Enjoy your September National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected 25-person body (including two YDSA members who share a vote) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. This month, hear from the Mexican left, help stop deportation flights, and more!

And to make sure you get our newsletters in your inbox, sign up here! Each one features action alerts, upcoming events, political education, and more.

• From the National Political Committee — Amid Hard Times, Democratic Socialism Goes Mainstream
• Live from the Global Sumud Flotilla — Humanity is on Board to Stop the Genocide! Join Us Friday 9/19
• RSVP for DSA Political Exchange Call with MORENA Starting Saturday 9/20
• Spanish Speakers: Housing Justice Commission Weekly Spanish Practice Beginning Tuesday 9/23
• Sign Up for Stop Avelo Power Mapping Workshop Tuesday 9/30
• Join Our Growth and Development Committee’s Membership Drive!
• Apply to Join the Democracy Commission (DemCom) 2025–2027! Deadline Saturday 10/18
• Apply Today to Become a Discussion Forum Mod!

From the National Political Committee — Amid Hard Times, Democratic Socialism Goes Mainstream

“Freedom is always the freedom of the dissenter.” — Rosa Luxemburg

As Trump’s administration accelerates its attempted crackdown on dissent — demanding the deportation of Palestine solidarity activist Mahmoud Khalil and others, using economic threats to force TV networks to silence even mildly-critical hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, allegedly planning a broad-based “crackdown” on liberal and left wing organizations, and whatever fresh fascist schemes appear in their alphabet soup — we stand proud and firm knowing that we, as democratic socialists, are not only on the right side of history but the popular side of the present. 

As democratic socialists, we are on the side of and among the people. And we’re not just saying that because it’s a cool-sounding socialist slogan — we have evidence! A new national poll from Jacobin and the DSA Fund finds that democratic socialist leaders and left-wing policies are broadly popular. More and more Americans are not just seeing what we stand for as radical — against an economic system rigged in favor of corporations and the wealthy, it’s practical!

That confirms what many of us know as DSA members. From years of knocking doors for campaigns, tabling, and talking to people in our communities about the projects we’re taking on collectively, we know from firsthand experience that working class people are hungry for an alternative and very receptive to ideas about how we make it happen. When we communicate plainly and lay out organizing plans together that people can believe in, it can powerfully cut through all the noise from a ruling class that wants to keep us divided and distracted while they plunder our planet and pick our pockets. 

As DSA member Zohran Mamdani gets closer to the mayorship of the wealthiest city in the world, DSA chapters around the country are running candidates to expand socialist power on city councils and in state houses, and through our work in housing justice, labor organizing, and campaigns grounded in ecosocialism, socialist feminism, abolitionism, trans and queer liberation, and more. As we keep raising expectations and winning power with the strength of our organization, we’re reaching millions of people to see that a better world is possible — and that DSA is building the organization that they can join to build it together. 

The crackdown on dissent is genuinely scary, but we won’t let it stop us. We believe in a path to socialism, even inside the belly of the beast, that comes from collective mass action — like labor and rent strikes, peaceful public protests, community-powered elections and ballot initiatives, and economic pressure campaigns like Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) in solidarity with Palestinians, to end our government’s support for apartheid and genocide. 

When the ruling class’s greed and incompetence opens up a power vacuum, like when the New York City establishment decided to run two corrupt machine Democrats against each other, they leave a lane wide open for organized socialists to move in. DSA was ready for this moment after years of steady organizing to build an electoral bloc of Socialists in Office in New York, who aren’t there to simply advocate for bills in government and let us hope for the best from the outside — they organize with us and show up with us on the streets to stand up for justice for us all. We will continue to be ready. Keeping on with our organizing work is how we build our organizing chops, expand our base, and be ready when those moments come — which is to say, it is the most powerful thing we can do right now.  We continue to march forth with things like a mobilization call to support the Global Sumud Flotilla (scroll down for info about an exciting live stream!), organize together to defend our immigrant neighbors, increase support of Starbucks worker organizing, support our nationally-endorsed electoral slate, and so much more.

