Black Land Loss: Addressing Equity in Louisiana Agriculture

Posted by cochairs

By Alli D.

Decades of racist practices at the USDA have robbed black Louisianans of their farmland, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry could help undo this injustice. Ag Commissioner candidate Marguerite Green wants to make sure that they do. 

Agriculture is big business in Louisiana. The state’s forests and fields are one of our main industries, supporting hundreds of communities and thousands of families. 

While farming can be a lucrative business, it has been at the expense of black farmers, whose land has been stolen from them through corrupt institutional practices, discrimination, intimidation, and collusion. As Vann Newkirk documented recently for The Atlantic, Wall Street firms like TIAA are buying up farmland in the Mississippi Delta, pushing black farmers off their families’ lands. In total, black farmers in the US have lost 12 million acres in the last century. This crisis of land loss is acute in Louisiana. 

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Movies in the Park!

Posted by cochairs

DSA member Blake and his son

By Nadia J.

Sunset in the Irish Channel found over 150 neighbors, families and children in Burke Park on Friday evening for the first DSA hosted Movie in the Park presented by the New Orleans Recreation Department. The movie, WALL-E, began promptly after dark, following camaraderie and a festive gathering of neighbors and visitors alike. 

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DSA joins Mississippi UAW Workers on Strike!

Posted by cochairs

All across the US, nearly 50,000 workers at General Motors plants represented by United Auto Workers union (UAW) are out on strike to demand dignity and justice on the job. DSA members from Texas to Pennsylvania have joined their picket lines to show support for the workers in their battle against the GM bosses.

This week, New Orleans DSA are sending members out on Wednesday and Friday to walk the picket line with striking workers in Brandon, MS. When asked what our members could bring to show our support, one UAW union member said, “Bring your fighting spirit … I want us to be seen. There is strength in numbers.” We are proud to stand with workers from New Orleans to Mississippi!

Read more about the UAW strike and the workers’ demands here.

An Election & New Year for Labor Standing Committee

Posted by cochairs

By Alec D.

On Wednesday 18th of September 2019, DSA New Orleans Labor Standing Committee (LSC) held its monthly meeting. This was more than a standard meeting as the committee was electing its new leadership for the year ahead. Furthermore, committee members were greeted with pizza and drinks. The meeting was well attended as more than 15 members came out, but we must keep growing to demand better conditions for all the workers of Greater New Orleans. 

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New Orleans DSA Debuts Red Delta!

Posted by cochairs

There is a new publication from our chapter: Red Delta! We will be keeping y’all updated on local and statewide issues from a democratic socialist perspective, writing on everything from candidates for office, housing justice, environmental organizing, and more. Each edition of Red Delta is sent out to our supporters every other month so make sure you sign up for our mailing list. All of the Red Delta articles can also be read on our website by clicking the link in the sidebar.

Happy May Day! Film Screening, Caribbean Forum, Teachers’ Strikes

Posted by cochairs

Upcoming Events

Happy May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. This Wednesday, May 1st, DSA New Orleans will be joining the annual march organized by New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. We’ll gather in Congo Square at 1:30 PM and we invite all of you to join us! Remember to wear red.

We have a ton of great events planned this month. In addition to our regular monthly Brake Light Clinic, we’re doing two Medicare-for-All canvasses. We’ve got a film screening about Anne Braden, a southern socialist organizer and civil rights activist. Our Socialists of Color Caucus is hosting a forum about liberation movements in the Caribbean. We’ve got a book event about the red state teachers’ strikes, and we’ll close out the month with a social.

Free film screening Anne Braden: Southern Patriot Friday May 10th | 7:00pm The DragonFly: Poetery & Performance Ritual Space 3919 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans

*Upcoming June Convention*

Don’t forget we’ve got our chapter convention coming up in June. Our convention is one of our most important events of the year, where we elect new leadership and vote on important political resolutions. You can read a guide to the chapter convention here.
 


Upcoming DSA Events

Film Screening: Anne Braden, Southern Patriot
Friday, May 10th, 7 – 9pm
The Dragonfly: Poetry & Performance Ritual Space, 3921 St. Claude Ave
This riveting documentary tells the story of one of the South’s most important socialist organizers, with appearances by Cornel West and Angela Davis among others. Free screening, all are welcome. Dinner provided.

