Upcoming Events

🌹Tuesday, 10/10 (6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): Ecosocialist Book Club: Steven Higashide’s Better Buses Better Cities (Zoom)

🌹Wednesday, 10/11 (6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): October Chapter Meeting (Zoom and in person at 518 Valencia)

🌹Friday, 10/13 (12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Office Hours (In person at 1916 McAllister)

🌹Friday, 10/13 (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.): ⚽DSA SF Soccer League – Team Orcas (In person at 601 Mission Bay Boulevard North)

🌹Saturday, 10/14 (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Office Hours (In person at 1916 McAllister)

🌹Tuesday, 10/17 (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): 📚How to Be an Organizer (Zoom)

🌹Tuesday, 10/17 (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.): DSA National Convention Discussion (Zoom)

🌹Wednesday, 10/18 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): 📚What is DSA? (New Member Meeting) (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Check out https://dsasf.org/events/ for more events.

Events & Actions

October Chapter Meeting on Wednesday, 10/11

The October Chapter meeting is tomorrow, October 11th, from 6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.! You can attend remotely on Zoom or in person at 518 Valencia.

This meeting will include:

  • reports from various committees and working groups, including updates from the Chapter Coordination Committee, the Homelessness and Fundraising Working Groups, and the Electoral Board
  • a vote on a bylaws amendment to our corporate donations policy
  • discussion of a future vote on reducing the size of the Steering Committee

Chapter meetings are an excellent way to find out what’s happening within the chapter and for members to make their voices heard, whether you’re brand new to DSA SF or a longstanding member.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Reports

Palestinian Solidarity Protest on 10/8

A photo of DSA SF and East Bay DSA members posing for a group photo. People are holding pro-Palestinian liberation signs, as well as a DSA SF and East Bay DSA banner.

In response to the situation in Palestine, DSA SF and East Bay DSA members organized a contingent for a protest hosted by the Palestinian Youth Movement. Protestors marched down Market Street in support of Palestine as a show of support and solidarity.

Thank you to the folks who got everyone together so quickly, and those who showed up to the protest.

Team Dean Update!

DSA SF member Dean Preston (elected District 5 Supervisor) has been busy this past month. Some highlights: 

  • Moving legislation through the Public Safety & Neighborhood Services Committee which prohibits security guards from drawing their weapons to protect only property. This legislation was a response to the murder of Banko Brown by a Walgreens security guard. 
  • Holding a hearing on the city’s response to car break-ins, in which departments reported in the Park Smart campaign and SFPD reported that they close less than 2% of reported break-ins each year. The office will be following up on suggestions made in Dean’s memo to departments and those brought forth by residents. Stay tuned! 
  • Putting the Board of Supervisors on record in expressing concern for Rec & Park’s unceremonious moving of the Heart of the City Farmer’s Market over the market’s objections. The office has scheduled a follow-up hearing on October 19th and is ready to use the Board’s subpoena power if needed. 
  • Living rent-free in the mind of Elon Musk, who twice called for Dean’s jailing. It’s no surprise that the world’s richest man has a problem with a socialist who has used his power effectively to tax some of the richest people and companies in San Francisco, and we are proud to have partnered with DSA SF to do it! 
  • Last but not least: Being grateful and excited to once again win DSA SF’s endorsement for District 5 Supervisor in the November 2024 race. We’ve accomplished a lot but we are just getting started!

Excited about our work? You can reach out to Will Sw., the rest of the Electoral Board at electoral@dsasf.org, or Melissa H. on Slack if you have any concerns or questions about anything related to Dean’s office, City Hall, or campaign work!

Queer Mixer Reportback

On September 27th, DSA’s Fundraising Provisional Working Group, the Electoral Board, and DSA SF member Jackie Fielder organized a queer mixer at El Rio along with East Bay DSA. The event was attended by a mix of DSA SF and East Bay DSA members along with Harvey Milk Democratic Club members, Jackie supporters, other progressives in the city, and some other folks who saw the flyer on El Rio’s Instagram.

Attendees played “queer bingo” as a way to meet and mingle with each other. There were also speakers from DSA SF and East Bay DSA and a raffle for various DSA SF merch prizes, which raised over $800 that was shared between DSA SF and East Bay DSA. Many new members also signed up to join DSA SF!

A photo of about two dozen people socializing on El Rio's outdoor patio.
A photo of about a dozen people socializing on El Rio's outdoor patio.

Q&A with Jackie Fielder, D9 Candidate

Jackie Fielder met with the DSA SF chapter on October 3rd to discuss her run for District 9, her political experience and values, and answer audience questions. Here are some highlights of that discussion:

  • Jackie has a strong understanding of the demographics of D9, and aims to offer support and literature in multiple languages, particularly Spanish and Mandarin, in order to better connect with D9 residents. She also has a sense of the key issues D9 residents are most concerned about, from more city-wide concerns like public safety, housing, and homelessness to district-specific issues like illegal dumping in Portola, small business closures and building vacancies, and the vendors at the 24th St. BART station.
  • A big focus of the campaign is bringing an indigenous understanding of the world to the SF Board of Supervisors, specifically the idea that everyone has a right to a dignified quality of life. This understanding informs Jackie’s stances on environmental justice and against the corporatization of San Francisco.

Overall, the event was informative and gave attendees a chance to learn more about Jackie and her campaign. More detailed notes on the event can be found on the #electoral-discussion channel on Slack.

Behind the Scenes

The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.

To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.

Feedback? Questions? Something to add?

We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.

For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.