We are in DSA because we believe in a better world, one in which people’s basic needs are met, where we make decisions democratically about our living and working conditions, where the violence of bigotry and division are no longer a subject of debate, but simply a thing we remember from the darker days. 

This is an important time to continue bringing new people into our organization, and to motivate our members to keep building working class power together in our communities. We’re safer and stronger when we are pulling together toward our common goals. We’re about to ramp up a big fall recruitment drive — now’s a great time to make the ask of people in your life to join DSA! Dues are one of our collective resources (consider raising yours today!), our experience and skillsets as organizers are also, the power that comes from moving in unison with hundreds and thousands of people is another… and courage is too. Pool that courage together and we will not fail.

Solidarity Now and Always,

Megan Romer and Ashik Siddique
DSA National Co-Chairs

Live from the Global Sumud Flotilla — Humanity is on Board to Stop the Genocide! Join Us Friday 9/19

The DSA International Committee will be hosting an important conversation with some of our global movement partners, livestreamed directly from the decks of the Family, one of the ships on the Global Sumud Flotilla, in order to find out more about the goals and strategies of the Flotilla itself, as well as to help build a solidarity network for Flotilla participants, who are being actively targeted by the Zionist state for their humanitarian work.

Come join us tomorrow, Saturday 9/19 at 12pm ET/11am CT/10am MT/9am PT to hear first hand about what is going on with the Flotilla, and to share ideas about how to continue to strengthen international solidarity against the genocide in Gaza and in support of Palestinian liberation. DSA members in good standing are invited to register here.

RSVP for DSA Political Exchange Call with MORENA Starting Saturday 9/20

Saturday 9/20 and 9/27, we’ll be participating in our first ever political exchange with the Mexican left political party, MORENA! Both events will start at 12pm ET/11am CT/10am MT/9am PT, and will run for two hours each.

Part 1 (Saturday 9/20) will focus on the histories of both organizations and organizing conditions in their respective countries. RSVP here!

Part 2 (Saturday 9/27) will focus on members in office. You can sign up here. We will have 3 very special guest speakers for DSA, including Rashida Tlaib! Don’t miss out on this very special occasion!

Spanish Speakers: Housing Justice Commission Weekly Spanish Practice Beginning Tuesday 9/23

Practica tu español con la Comisión para la Vivienda con Justicia (CVJ)!

Aprendiste español en el colegio o en el trabajo y quieres mejorar? Unete los martes a las 9pm ET/8pm CT/7pm MT/6pm PT para practicar con la CVJ. Te pondremos en un cuarto de Zoom con otra persona para que practiquen juntos. Si quieres también tenemos guiones si necesitas ayuda!

Sign Up for Stop Avelo Power Mapping Workshop Tuesday 9/30

Avelo Airlines is profiting from deportation flights, tearing our communities apart. We need good strategy to make sure we can affect their bottom line while making it clear that any airline that deports our people cannot continue to operate. Are you wondering how your local chapter can join the fight to tell Avelo Airlines that we won’t stand for this?

Join us Tuesday 9/30 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT for a 1.5 hour power mapping strategy session! On this call, you’ll learn the best strategy for your chapter to force Avelo to drop their contract with ICE.

Join Our Growth and Development Committee’s Membership Drive!

We’re in the throes of fall, and that means it’s time for a Fall Membership Drive! With us approaching election day for some extremely exciting DSA Campaigns (wink wink), we want to make sure we are turning DSA’s campaigns into hotbeds to recruit new socialists and organizers/soon to be socialists.

But to build off the momentum of our work, we will need everyone’s help making this drive as successful as possible! Fill out the form here to get involved.

Apply to Join the Democracy Commission (DemCom) 2025–2027! Deadline Saturday 10/18

Authorized in 2023, the Democracy Commission (DemCom) developed reforms to strengthen democracy across DSA. Its proposals were overwhelmingly adopted at the 2025 Convention, and the body has now been reauthorized to support chapters and the NPC in implementing them.