Gimme A Brake Light Clinic
Saturday, May 11th, 11am – 4pm
Kruttschnitt Place, 2437 Bayou Rd
Join us for our monthly brake light clinic, where we fix brake lights for free to prevent unnecessary traffic stops and speak out against police violence. Snacks and water provided, no experience necessary, family friendly. 

Comrades of the Caribbean
Friday, May 17th, 6 – 8pm
Community Book Center, 2523 Bayou Rd
Join DSA’s Socialists of Color Caucus for a forum on Caribbean liberation movements. From New Orleans to Cuba to Haiti, we believe that we must know and support each other’s struggles towards freedom. Food from CocoHut provided before hand and a brief Q&A with our panelists afterwards. Family friendly.
We’re raising funds to cover the cost of catering and hosting this event. Click here to donate. 

Medicare-for-All Canvass & Health Fair
Saturday, May 18th — Canvass from 10am – 12pm, Health Fair 12 – 4pm
A.L. Davis Park, 2600 La Salle St
Every month (or more!) we organize a canvass for Medicare-for-All, a policy to create free universal healthcare. Snacks, water provided. No experience or supplies necessary. 

We’ll follow up our canvass with a Health Fair + Medical Debt Clinic. We offer health resources, hot food, cool beverages, assistance with debt disputes, and talk to folks about Medicare for All. Email healthcare@dsaneworleans.org if you’d like to volunteer! 

Red State Revolt
Saturday, May 25th, 3 – 5pm
Musician Union’s Hall, 2555 Ursulines Ave
In 2018 a strike wave—the first in over four decades—rocked the United States. Inspired by the wildcat victory in West Virginia, teachers in Oklahoma, Arizona, and across the country walked off their jobs and shut down their schools to demand better pay for educators, more funding for students, and an end to years of austerity. We will be hosting former teacher, DSA organizer and author Eric Blanc for a discussion of his recently released book, Red State Revolt. 

New Member Social
Friday, May 31st, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Location TBD
Save the date, we’re having a new member social on the last Friday of May. This will be a great chance for new folks to meet New Orleans socialists and learn how to get involved in our work. Children welcome, dinner provided.

For the most complete, up-to-date information on all of our meetings and events, check out our calendar. 
Pay Local Dues
Frequently Asked Questions

Chapter Priorities Meeting Monday! Socialist Cookout Friday

Posted by cochairs

We’ve got two big events coming up next week. On Monday we’ve got our April Chapter Program meeting. Friday we’re hosting a cookout on the bayou. More info below.

While you’re at it, check out this amazing op-ed our Healthcare-for-All Committee leader published in the Lens yesterday! She calls on Rep. Cedric Richmond to co-sponsor the Medicare for All Act. 

Local Dues have been re-established with a completely new system. We are an all-volunteer organization that is 100% member-funded, so local dues support our work and help keep us independent. You can sign up here.

Finally – don’t forget we’ve got our chapter convention coming up in June. Our convention is one of our most important events of the year, where we elect new leadership and vote on important political resolutions. You can read a guide to the convention here.

Upcoming Events

Chapter Program Meeting: Our Priorities
Monday, April 22nd, 6:30 – 8pm
2022 St. Bernard Ave

We’re working on our chapter program, which will help guide our work and focus our efforts as we organize for a better world. In February members identified four issues they want to focus more on: growing the chapter, labor organizing, healthcare justice and environmental issues.

We’re getting together to brainstorm and develop action plans for our chapter based on member feedback, and we want everyone to come! Dinner provided, children welcome. Wheelchair accessible building.

Socialist Cookout on the Bayou

Friday, April 26th, 6:30pm til late
On the Bayou between St. Ann & Dumaine

We’re having a cookout and everyone’s invited! Bring cold drinks or something to throw on the grill — or just bring yourself. Children welcome. Nearby bathroom available.

Wheelchair accessibility info: event will be held in a grassy area. The bathroom is, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible.

