what we’re working on! This meeting will be hybrid: in person at our office and on Zoom. 
    
    Masks are required in the office and will be provided if you don’t have one.

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Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything!

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