DemCom will assist with chapter rechartering and bylaws review (2025–2027), visit chapter meetings to support implementation, report regularly to members and the NPC, develop best practices in tandem with chapters, and promote democratic governance. 

There are open seats on the Commission. Please fill out the form here to apply. The application deadline is Saturday 10/18. Commissioners are expected to attend regular meetings (8PM ET, Monday evenings, plus some weekends), work with chapters to implement reforms, and report on progress and challenges.

Apply Today to Become a Discussion Forum Mod!

The Discussion Forum Moderator Council wants YOU to apply to be a forum mod to help build out forum use, ensure constructive and generative discussion and debate on the forums, and lead the way for keeping our internal communication platform representative of the big tent! More details can be found in this forum topic, which also includes the link to apply!

The post Your National Political Committee Newsletter — Amid Hard Times, Democratic Socialism Goes Mainstream appeared first on Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

By: Rob Switzer

The following is a post I made on Facebook that was not intended to be published. It was mainly written to vent and just to show friends the kind of things I deal with as union steward at my workplace, which is a Food and Commercial Workers meat market where I have been working for five years as a butcher.

Someone suggested this piece would work as a demonstration of how power functions in the workplace. Note that the stories included are not official union activities and could theoretically be accomplished in any workplace. However, it is worth noting that the union-provided protections we have and my status as a quasi-authority figure very likely embolden my coworkers and me to assert ourselves in ways that we otherwise might not.

A couple of weeks ago, I was informed that a coworker of mine was sent home, suspended, and written up. He had allegedly gone shopping, prepared a lunch, then had his lunch, all on the clock. He was being accused of deliberate and extended time theft, which of course is a fireable offense.

Coworker said this was not true, and I asked him to send me a screenshot of his punches on the time-keeping app we use. He did so. Upon cursory inspection, it was obvious that he had in fact neglected to clock back in from his early break, and was therefore actually off the clock during these events.

We had a meeting with the store manager, and Coworker brought the write-up itself, which included the clearly false accusations, and even had his receipt stapled to it, showing what he bought and when he bought it (while he was off the clock, remember). The store manager saw my point and understood, but told the worker that he had to be more careful about punches; this time it wouldn’t be held against him.

But I wasn’t satisfied — the shift manager who had originally made these accusations was still operating under the belief that my coworker was a time thief. So I informed him the next morning that the worker wasn’t on the clock. “Yes he was!,” he told me. “No he wasn’t!,” I retorted. “Yes he was!” he shouted back. He agreed to let me show him the screenshot. We walked to my locker to see my phone. The shift manager looked at it and I could see his mind spinning. He exclaimed something like, “Well, he probably would have done it anyway!”

About ten minutes later he approached me and apologized, admitting he was wrong and that he should have investigated better. He seemed to hide for the rest of the day; other workers noticed and told me. I made sure everyone was aware that someone had just been written up and suspended for something he demonstrably did not do. Someone chanted, “Steward! Steward! Steward!” which was pretty amusing.

Fast forward to today. We had about six first-shift meat cutters/handlers working. It was getting close to 2:30, our usual out time. But overtime was posted, meaning management can hold us later if they want to.

We had ten cases of bacon that had to be bagged and vacuum-sealed. No one likes doing this; it’s tedious. But it’s part of the job. So when I was done with my other work for the day, I took it upon myself to start.

Right around this time one manager came into the cutting room and said, “We’re getting ready to prep up!” That basically means we’re being cut loose as soon as we clean up. Two of the cutters promptly left, leaving four of us behind. We finished the bacon; we were all getting ready to leave.

Then a different manager came in and said he wanted us to make sure the bacon got vacuum-sealed before we left. Usually what we do is bag it all and let one of the afternoon-shift cutters handle the sealing. There were four of them there today. Why couldn’t one of them do it? We all were ready to leave, and had already been told we could leave.

