May General Meeting Tomorrow!
Our regular monthly chapter meeting will be tomorrow night, May 12, at 6:45 p.m. on Zoom. We’ll be voting on a chapter statement on the escalating violence towards Palestinians, and we’ll be accepting nominations for a number of chapter roles, including Steering Committee leadership, Grievance Officer, and National Convention Delegate. Join us to keep our chapter democracy healthy and learn more about a few upcoming events – you can register for the meeting here!
Upcoming Events
Neighbors United Tenant Phonebank
Join Neighbors United for a tenant rights phonebank tonight, May 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.We’ll be calling District 5 tenants and providing information on rent relief and the eviction moratorium. Contact Pat at pcochran.media@gmail.com for more information. Zoom link here!
Support Free Muni!
As the world heads towards climate crisis, we need to shift our transportation modes to safe, sustainable, equitable public transit by making Muni free. Take action by supporting the Free Muni pilot at the Budget and Appropriations Meeting tomorrow, May 12 at 11:30 a.m.! Use this link for talking points.
A Discussion of African-American Labor History: Peter Cole discusses his book about Ben Fletcher
Join us this Thursday, May 13th at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion of Peter Cole’s new book, Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly. Ben Fletcher was one of the most important labor organizers of the early twentieth century, and yet his name is almost unknown today. Peter Cole remedies this by shining a new light on Fletcher, one of the founders of the IWW and organizer of the one of the few interracial union locals of the time. Join us for a discussion and celebration of Fletcher’s legacy with Peter Cole and Clarence Thomas of ILWU.
#30RightNow Month Of Action
The campaign to get rent relief for supportive housing tenants in this year’s budget cycle is well underway, and we have a whole week of actions for the cause. Read our policy statement here!
The biggest announcement is that the #30RightNow campaign will be holding an in-person rally on Tuesday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m. in front of City Hall to demand the mayor fund the 30% rent standard in all supportive housing in this year’s budget cycle. We ask that all attendees follow COVID-19 protocols and have at least one shot of the vaccine. Press release can be found here.
Today, Tuesday, May 11, at 2:00 p.m., please call into the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting and make a public comment (Item 19) to urge that the mayor fund #30RightNow. Dial 1 (415) 655-0001 and use the meeting ID (187 264 2158 # #), then press *3 to speak as soon as meeting starts – it’s the only public comment period.
Then, tomorrow, May 12, at 11:30 a.m., please call into the Budget and Appropriations Committee’s hearing on the law enforcement budget (Item 3). We know many of you are speaking against the bloated law enforcement budget already, but we invite you to mention that the city spends $8.6 million per year on public housing cops, and that it would only cost $6.1 million per year to fund getting rents down to 30% for all supportive housing tenants. Dial 1 (415) 655-0001 / and use the meeting ID (187 153 5648 # #), and when Item 3 comes up, dial *3 to speak.
Planning meetings for the rally and campaign are happening every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and we will have a sign making event for the May 18 rally at Boedekker Park this Saturday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m.
For more info, please contact 30rightnow@gmail.com.
Announcements
This Week on SFIJ and Fog City Rose
Hi there, comrades!
We think the following pieces of news from the San Francisco Independent Journal (SFIJ) and Fog City Rose may be of interest to you:
? First, on May Day, workers marched from Embarcadero to City Hall to have their voices heard while also supporting the PRO Act.
? Second, a diverse group of union leaders, political activists, and organizations held a wide-ranging town hall to discuss the PRO Act, which will protect workers.
? Finally, we make the case for free college in our latest piece on Fog City Rose.
If you have committee work or another story you want to be publicized by a friendly outlet, please submit tips to writing@dsasf.org.
Learn About City Government Through the Civil Grand Jury!
Every year, each county in California convenes a Civil Grand Jury to investigate local city and county government. In contrast to a criminal Grand Jury, the SF Civil Grand Jury comprises 19 ordinary residents, who choose to research and investigate any topic of their choosing related to local government. If you’re interested in the details of how city government works, this may be the opportunity for you!
The requirements for participating are U.S. citizenship, and SF residence for at least one year. If you live in a different California county, you can apply for that county’s Civil Grand Jury. The time commitment is around 10 hours per week. Civil Grand Jury service is a paid opportunity, at a maximum of $75/week depending on days worked. The deadline for the application is May 14. All information and the application form can be found here.
We Need You to Build Socialism!
We need your help with the following:
- Help Produce the Newsletter!
- Every week we put out the very newsletter you are reading, and we need organizers to help write, edit and produce it. Contact comms@dsasf.org or #ccc-comms on Slack to help out.
- Help Manage Our Social Media!
- You already live on Instagram and Twitter, so why not help build socialism instead of just providing data to targeted advertising algorithms? Contact comms@dsasf.org or #ccc-comms on Slack to help out.
- Help Organize Our Monthly Meetings and Other Fun Events!
- If you have experience or interest in organizing events, our Community team could use your help. Social events, educational events, and of course our monthly meetings; none of them happen without organizers. Fill out this form, email community@dsasf.org, or #ccc-community on Slack to join the fun.
- Help Our Tech Team!
- Want to be a part of a team that is actually making a difference in the world, not just talking about it on LinkedIn? Help build the infrastructure that DSA SF uses to build socialism. Contact tech-support@dsasf.org or #ccc-tech on Slack to pitch in.
DSA SF Membership Drive
Consider becoming a member of National DSA or making sure your membership is up-to-date, so you can participate in the member forums and stay informed about what the National Organization is doing. Becoming a member also counts towards DSA SF’s delegate count for the August National Convention! As always, no one will be turned away for lack of funds; all you need to do is fill out the dues sponsorship form. If you have any other questions or hurdles on membership, feel free to email steering@dsasf.org and we’ll figure something out together.
Reading Groups
The Antonio Gramsci Reader
The 21st Century Socialism Reading Group takes a dip back into the 20th. There will be four sessions every other Tuesday, continuing with our third session tonight from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.Register here!
Making Asian America: Brief Excerpts on Labor, Belonging, and Empire
Join us for DSA SF’s newest reading group to commemorate AAPI Heritage Month, “Making Asian America.” There will be three sessions (Labor, Belonging, and Empire), each of which will examine a different aspect of Asian American political organizing within its historical context. The first session was Sunday, May 2, and the next two sessions will take place this Saturday, May 15, and Saturday, May 29, all at 2:30 p.m.Sign up here.
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