MADSA’s 13th annual Douglass-Debs awards dinner at Paschal’s restaurant Nov. 9 was a great success. The dinner has been our main fundraiser, enabling us to help our allies and pay our expenses, while honoring leaders of our progressive community and networking with friends and fellow activists from the unions, civil rights and other movements.

This year’s keynote speaker was Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO. That title doesn’t begin to suggest her inspiring, yet down-to-earth oratory, lifting all of us to support labor’s struggles — an especially relevant message right now, as her union just launched a campaign to organize Delta workers! She quoted widely from historic figures such as Mother Jones, Fredrick Douglass and Eugene Victor Debs, and from her own experience as a worker and a woman, assuring us that “Solidarity is stronger than gravity!” Watch her speak here!

Other moving tributes followed to the awardees:
1) The Highlander Research and Education Center, a key resource for progressive organizers since the 1930s (now located in New Market, TN) lost their main building to a right-wing arson attack earlier this year but continues their work undeterred. Member Eric Robertson explained that the award recognizes the continued importance of the center to the current movement for human rights, worker rights and racial justice as well as its role in nurturing such historic figures as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. As the Center was holding its own board meeting that weekend, Annie Thomas, regional organizer for Project South, accepted the award in Highlander’s behalf.

2) Georgia State Representative Renitta Shannon was recognized for her courageous service as one of a few progressive members of the Georgia General Assembly, standing up for women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant rights. Her friend Charmaine Davis, SE regional administrator of the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, recalled her friendship with Renitta and the awardee’s inspiring career.

3) To top off the celebration, we gave one of our special awards — for “creative activism” — to our own Daniel Hanley, well known for his leadership in every kind of direct action, most recently with the Light Brigade, which provides illuminated signage and projects uplifting slogans onto Atlanta’s night-time cityscape during demonstrations. MADSA founder Milt Tambor presented the award by noting many instances of Daniel’s commitment, courage and creativity — the essential makings of an activist — since he joined MADSA several years ago.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com or sign-up for our newsletter to get links to what we talk about on the show. You can do that on at our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com. You can also find us on twitter @nycRPM.

West Suburban IL DSA, in the strongest possible terms, condemns the right-wing coup against legitimately elected Bolivian president Evo Morales. Morales has long championed the struggle of workers and indigenous peoples during his presidency, and this bald faced attempt to subvert the democratic will of the people through military might is an affront to the working people of the world. We call for the immediate reinstatement of Evo Morales as president of Bolivia, and an end to the violence against MAS supporters. No coup in Bolivia! DSA stands with Evo! #ElMundoConEvo

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute Underground on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting from the occupied studios and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com or sign-up for our newslettser to get links to what we talk about on the show. You can do that on at our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com. You can also find us on twitter @nycRPM

On Nov. 1, Metro Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America brought our own “lanterns” to the Grant Park Halloween Lantern Parade, where observers broke into spontaneous chants of “ABOLISH ICE!” and “Bernie, Bernie!”

All the kids in costume wanted photos taken with the Bernie signs, clearly because they appreciate a political movement capable of addressing the apocalyptic crises of capitalism in their lifetime. (Or they just liked the cool glow of 400 LEDs.)

As small crowds gathered around the signs for photos, MADSA members shared details of Bernie’s agenda for democracy and socialism, along with buttons expressing related demands.

I’ve been interested in politics for several years now, reading about it, talking about it (to friends and family), donating some money, and voting. But, I’d never found a candidate who excited me enough to do more. That is until I learned about Liliana Rivera Baiman’s run for Columbus City Council — then that all changed.

She’s the candidate who finally made it seem worthwhile to get off my ass and do something more.

Trust me, there aren’t many people who, for several months, I’d dedicated at least one day each weekend to spread the word about, but Lili is that person.

So, what makes Liliana Rivera Baiman such a great—and groundbreaking—candidate? Well, I could go on about this for a while (as my friends, family, colleagues, and, honestly, anyone I talk to in the city would all tell you).

She’s the candidate who finally made it seem worthwhile to

get off my ass and do something more.