I told the manager I thought this was bullshit. That’s literally a one-person job. Are you actually asking three of us to stand around and watch someone vacuum-seal 10 cases of bacon? In so many words, he said that yes, yes, he was asking that.

I talked to the other three workers individually. Everyone agreed they were ready to leave. So let’s leave, I told them. I went and talked to the manager, and we had a little argument. “I have other stuff for them to do; I want you to seal the bacon, blah blah blah.” He stormed off and said something like, “Just get it done and you can leave.” I don’t think he understood; I was telling him we had already decided we were leaving.

We rolled the sealer machine into the cutting room, and one of the second-shift cutters started sealing. He was clearly free to do this. I checked in with everyone to make sure we were all walking out in solidarity. And then we did. It will be interesting to see if there are any consequences tomorrow.

Epilogue: There were no consequences, other than a manager mentioning it to me in disapproval. I hope our action stands as a lesson to my coworkers that we have power when we take actions in solidarity.

Adventures of a Union Steward was originally published in The Detroit Socialist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Better health, stronger families and fairer spending – all for about 63$ per paycheck

The post Five Interim Policies to Bridge the Healthcare Gap appeared first on Democratic Left.

Brazilian political party PSOL reports on the 2025 DSA National Convention and reflects on their participation as invited guests.

The post DSA National Convention Strengthens the Building of the Socialist Left in the United States appeared first on Democratic Left.

Markus Sokol represented Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) at the 2025 DSA National Convention and discussed the challenges facing left-wing organizations against the rise of fascism and the far right around the world.

The post Partido dos Trabalhadores Participates in the DSA Convention in the USA appeared first on Democratic Left.

By: Taina Santiago

When summer ended and the school year began again, parents were racing to check off their supply lists. For working class families, this task can be time-consuming and expensive. In response, Metro Detroit DSA’s Black and Brown Alliance (BBA) organized a back-to-school backpack drive.

The event took place Saturday, August 30, at the Eastside Community Network (ECN) building in Detroit, where other community services like free vaccines for children and free pizza for families were set up as well. ECN also runs a free store packed with clothes, shoes, and toiletries.

This space fostered the socialist principle of meeting the needs of the working class in real ways. With a “Solidarity Metro Detroit DSA” banner proudly displayed, a dozen DSA volunteers throughout the day distributed 140 backpacks filled with folders, markers, pencils, and other school supplies.

Why Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid is a form of community service that expects nothing in return from those you are lending a helping hand. It functions under the philosophy that we always show up for each other in our communities. BBA has been talking about doing a mutual aid project for a few months now, with members eager to get started on something actionable. BBA Secretary Rodney Coopwood had a personal connection to the idea: “Growing up in Detroit, there were times when I myself didn’t have what I needed for school. I had to wait for supplies well after classes started.”

BBA was also inspired by the Black Panthers and their ability to radicalize people through community services. BBA Co-chair Jon Mukes said, “[Mutual aid is] how a lot of Black people from various other socialist traditions organized. Free breakfast programs, free health clinics, etc., were incredibly revolutionary. Historically one of the reasons why socialism grew is because socialists and communists fed the people when the capitalist system failed.”

Because of the Black Panthers’ example, it was clear to the BBA that there had to be educational and community-building elements in the project to avoid doing one-and-done, detached charity work. So along with handing out supplies, we also gave literature about DSA to parents and had deliberate conversations with members of the community about socialism.

Recruitment Potential of Mutual Aid

One of the BBA’s goals is to diversify Metro Detroit DSA. Black and Brown socialists have always been the backbone of the larger movement and there should be many more people of color in our organization. Mukes said, “One of the many reasons that our chapter is incredibly white is that we aren’t visible/doing work in Black and Brown communities.” While a delegate to DSA’s national convention this year, Mukes says he “made a point to hang around and talk to other POC comrades and I asked about how they recruited Black and Brown members. A backpack drive for Black people in their communities came up a lot.”

