Hey comrades,

Thank you to all those who were able to come out to the Local Convention on Saturday! It was great to see and talk with everyone. For those who weren’t able to come, keep scrolling to read about what was missed, and we hope to see y’all at an event soon!

One convention discussion topic was potentially endorsing Devin Davis for Congress against Troy Carter. You can watch Devin’s recent DSA Endorsement Candidate Q&A here, read the notes from that Q&A on this document, and read his full policy platform on his website. To vote on his endorsement, please check your email for the subject line “Devin Davis Endorsement Vote” from OpaVote Voting Link.

• Interested in supporting socialist electeds? Phonebank for Cori Bush, a nationally-endorsed DSA member and the author of the Ceasefire Now resolution, at 5:30pm today!

CONVENTION RECAP —

We had around 40 people present in-person at Broadmoor Community Church, with a few more members participating via Zoom. Our thanks go to Reverend Gregory Manning for his powerful opening remarks and all his assistance with the space. At this convention, we also officially began using OpenSlides for our voting — please reach out to Bob M on Slack with any feedback!

The meeting began with the outgoing co-chairs delivering the State of the Chapter before hearing updates from and the future priorities of each committee, campaign, and working group. Afterwards, our Local Council nominees spoke, before a vote was held to confirm their positions.

Congratulations to our newly elected Local Council!

• Co-Chairs: Wash F & Jack RS
• At-Larges: Bob M & Emmanuel S
• Membership Chair: Iman N
• Communications Chair: Taylor G
• Secretary: Madelaine H
• Treasurer: Chris C
• Health Justice & Direct Service Committee Chair: Ali K
• Political Education Committee Chair: John N
• Municipal Action Committee Chair: Charlie B

At our August General Meeting, we will be electing stewards for Make Entergy Pay and Worker Power Louisiana (the labor committee). Please submit nominations for these positions by Monday, July 15th. The date of the coming GMs are TBD due to the current transition of leadership. The dates will be chosen and published soon; thank you for your patience.

DSA New Orleans deliberated on five bylaw amendments in addition to the resolution for endorsing Devin Davis. Major results include:

• Internal organizing structures consolidated to include solely Committees, Campaigns, and Working Groups, made them easier to establish by reducing the amount of paperwork needed, and clarified Committee election requirements;
• Expanded upon policy related to the formation of internal bodies such as caucuses and associations and established requirements needed for recognition via a Slack channel;
• Committee Stewards are now referred to as Committee Chairs in line with the language currently used;
• The Municipal Action Committee will assume all responsibilities and functions of the existing Electoral Working Group, and future Voter Guides will be drafted by a Voter Guide Working Group to sequester it from active electoral work;
• Amended Financial Oversight section to bring it further in line with the chapter’s actual operations by adjusting the makeup of the Finance Committee, and to require finance reports at every Local Council meeting;
• Term limits for all Local Council positions have been standardized to one year.
• Election section condensed into more readable language and the notice requirements for elections clarified;
• Codified an asynchronous voting process;
• Condensed Election of Officers section by replacing the paragraphs detailing specific requirements for disclosing national political caucus affiliation with a sentence mandating disclosure of all organizational and political affiliations;
• Codified requirements for a Code of Conduct and the requirements for amending them, codified the chapter’s commitment to the Jemez Principles, and mandates both are on the same easily accessible page separate from the Bylaws;
• General cleaning of typos, unclear language, and repetitive or contradictory sections.

The bylaws on our chapter’s website have been updated to reflect the several new changes. Want to know more about what happened at Local Convention? Find the convention minutes in the #convention2024 Slack channel!

-🌹-

   Excerpt from the State of the Chapter:
“Looking forward, we face fascist right-wing governments on the state and federal levels, absurd levels of corporate greed and attacks on working people, unsustainably bad infrastructure, and the wholly unprecedented effects of late-stage climate change already impacting the most marginalized communities… We face a tidal wave of statewide issues either from repressive governments or from natural disasters, and there is no time like the present to collectively build our strength so we can weather the storms (both physical and political).“
   -Wash F, co-chair. Read the full speech here.

We hope to see you in the fight for a better world soon!

Solidarity forever,
New Orleans DSA Local Council

Hey comrades!

Our Local Convention is this Saturday! 📆 RSVP HERE (especially if you need to indicate any accessibility, dietary, or childcare needs!)

