Comrades planning Inauguration Day Weekend of Action in DC; Shayla Adams-Stafford Canvasses this weekend; Rockville residents are speaking up for rent stabilization
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
Comrades planning Inauguration Day Weekend of Action in DC — Saturday, January 18 – 20
As Donald Trump prepares for his return to the White House, area residents are preparing their defense to an anticipated hostile regime. Locals planning protests or actions in response are encouraged to coordinate with others for both safety and effectiveness. Here is a rundown of upcoming inaugural action:
The People’s March on Saturday, 1/18
On Saturday, January 18, tens of thousands of working people are expected to turn out in solidarity and resistance to tell the incoming Trump administration that we will fight to defend bodily autonomy, the environment, workers, tenants, and more. Metro DC DSA will be hosting one of the kickoff locations, and then merge with the other marchers at 15th St NW & Pennsylvania Ave NW to continue on to the Washington Monument (2 15th St). Please RSVP for the march here to receive details about the meeting point for the DSA contingent.
The Road Ahead: Organizing Through a Second Trump Term on Sunday, 1/19
Between the mass mobilizations over the Inauguration Weekend of Action, join DSA and the Movement Infrastructure Project to discuss what this moment means, hear about long-term organizing projects you can get involved with, and hang out with other leftists and socialists. There will be something to learn for everyone, whether they are interested in organizing tenants, their workplace, protecting bodily autonomy, or just meeting more people. The event will feature guest speakers, workshops, and a social to kickstart the work of building the powerful working class movement needed, locally and internationally, to fight the incoming administration. Please RSVP to the workshop here to receive the location information.
We Fight Back National Day of Action on Monday, 1/20
On Inauguration Day, January 20, DSA chapters around the country will be joining thousands of people in a mass mobilization to oppose Trump’s far-right, billionaire agenda. DSA members will stand with thousands of working people in the collective struggle to end US-backed war and militarism, the privatization of public goods, attacks on our immigrant neighbors, and to defend DC Home Rule and the rights of all oppressed peoples. Please RSVP here for the day of action, and to receive details about the meeting point for the DSA contingent.
Shayla Adams-Stafford Canvasses this weekend — a pivotal PG Council Special Election on the table
Join Metro DC DSA and our Prince George's County Branch as we show up in force for our endorsed candidate Shayla Adams-Stafford, the working class champion we need representing District 5 on the Prince George's County Council. Shayla is a former Teachers Union shop steward, has led the fight on the school board for care not policing in our schools, and fought back against developers to get strong project labor agreements on public school projects. This race will decide the balance of power on a County Council split 5 – 5 between corporate developer interests and progressives. Establishment Democrats are opposing Shayla with everything they have. The Special Election ends on March 4, but ballots get mailed out in mid-January, so every weekend counts.
Our next canvasses are scheduled for Saturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12 at 11am to 2pm, starting from the parking lot of Cheverly Metro Station. Afterwards, we will meet up at a restaurant or bar to debrief. Dress warmly and bring snacks and water — hand warmers will be provided. Please RSVP at the dated links above; there is a possibility we will cancel door knocking due to weather and road conditions, and phonebank instead.
Rockville residents are speaking up for rent stabilization — community forum on Monday, January 13 at 6:30pm
In July, the Rockville City Council and Mayor voted to end discussion of rent stabilization, leaving Rockville renters unprotected from large rent increases, unlike tenants in other parts of Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and DC. Despite this, tenants are continuing to advocate for rent stabilization. On January 13, the Council and Mayor will hold a discussion about community engagement, and before the Rockville community hearing, Rockville tenants and supporters will use the community forum to call out the Council and Mayor for failing to heed the hours of community input asking them to pass rent stabilization. RSVP to the discussion here.
WASHINGTON SOCIALIST - WINTER 2025
The Washington Socialist is Metro DC DSA’s quarterly political journal, which has published consistently since 2017. Articles provide contemporary commentary and debate on contemporary realities facing socialists in the DMV.
Theories of Washington’s Socialists – A quick recap of the ideas, theories and modes of praxis that have been kicked around by DC-area socialists over the past seven years.
Creatures of the World, Unite! – Applying theories of alienation to industrialized meat production – how far can we take Marx’ fundamental theories? From Julia P.
Organizational Underdevelopment; Or: A Response to Two Sams – chapter member Maxwell Rott takes a deep dive into two articles written in the Washington Socialist over the last year, landing on a theory he calls “organizational underdevelopment.” Theory nerds – take note.
Turning Inward to Avoid Reaching Out – longtime WS writer Patrick Dalton talks up the need for DSA to stay focused on external campaigns over purity posturing.
