Comrades,
In an effort to build a culture of appreciation and solidarity, we’re highlighting comrades and their contributions to the chapter. If you want to appreciate comrades, please email comms@dsasf.org to tell us a little about them 😊
The comrade we want to appreciate today is Sam R., who dedicates her organizing to improving and socializing chapter culture. In her organizing, she worked extensively with the Chapter Coordination Committee, including a term as Community Team Lead. Recently she served as Chapter Grievance Officer and helped organize some queer/socialist feminist educational events. She took a bit of a break from projects over the past couple months but now she is interested in writing on the intersections of sex, class, and race, getting involved in the chapter’s anti-discrimination and consciousness-raising projects such as the BLIS priority campaign, and connecting more with other queer women and fellow travelers.
A comrade said of Sam:
“Sam is unwaveringly kind. She is always careful to participate in projects and work that will not overextend her, and she always is able to remain fair-minded and even in the company of others. This is not to say Sam is always “nice” when it is not warranted — when others overstep, Sam is quick to wield the sword of truth with an even hand and some expediency. To my way of thinking this is an extension of her fair-mindedness and ability to quickly identify right and wrong. Sam is also observant of others and her surroundings, and is a caring and attentive friend. She uses these attributes to much positive effect, and is able to ask careful yet detailed and probing questions that help draw people out and get to the heart of the matter. Furthermore, Sam is extremely knowledgeable and well-read, and approaches new situations with a sense of curiosity. Sam has been able to face adversity with a sense of buoyancy. It is perhaps this trait from which I could stand to learn the most.”
Solidarity,
DSA SF Comms Committee
Events
🌹 Saturday, 5/28 (12:00 p.m.): Empty Homes Tax Signature Gathering (in person at Mission Dolores Park, corner of 19th and Dolores)
🌹 Wednesday, 6/8 (7:00 p.m.): Venezuelan Feminists Tour (in person at 518 Valencia)
🌹 Thursday, 6/9 (7:30 p.m.): Learn more about the Starbucks union drive (Zoom)
🌹 Saturday, 6/11 (12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.): DSA SF Chapter Convention – Day 1 (Zoom and in person, location TBD)
🌹 Sunday, 6/12 (12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.): DSA SF Chapter Convention – Day 2 (Zoom and in person, location TBD)
🌹 Sunday, 6/26 (2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.): Educational Event: A Socialist Answer to the Housing Crisis (Zoom)
Join the Comms Committee
Want to help get the word out about the rad stuff the chapter gets up to? Join the Comms Committee! We’re looking for help with planning and creating posts for the chapter’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok accounts, fielding comms requests from other folks in the chapter, and editing and proofreading the weekly newsletter. And, we always love to hear fresh ideas about what else we could be doing to spread the good word of socialism throughout the City. Interested? Let us know at comms@dsasf.org or find us on Slack at #comms!
Want something in the newsletter? Tell us!
Our chapter is stronger when comrades know what the chapter is doing – and what we’ve accomplished together. If you’d like to share photos or reports from an action, or let the chapter know about an upcoming event, please use the comms request form here!
Announcements
Learn from Venezuelan Feminists Firsthand on June 8
Join us on Wednesday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m. at 518 Valencia to hear from three Venezuelan feminists about their firsthand experiences, how US sanctions disproportionately impact women and children, and how we as socialists can build our solidarity with Venezuelans and against US imperialism.
This event will provide interpretation services. This is a unique opportunity for people in the U.S. to hear directly and in person from Venezuelans who are impacted by the sanctions, so it’d be a meaningful experience that you wouldn’t want to miss out on! Please note: masks will be required for this event.
About our guests: Mónica is a professor and arts administrator who writes a weekly column. Anggie is a Wayuu activist and educator on Indigenous, sexual, and reproductive rights. Yolimar is an industrial engineer and is part of the internationalist brigade of Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement (MST) in Venezuela.
Empty Homes Tax Signature Gathering: Mission Dolores Park
DSA SF will be hosting a signature gathering mobilization for the Empty Homes Tax at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28 at Mission Dolores Park on the corner on 19th and Dolores. We’re 2/3 of the way towards our total goal and time is starting to run out! Come help us take advantage of the long weekend to exceed our weekly signature gathering of 600 signatures. No signature gathering experience necessary! We will train you, provide all materials necessary, and give you a location for gathering.
Hear from DSA and YDSA about building labor power at Starbucks!
Come hear DSA and YDSA members from SF and Santa Cruz talk about their union drives, and find out how you can get involved in Starbucks organizing and labor solidarity efforts! This is a critical time for us to continue to build lasting, durable labor power here in the Bay Area and throughout the nation – don’t miss it! This is a Zoom meeting, and will take place on Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. PST.
RSVP for the Zoom meeting here!
Get involved with the Homelessness Working Group!
As comrades may know, Homelessness Working Group has reactivated its tent distribution/replacement project started in 2019. Over the past weeks, members have been distributing dozens of tents to people sleeping rough on the streets and in need of survival gear. The tent distro subcommittee has engaged with allied groups, such as Food Not Bombs and Rad Mission Neighbors, to distribute tents and gear at joint events. Members have also walked neighborhoods handing out gear to people.
HWG members also continue to work on the Hotels Not Hospitals project, which has been housing people for nearly 2 years! Started in early-2020 and endorsed by the Chapter in the summer of 2020, HNH began renting hotel rooms for people abandoned by the City to living on the street during the pandemic. In March 2021, HNH helped our formerly unhoused partners secure apartments and has been helping them with rent and other issues since.
Want to join in on this work? Drop in on a Homelessness Working Group meeting – meetings are every other Monday evening, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. For more information or for a Zoom link to the meetings, please reach out to homelessness@dsasf.org or find them on Slack.
Learn about the Socialist Answer to the Housing Crisis with the Empty Homes Tax Campaign
Join DSA SF’s Empty Homes Tax signature captains on Sunday, June 26 at 2:00 p.m. PST for the third installment on the socialist answer to the housing crisis! This time we will be focusing on a series of articles on housing justice and related issues.
What has been the impact of privatizing affordable housing resources? What can we learn from the organizing efforts of Metro DC DSA’s Stomp Out Slumlords? Or the expropriation initiative in Berlin?
This will be an online zoom event – registration link coming soon!
You can access the reading list here!
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