BBA’s mission of diversity in the chapter also informed where we chose to hold the backpack drive: in Detroit. Volunteers spent the day informing Black parents about DSA’s September general meeting, giving interested people an actionable next step to get involved, and collecting contact information for further communications. An event that makes DSA visible and allows us to have one-on-one conversations with people of color has great recruitment potential for working class Black and Brown comrades.

Another goal of the BBA — and DSA as a whole — is to change the narrative around socialism. Decades of Red Scare propaganda have painted socialists as the enemy of the people when the opposite is true. Socialists want to bring working class people together and events like the backpack drive do just that.

“If we approach them with more actions and fewer words, they see us as people of purpose. We give their kids backpacks. We provide water when they’re thirsty, heat when they’re cold,” Coopwood said. “When we were there, I expected to be brushed off, but people were very open to talking about socialism. They may not sign up for DSA, but they’ll know that DSA and socialists are there to help. So when an open socialist is on the ballot, holding a rally, or pushing an agenda to publicize a private corporation or implement ranked-choice voting, they’ll be open to us.”

Lessons on Organizing

As important as the event itself was all the planning, budgeting, location scouting, and prepping that had to be done in a short window of time. When BBA voted to put the backpack drive into motion, there were only a couple of weeks before the school year began. Within a couple of days, Coopwood had drawn up a fully mapped out proposal to take to the steering committee. In another week, Mukes was ordering supplies and a week after that, those supplies were in the hands of working class families.

This speed of turning talk into action was a testament to BBA members’ organizing skills and served as a confidence booster to fuel more projects. Coopwood said, “I realized I’m much more capable as an organizer than I originally thought. This was my first time doing something like this. I applied what I do at work as a researcher, made an action plan, and it worked — I was very proud of that.” Mukes sang the praises of fellow organizers, saying, “My biggest takeaway was how quickly a handful of dedicated people can set something like this up.”

These kinds of mutual aid projects would give the chapter more opportunities to build up experienced organizers, giving members projects to try out, learn from, and succeed at. The DSA volunteers who have conversations with strangers about socialism will improve their skills there too. The members who put events like the backpack drive together will take valuable lessons into subsequent projects, bringing ideas from the abstract into reality with effectiveness and efficiency.

As Coopwood pointed out, these events “give action-oriented members an outlet to effectively aid communities, and those communities know exactly who assisted them, building unity and loyalty. This unity will be reflected when we need to run electoral candidates or launch campaigns like Michigan for the Many,” which is a campaign we actually gathered signatures for at the backpack drive. He continued, “This is how we get the public — who intrinsically value actions over promises — to know what Metro Detroit DSA is and bring them to our side.”

Just the Beginning

As socialists, getting the material needs of the working class met is an important element in our ideal political and economic system, so we should put our socialist money/action where our mouth is. The backpack drive is not a one-off event, it is a kick-off to a greater focus of the BBA on mutual aid in general. Our direct involvement in communities of color — getting to know people and cultivating camaraderie — will be invaluable to building our movement.

And it isn’t just about the big picture goals. It’s also about the small moments that keep us connected to the human-driven purpose of everything we are doing, which Coopwood highlighted: “I got to see kids pick out their favorite color backpacks, and in the grand scheme of trying to stop capitalism and imperialism from destroying the world, it’s nice to see a kid pick their favorite color backpack.”

BBA Rings in the School Year with Backpack Drive was originally published in The Detroit Socialist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Note: posts by individual GMDSA members do not necessarily reflect the views of the broader membership or of its leadership and should not be regarded as official statements by the chapter.

After reading that Burlington’s legendary music spot Nectar’s had permanently closed, GMDSA Secretary David Wilcox wrote to Seven Days to propose municipalizing the venue. His letter, printed on 8/20/2025, is republished below.