Our Local Convention is an annual meeting where our members elect chapter leadership, vote on amendments to our bylaws, discuss the political direction of our chapter, and review the year’s progress, priorities, and upcoming challenges to overcome. It’s our largest gathering of the year, so it’s also a great opportunity for socializing, building community, and sharing good homemade dishes.

We will be holding a hybrid convention, with in-person meeting at the Broadmoor Community Church (2021 S Dupre St) and on Zoom (registration link here) starting at 12pm noon on Saturday, June 29th until approximately 4pm. Masks will be required and provided for those without.

If you are unable to attend, your vote can still count! Email hello@neworleansdsa.org to request a proxy vote either for a specific comrade to vote in your place or for Local Council to find someone to hold your vote.

We will be using a website application called OpenSlides for Convention to handle voting and stack. Be on the lookout for your login email with the subject “Welcome to OpenSlides – New Orleans DSA Local Convention”.

Please RSVP as soon as you can, and visit our Convention Hub at bit.ly/NOLADSA24 for more info. We look forward to seeing you there!

Solidarity forever,

DSA New Orleans 🌹

Happy start to the summer, comrades! To celebrate, this weekend’s general meeting will be a BBQ at the Lakeshore Park — read on for more info! 

SATURDAY, May 25th, 12-2pm — BBQ GM!: Join us this Saturday at Lakeshore Park (1626 Cloverleaf Rd) for good vibes, food, and conversation! Veggie options will be available and kids are welcome!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: DSA New Orleans Local Convention will be JUNE 29TH!

• Our Local Convention is an annual meeting where our members vote on chapter leadership, amendments to our bylaws, and take up business related to the political direction of our chapter in the coming year. 
• We will be holding a hybrid convention, in-person at Broadmoor Community Church (2021 S Dupre St) and on Zoom starting at 12PM NOON.
• For the first time, we will be using OpenSlides to run the meeting. If you have any interest in assisting with tech, please reach out! No prior experience with OpenSlides required, just willingness to help out.
• Join the convention-planning channel in Slack to help with planning, discuss bylaw change proposals, and organize cooking!

THURSDAY, MAY 30th — Local Council Nominations DUE!

• Nominations for 2024-2025 chapter leadership should be emailed to hello@neworleansdsa.org by May 30th! Read more about these positions here. You may nominate as many members as you like, but no one may nominate themselves. If you have any questions or interest, reach out to any current LC member to chat more about it! 

OTHER REMINDERS: 

• The Electoral Working Group is looking to recruit at least one candidate in the 2025 Fall election for municipal offices like City Council. Contact Bob M at 504-417-4121 or on Slack if you’re interested.
• SIGN CEASEFIRE PETITION: If you have not already, sign the petition demanding City Council call for a ceasefire, stop all support of Israel, and condemn the murder of Tawfic Abdeljabbar. DM the Instagram or respond to this email if interested in getting more involved with this campaign. Follow @nola4palestine on Instagram if you haven’t already, subscribe to this constantly-updated calendar of actions and benefit events in the City, and check out NOSHIP’s fantastic site of resources, petitions, ways to help, and more.
• Are you a member in good standing but not in our Slack? Email us so we can get you in!
• Find other upcoming events on the calendar on our website!

Hope to see you this weekend!

Solidarity forever,

New Orleans DSA 🌹

Hey comrades! 

Tomorrow is the most important holiday of February: General Meeting day! 

Join us at Nora Navra Library at noon for our monthly chapter-wide meeting, where we’ll discuss our organizing efforts and make collective decisions about the political work we are doing. These meetings are open to all. Prefer to meet online? Register here!

Check out the agenda here! We encourage you to read the resolutions in advance:

• Resolution to Recommend for DSCC/DPEC (direct questions to Bob at 504-417-412)
• Make Entergy Pay Campaign Renewal (direct questions to Sarah at 312-860-2462)
• Resolution for the Transition of Political Education from a Working Group to a Committee (direct questions to John at 504-338-5714)

Hope to see y’all soon!

Solidarity forever,

New Orleans DSA Local Council

While we celebrate this Carnival season, we must not forget that bombs we fund continue to decimate the land and people of Palestine undeterred. Israel has stated clearly their intentions to ethnically cleanse and occupy the whole of the Gaza Strip and are assaulting the southernmost refugee camp in Rafah, threatening the 1.5 million refugees packed into the 25 sq. mile camp already suffering from starvation, thirst, and infectious disease. Meanwhile, murders and illegal settling by Israelis (military and civilians alike) in the West Bank have dramatically accelerated and civilian groups supported by the IDF block humanitarian aid into Gaza, all with no repercussions.