Pay Local Dues

DSA Calendar

There are plenty of ways to keep up to date with us as we try to build a better world:

We hope to see you soon!

Recap from our April General Meeting

Posted by cochairs

Hello & thanks to everyone who attended our April general meeting. We had at least 80 attendees, making this our chapter’s biggest meeting yet!

We were lucky to welcome Miriam from Familias Unidas en Accion as a guest speaker. Hannah gave a recap from the Dallas DSA conference, where 10 delegates from our chapter met DSA leaders from all over Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Josh went over some guidelines for our upcoming chapter convention in June, and we heard updates from all of our committees and caucuses. 

Jordan gave a report back on our chapter program development and our work to develop political proposals and strategies around priorities of growing & diversifying the chapter, labor organizing, ecosocialism and healthcare justice. 

Finally, we voted to approve proposed financial reforms to our chapter bylaws, to establish a Media Policy Working Group, and to endorse the Ecosocialist Green New Deal Principles.

Read the minutes from Tuesday’s meeting here. 

(rose sitting in the pages of an open book) Socialist Feminism Reading Group
There are so many ways to get plugged in to our work. If you attended our General Meeting, you already know a little bit about all of our different committees and upcoming events. Here’s a list of events we’ve got coming up that are all great ways to get involved in our chapter.

Socialist Feminist Reading Group
Today! Thursday 4/4, 6:30 – 8:30PM, Faubourg Wines (2805 St. Claude Ave)
Roughly every other month the Socialist Feminist Caucus meets to discuss a book. This time we’re talking about adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy. We strive to keep book club discussion open to all, so feel free to come even if you haven’t read the book!

Brake Light Clinic
Saturday 4/6, 11AM – 4PM, 2437 Bayou Rd (Corner of Bayou Rd & N. Dorgenois), 
Join us for our monthly brake light clinic, where we fix brake lights for free to prevent unnecessary traffic stops and speak out against police violence.

Medicare-for-All Canvass
Tuesday, 4/9, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM, 2022 St. Bernard Ave
Join us on our next Medicare for All canvass! Every month (at least!), the DSA New Orleans Health Care Committee goes out door-to-door in different neighborhoods to talk to our neighbors about the fight for Medicare for All. No experience or supplies necessary. Everyone is welcome to join!

Workplace Organizing 101
Sunday, 4/14, 2 – 5PM, 2022 St. Bernard Ave
Join the Labor Committee for a Workplace Organizing 101 event. We’ll learn the basic steps of organinizing in our workplaces and how to come together to demand better conditions and dignity from our bosses. We invite workers from restaurants, factories, hospitals, schools and any other workplace to join us. Crawfish will be provided after the training. Accessibility info: the event will be held in a grassy area. No steps to get to bathroom.

Socialists of Color Potluck
Sunday, April 14th, 6:30 PM – 8 PM, WHIV Radio Station (2762 Orleans Ave)
A monthly potluck for black, brown and indigenous people on the left to meet one another, share experiences and build community. 


For the most up-to-date information on our events,
click the link below for our calendar.
Upcoming Events
Frequently Asked Questions

New Member Dinner

Posted by cochairs

We had a great crowd last night at our New Member Dinner. About thirty new faces! It was good to meet everybody and enjoy delicious food, wine and king cake. Stay posted for details on our next chapter dinner, which will be scheduled sometime in mid-late March after everyone recovers from Carnival season!

Solidarity with Los Angeles education workers!

Posted by cochairs

 DSA New Orleans stands in solidarity with striking Los Angeles teachers!

🌹🌹🌹🌹

Across the U.S., education workers are under attack. They’ve been pushed to the edge by charter schools and austerity.

Today more than 30,000 education workers in L.A. went on strike for the first time in 30 years. They’re demanding an end to school privatization, inflated class sizes, excessive testing and decreased funding.

As socialists and working people, we believe that support for labor struggles is a central priority of our movement. To demonstrate our solidarity, we’re donating $100 to a strike fund for Los Angeles education workers and sending them a statement of support from our chapter.

Solidarity forever!

Strike fund: https://act.dsausa.org/donate/utla_strike_fund/

 

 

 

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