Want more? Stay tuned for additional content next week.
Interested in writing, editing or designing for the publication? Chapter members can reach out to [email protected] , and members can send a note to the Publications team on the chapter slack (#publications)
BRIEFS
Residents call on Virginia legislature to fix medical underwriting loophole in Medicare Advantage plans
Due to a loophole in federal healthcare policy, insurers can legally deny Medigap supplemental coverage to Medicare beneficiaries with preexisting medical conditions if they apply after the initial six-month guaranteed enrollment period when they first qualify for Medicare. This practice — known as medical underwriting — can leave millions of older seniors and disabled individuals on fixed incomes trapped in expensive and inadequate Medicare Advantage plans just as their healthcare needs are increasing.
The Virginia legislature can close this loophole in the current session. The NoVA Medicare 4 All working group has started a letter-writing campaign to persuade legislators to stand up to the health insurance lobby and pass a strong bill protecting the rights of Medicare recipients. Interested comrades can also join #nova-medicare-for-all to get involved and for more details.
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, January 11 at 2:30pm
Build power in the DMV and join the Metro DC DSA Street Team by attending our first monthly meeting of 2025 tomorrow, January 11 from 2:30 to 4pm. The Street Team hosts and attends community events to connect Metro DC DSA and its campaigns with the community in the DMV in order to expand the chapter's base and build a more democratic society. All are encouraged to attend the meeting in-person at the MLK Memorial Library, room 401-D. A happy hour is to follow. RSVP for the Street Team monthly meeting here.
Stop Fueling Genocide: The BDS Campaign Against Chevron and Our Role in the DMV — Monday, January 27, 7pm
Join MDC DSA’s Internationalism working group and our local allies for a political education event that will cover how DMV locals can participate in a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign right here in the DMV. This is a Socialist Night School event and campaign launch that will foster discussion of the BDS campaign targeting Chevron, as well as Chevron’s pattern of environmental destruction throughout the Global South. Hear from speakers on BDS campaigns from the past and present in a conversational setting, and learn how to plug into DMV area Palestine solidarity organizing. RSVP to the Socialist Night School here.
New to DSA and looking to connect with others? Join the new member cohort this February
Everyone new to Metro DC DSA is invited to apply to join the Winter 2025 New Member Community Cohort. The cohort will participate in weekly sessions throughout February. The first session covers the concept of organizing; the second provides an overview of socialism and capitalism; and the final one explains how MDC DSA works and provides opportunities to talk to people who run chapter campaigns. At least one session will be followed by a social outing. Applications are due byJanuary 26.
[SOLD OUT] Care Kit Packing Event & Fundraiser — Saturday, January 25, 7 to 10pm
We’ve sold out! But locals can still join the waitlist for Metro DC DSA’s upcoming fundraiser for DC’s Abortion Fund (DCAF) and Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). On Saturday, January 25 at As You Are, MDC DSA’s Bodily Autonomy working group and Internationalism working group will pack 1,000 reproductive healthcare kits to distribute to Emergency Contraception for DC (EC4DC). Care kit packing will occur from 7 to 8pm and the event will be rounded out with a DJ set. All fundraiser and ticket proceeds will be split between the DC Abortion Fund and the Middle East Children’s Alliance. Waitlist here.
Sign up for Spring 2025 socialist reading groups — 11 options available
The Political Education Working Group is excited to host 11 different reading and discussion groups for Spring 2025 — sign up for socialist reading groups today. Reading groups provide an opportunity to share learning and political education in a group setting, helping members and supporters develop their organizing and knowledge alongside comrades. Topics range from theory to socialist feminism to science fiction to internationalism (and many more in between). Find out more about each group here, and sign up for the reading groups here.
INFO ACCESS
Learn more about our local MDC DSA chapter — structure, campaigns and working groups, Night School, and reading groups — HERE. Even longtime comrades may find it a learning experience. New member or interested in joining? Sign up for our next Why You Should Join DSA: New Member Orientation on Wednesday, January 22 at 7pm. MDC DSA members: Join our all-member Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, convo, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access. Chapter members are also invited to read — and edit — MDC DSA’s internal wiki. Email [email protected] to get set up, or ask in #helpdesk.
MDC DSA Publications is information central for not only MDC DSA but the entire DMV left, and is always ready to onboard new socialist communicators; #publications is our working group’s Slack channel. Weekly Updates like this one are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are on the web here. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update here. Submit your Update suggestions or chapter political blog REDBUG tips to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers articles on a quarterly schedule; the Fall 2024 edition is now live and will be updated on a rolling basis, meaning timely submissions may get added as appropriate. Check our archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions anytime to [email protected]. Get your socialist self on the record. Donate to our Comradery page if you would like to financially support socialist publishing in the DMV.