Read on to learn ways you can help and learn more — none of us in Bulbancha are free until Palestinians are.

TODAY, LUNDI GRAS! KREWE OF CHICKPEA: Gather at 11am, rolls at 12pm

Palestinian-led Krewe of Chickpea brings together a solidarity procession focused on art, music, and culture. Costumes are encouraged to follow a dark blue color palette, with watermelon and orange symbols. Gather at 11am in the Marigny for a 12pm roll at Mandeville & Decatur; parade ends at Elysian Fields & Royal.

URGENT: NEW ORLEANIAN GRANDMOTHER KIDNAPPED BY IOF

Samaher Esmail, a Palestinian U.S. citizen raised in New Orleans, was kidnapped by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) on 2/5/24 in the town of Silwad, which is in the West Bank of Palestine. She has a history of illnesses and is without her medication. Read Masjid Omar’s statement here, sign the petition demanding immediate intervention from the Biden administration, and share this information far and wide. We must demand her immediate release and help bring her home!

Phone Numbers to call:

• Senator Bill Cassidy: (202) 224-5824
• Senator John Kennedy: (202) 224-4623
• Representative Troy Carter: (202) 225-6636
• State Department Number for US citizens abroad: (202) 647-1512

Script: Hi my name is [NAME] and my area code is [___]. I am calling regarding US citizen Samaher Esmail who was kidnapped by Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank of Palestine on February 5, 2024. She is without her medication. I am calling for you as our representative to demand her immediate release and to bring her home.

CONTINUED FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR TAWFIC ABDELJABBAR

We must also continue to demand justice for the criminal and cruel slaying of Tawfic Abdeljabbar, the 17-year-old Gretna native murdered in the West Bank of Palestine. We must call on our elected officials to take a powerful stance demanding prosecution of his murder, in addition to fighting for the end of the violent occupation so his death (and those of tens of thousands of other Palestinians) is not in vain.

THE GULF COAST MARCH FOR PALESTINE — SUNDAY, February 18th, 11:30am: The Masjid Omar Community presents the Gulf Coast Rally & March for a Free Palestine in partnership with thirty organizations across the Gulf South (including the DSA chapters in New Orleans and Corpus Christi!)

It will feature incredible guest speakers such as Jenan Matari, writer & producer; Linda Sarsour, author & activist; Mohamad Habehh, Director of Community Outreach at American Muslims for Palestine; Nida Abu-Baer, artist & advocate for the Holy Land 5; Muhammad Sankari, organizer with the US Palestinian Community Network; Sherean Murad, local activist; and Reverend Gregory Manning, pastor and climate activist. There will also be a procession led by the Congo Square Preservation Society and NOLA Musicians for Palestine.

It begins at Armstrong Park — Let’s come out Sunday and show the world we will not be silent until there is an end to the occupation!

CALLS TO ACTION & OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP!!

[Rally/March] BEFORE SUNDAY:
-Banner design
-Banner painting
-Putting flyers up around the city

[Rally/March] SUNDAY:
-Security & marshaling (major need!)
-Post-rally cleanup (great opportunity for those attending the rally but unable to march!)-Holding banner
-Holding flag

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
-Joining group writing & advocating for the City to pass a ceasefire resolution
-Join the musician or artist groups, Jewish Voice for Peace, NOSHIP, or the Interfaith group
-Aid in organizing the printing of pro-Palestine stickers and buttons
-Aid in organizing poli ed meeting for current and potential DSA endorsees
-Aid in making care packages for unhoused people to distribute to encampments in conjunction with Palestine events
-Participate in community-wide art builds
-Call your electeds about the kidnapping of Samaher Esmail, lack of justice for the murder of Tawfic Abdeljabbar, and demanding their support of a ceasefire.

GET CONNECTED by indicating your interests on this Google Form, replying to this email, or messaging us on social media!

News Updates & Educational Resources:

• Daily updates from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• News & Analysis from Al Jazeera
• Decolonize Palestine: a collection of resources for organizers and anyone who wants to learn more about Palestine
• In light of the decades-long and ongoing genocide of Palestinians, Haymarket Books has made a number of their ebooks on Palestine available for FREE!
• Instagram – News & Education Posts: @so.informed & @letstalkpalestine
• Instagram – Footage from Palestine: @eye.on.palestine
• Instagram – Local Activism: @nola4palestine, @nolamusicians4palestine, @jvpnola, @_noship, @momunchiesllc
• Twitter – Commentary from martyred poet and professor, Refaat Alareer: @itranslate123

Questions or comments? Message us on social media or email us at hello@dsaneworleans.org!