She is a candidate that actually cares about working-class people in our city. And, she has the experience (and endorsements) to prove it. As a former union organizer, she knows how crucial it is that workers have the power in a workplace. Recently, several city-funded projects have had upper-level union busting going on, and our current city council doesn’t seem to care whether employers are respecting their employees.

I don’t know about you (though, I can make some guesses if you’ve made it this far), but I don’t want corporations and employers setting the terms and conditions for workers. They’ll always choose what’s best for their bottom line. I want a council member with union experience to put our needs first. That’s all part of her platform focused on the fact that everyone should only have to work one job to lead a comfortable and dignified life. Don’t take my word for it, though. Lili has laid it out clearly.

As a member of Columbus DSA’s housing committee, tenants’ rights and affordable housing are crucial platform requirements to garner my support. Lili is exactly where she needs to be here. She wants to prioritize working people and families over developers. And, come on, do we really need more luxury apartments and condos in the Short North? (The answer to that is a resounding no.) She wants to focus on making sure everyone has access to safe, affordable housing and the tenant power to stop landlords from taking advantage of renters. I have no doubt that getting her on the city council would be a great first step to enacting local policies that benefit Columbus tenants. She’s not taking developer money, so she’s not beholden to them once she gets elected. This is a great first step toward transformational change.

When I mark the box by Lili’s name on the ballot this November,
I’ll be thinking about all the ways she’s going to help those in the city who actually need it.

And, with my background in education, it’s necessary to me that a candidate is committed to improving the funding of our public schools—and Lili is that candidate. I know I’d much rather have a corporation’s taxes used to fund education instead of giving these super-rich corporate bosses a financial break through decades-long tax abatements. These luxury developers displace long-time residents—and get rewarded for it. This is unacceptable. By electing Lili, we can take steps toward stopping this racist and classist gentrification in our city and put this money toward the people who really need it: Columbus kids. Our current city council members would rather give millionaires a bigger paycheck and screw over public-school students (and get their big-money donations as a result) than support our teachers, communities, and children.

When I mark the box by Lili’s name on the ballot this November, I’ll be thinking about all the ways she’s going to help those in the city who actually need it. That’s why I’m happy to call Lili a comrade, that’s why I’m happy to spend my weekends working to get her elected, and that’s why I’m proudly casting my vote for Liliana Rivera Baiman for Columbus City Council.

This is why I’m voting for Lili.

Election Day is November 5. Early voting has already started.

So, get out there and vote for candidates who care about the working class.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com or sign-up for our newsletter to get links to what we talk about on the show. You can do that on at our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com. You can also find us on twitter @nycRPM.

At our October 26th meeting, Metro Atlanta DSA voted to endorse member Andrea Cervone in her re-election campaign for Clarkston City Council. In her time on City Council, she has helped build Clarkston into one of the most progressive cities in the South. In this election, she hopes to win a mandate to broaden the coverage of Clarkston’s non-discrimination ordinance to protect workers on housing assistance; to extend the right to vote in municipal elections to all lawful residents, not just citizens; and to expand the city’s recently piloted participatory budgeting program.

MADSA members plan to help canvass for Andrea in Clarkston on Sunday, November 3rd, ahead of the November 5th election day. MADSA chair Councilman khalid, who serves on the City Council of South Fulton, said he hopes MADSA can become a strong voice in local politics while also continuing our efforts for Bernie Sanders’ presidential candidacy. If you’re interested in running for office or helping with MADSA’s electoral work, contact the electoral committee via email at electoral@madsa.ga.
(MADSA electoral committee breakout session at meeting. Photo: Reid Freeman Jenkins)

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute Underground on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting from the occupied studios and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com or sign-up for our newslettser to get links to what we talk about on the show. You can do that on at our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com. You can also find us on twitter @nycRPM.

Daniel Soyer is professor at Fordham and a scholar of American Jewish history. He is a co-editor, along with Irena Klepfisz, of The Stars Bear Witness: The Jewish Labor Bund 1897 - 2017. Our interview with him is the second of a two-part series on the Jewish Labor Bund; it covers the origins and operations of the Bund in Eastern Europe, American Bundist history, as well as how Jewish immigrant communities formed the backbone of socialist political activity in NYC and throughout America. Our music is “Made and Broken” by Hugel. Support us on https://www.patreon.com/religioussocialismpodcast