In response to the shutdown of Nectar’s, I’d like to suggest a solution: Why not have the city government take over and run Nectar’s? There’s nothing radical or unprecedented about the City of Burlington running a popular music venue, given that it owned and operated 242 Main for 30 years. And I would argue that a venue like Nectar’s, one that’s synonymous with the general idea of what Burlington is, contributes far more to the city’s bottom line than its own financial numbers would indicate.

Without venues like Nectar’s, Burlington loses its aura as a cool, desirable place to live. And if Nectar’s has seemed like a shadow of its former self in recent years, why not try to revitalize it under new (public) ownership? Especially since the final shutdown of Nectar’s was due to a dispute with a landlord. The city has already forced the sale of one Handy property (184 Church Street) for the greater good of the community. Surely, there’s a way to make all this happen with enough political will.

I, for one, am sick and tired of passively accepting the loss of important places and services due to “the market,” which is every bit as much a human-created institution as laws and governments. The Burlington renaissance began with then-mayor Bernie Sanders (whose administration founded 242 Main) refusing to accept the market dictating that we couldn’t have nice things. If we want Burlington’s glory days to return, we need to rediscover that energy.

David Wilcox
Winooski

The 2025 DSA Convention featured a panel on “Building DSA’s Cultural Organizations,” featuring panelists who started DSA sports leagues, choirs, and more. They made the case that these cultural organizations can become institutions of collective action. 

The post Culture is Collective Action appeared first on Democratic Left.

DSA is proud to endorse the following candidates running with Twin Cities DSA support:

Robin Wonsley is running for her third term on Minneapolis City Council, representing Ward 2. She’s running as an independent socialist, and has been a tireless advocate for rent control, public housing, and police accountability.

Robin has a thorough list of campaign priorities which also references the work she has already done on council, encompassing an impressive legislative record. These priorities cover a wide range of issues impacting workers and students including a traffic calming program, housing programs, and working to secure tuition-free college at the state level.

Learn more about Robin in her interview with the Minneapolis Interview Project!

Soren Stevenson is running for Minneapolis City Council, Ward 8. He’s championing working class issues, including housing for all, public safety reform, and environmental justice.

Soren is a proud union member, survivor of Minneapolis police violence, and has extensive experience in housing justice. He recently worked within his union to prevent the permanent closure of a much needed homeless shelter, which required council support.

When Soren ran for council in 2023, he received the most first-choice votes by lost by a mere 38 votes! With just a little bit more help this time around we can secure his seat on Minneapolis City Council!

Robin and Soren are no strangers to national DSA endorsement and we’re looking forward to welcoming both of them to the new Socialist Cash Takes Out Capitalist Trash slate this year!

Adam Schneider is running on a third party ballot line for the Minneapolis Park Board. He has led environmental justice fights, including the Roof Depot campaign. His campaign is championing parks equity, youth programming, and labor protections.

​​I am running because I believe the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board can be a vehicle to advance climate and environmental justice. By working with the community, our park system can be an integral part of an equitable, resilient, and vibrant Minneapolis.

– Adam Schneider

Adam’s focus areas for the Parks Board include community-driven governance to prioritize resident needs and health over developer interests, expanding community gardens and the urban tree canopy, and environmental stewardship.

Michael Wilson is also running for Minneapolis Park Board! Michael is a stalwart labor advocate, backed by unions running to unseat anti-union incumbents. He’s a former Park Board worker, labor organizer, and environmental justice leader in the successful Roof Depot campaign.

Michael is running on a platform of fair wages for park workers, expanding public transit to reach all parks, utilizing Park and Recreation programs to support working families, and directly addressing environmental concerns impacting the working class such as the Emerald Ash Borer infestation.

Michael’s going up against major anti-labor opponents who’ll pour in as much corporate cash as they need to keep him out of office – pitch in with a donation to our slate today!

The Twin Cities DSA Slate is part of the Socialist Cash Takes Out Capitalist Trash fundraising campaign!