DMV LEFT BULLETIN
Policing, Repression & Resistance in DC on January 11 | Black Lives Matter
Join Black Lives Matter DC virtually to learn about the history of policing, state violence, and repression in DC, and to build tools for collective community defense. RSVP for the presentation here.
From DC to Palestine Teach-In on January 11 | DC for Palestine
Tomorrow, January 11, from 2 to 3:30pm at Deadwood Community Center, learn about the history of Palestinian resistance, its deep-rooted culture, and how it relates to local challenges. Hear presentations from the Palestinian Youth Movement’s DMV chapter and Harriet's Wildest Dreams. This is an opportunity to explore intersectionality within the struggle against colonial violence and to connect with folks working toward liberation for all. Learn more about the teach-in on Instagram here.
Writing with Whimsy 5-Session Paid Workshop starting January 15 | Bol Coop
Craft your narratives and share your stories in a 5-session writing workshop with acclaimed Lebanese-American author and poet Zein El-Amine. This series is specifically for writers from conflict zones and communities whose humanity is often questioned in news headlines, films, and media portrayals. Register for the workshop here ($165).
Join Homegrown Revolutions at Friends Meeting of Washington on Sunday, January 19 from 3 to 5pm for an interactive training dedicated to building the resilience, safety, and community needed in the months and years to come. This in-person training will discuss how to take care of ourselves before, during, and after protests, and how to create grassroots movements that are effective, sustainable, and fun. Tickets are on a sliding scale. Register for the training here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip line.
In the latest episode of anti-imperialist podcast, “Return to Bandung,” MDC DSA comrade and show host Pranay is joined by Tiana Reid, an assistant professor of English at York University in Toronto and a member of Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), to talk about the group’s work organizing a revolutionary cultural front against Zionism and imperialism.
Jeremy Brecher, founder of Labor Network for Sustainability and author of the seminal book Strike!, has written a 10-part prospectus of defense against MAGA tyranny for Z magazine. Part I: "Social Self-Defense" — which is where the struggle begins. TX our comrade KurtS
Neuroergonomics is the study of human behavior while carrying out real-world activities, including in the workplace. It involves recording a person’s brain activity in different situations or while completing certain tasks to optimize cognitive performance. Until now, research in neuroergonomics could only be conducted in highly controlled clinical laboratory environments using invasive procedures. But engineering advances now make this work possible in real-world settings with noninvasive, wearable devices. But this advance doesn’t come without risk. The Conversation.
Homelessness has doubled in the past four years, yet some observers still parrot top-down excuses for this increase. The latest Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development report on homelessness should be a wake-up call for those who claim immigrants, drugs, mental illness, domestic migration, and “generous” government programs cause homelessness. Even if these reasons played a role — as opposed to the end of public housing and major increases in economic inequality and housing costs over the last half century — they cannot explain the 18 percent homeless increase between 2023 to 2024, with the rate for children under 18 nearly twice that. The report’s findings put to rest the many “personal choice” excuses that the pols, mainstream media, and those influenced by them use to blame the victims of the housing crisis. LA Progressive via Portside
Our comrade David Schwartzman recounts details of a recent conference on fighting extractive forces and promoting a renewable future. “...the priority for climate protection is to strongly accelerate this replacement [by renewables] with complete termination of fossil fuel consumption in the next two decades to have any chance of not exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius warming target.” Historical Materialism
“The problem with the Inflation Reduction Act was that it was an awkward compromise between neoliberal, market-based policy and government intervention. By mobilizing public investment through tax credits and other incentives, it effectively asked companies and affluent consumers to lead the transition. If Democrats want to win voters with policies that avert catastrophic climate change, they need to bring immediate, material benefits to the working class. That means folding climate policies into an agenda that tackles the cost-of-living crisis. This is green economic populism: even under Mr. Trump, progressives can build momentum around this agenda in cities, towns and states.” NYT; our comrade Thea Riofrancos is co-author.
Two of the most powerful labor groups in the country are teaming up, with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) rejoining the AFL-CIO after nearly 20 years apart. From AP: The Service Employees International Union is betting that a united labor movement will do more to help workers overcome legal challenges to organize and join unions. The union groups’ executive boards each unanimously approved the combination on Wednesday, with plans to formally announce the affiliation at a Thursday roundtable discussion in Austin, Texas. There are roughly 2 million SEIU workers in the health care, janitorial and food services sectors, among others. Their addition would bring the total number of AFL-CIO members to nearly 15 million, helping increase the political heft of a federation already composed of 60 unions. Axios and AP
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
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The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
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