Solidarity Forever,

New Orleans Local Council

Palestine Solidarity Updates:

At the January General Meeting last Saturday, we voted on two Palestine Solidarity Resolutions. These resolutions both passed unanimously, reaffirming New Orleans DSA’s commitment to Palestinian liberation, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, refusal to work with Zionist entities, and setting minimums for our endorsed candidates.

Resolution Regarding Endorsed DSA-LA Member Nithya Raman: First, our chapter’s membership unanimously voted to sign on to the “Open Letter to the NPC Regarding Nithya Raman.” Members who wish to add their names to the letter individually as well may do so here. Nithya Raman is a Los Angeles City Councilmember and endorsed member of DSA-LA. The unanimously passed resolution contains extensive documentation of Raman’s antagonistic actions toward Palestinian solidarity organizing efforts and other work that our comrades across the country are doing. Nithya Raman has demonstrated an unacceptable level of disrespect for our organization, liberation movements generally, and the very concept of dialogue and willingness to learn. Our chapter joins the call for comrades in DSA-LA to revoke Nithya Raman’s endorsement, and we call on the National Political Committee (NPC) to expel Nithya Raman from DSA. 

Anti-Zionist Resolution: Next, our chapter unanimously voted to pass the Resolution for an Anti-Zionist New Orleans DSA in Principle & Practice. We are most proud of our chapter membership for unanimously voting to stand on our anti-racist and anti-imperialist principles, and acting on the statement in our land acknowledgment, which commits us to “solidarity with the long and continuing battles of… peoples for liberation and justice.” 

Thank you to the members and guests who attended to contribute to this important discussion. We are especially grateful to the local Muslim Organizing Association and community member Hakm M., Ph.D. for attending on their behalf to support the Resolution. We share this message from Hakm:

Congratulations on taking a bold stand for justice by passing the anti-Zionist resolution. This victory echoes beyond resolutions; it resonates with the struggle for equality and dignity worldwide. The Palestinian community in the greater New Orleans salutes your courage in choosing the right side of history.

In motivating the Anti-Zionist Resolution, our co-chair Wash F. spoke of the many intersections between Palestine solidarity organizing and our other work: Police Abolition, Environmental Justice, Healthcare, Education, and fighting against the capitalist empire. For example, following the 2020 uprisings, our chapter passed a Resolution to Prioritize Organizing Towards Police Abolition – in the Deadly Exchange, US police train with the genocidal Israeli military. As for the environment, oil and gas corporations have turned our Gulf South region into a “sacrificial zone” and “cancer alley” –  Israel and the US have plans to exploit offshore gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. The money that should be spent on public goods and services, healthcare, education, and housing for us in the US is instead given to military contractors and weapons manufacturers to bomb Yemen and Palestine. Our chapter recognizes DSA as an “organization of socialists fighting to weaken the power of corporations and the rich” – President Biden has been unabashed in his violation of democracy to protect trade and capitalist interests. Members who aren’t willing to fight capitalism and racism endanger the safety of our space and our reputation and vision.

New Orleanians who experienced Hurricane Katrina know well that imperialism always comes home. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, mercenaries and military contractors descended upon our City. Meanwhile, the American media painted Black New Orleanians as “looters,” giving ample cover for racist police and vigilante gangs to hunt, brutalize, and murder them. The top contractors involved in bleeding Iraq sucked up $3.4 billion in construction contracts along the Gulf Coast. When a reporter asked private security contractors stationed outside the Royal St. Charles Hotel if things were getting pretty wild around the area, one of them replied, ‘Nope. It’s pretty Green Zone here.’” While Katrina left 400,000 New Orleanians homeless, thousands suffering squalid and crowded conditions in the Superdome and Convention Center, the wealthy residents of Audubon Place hired Israeli mercenaries. They specifically requested former operatives of Shin Bet — the Israeli internal security agency infamous for torturing and murdering Palestinian detainees. The Israeli mercenary and owner of the company contracted by these wealthy residents stated, “[m]y people were highly trained to operate in hostile environments. That fit well with the demand of the situation in New Orleans[.]” 

As residents in the heart of the empire, we have all been subjected to propaganda and had information withheld from us by our government, media, and educational institutions. None of us can be expected to come to this movement with perfect historical knowledge and critical analysis of all intersecting issues. However, we do have a duty to disabuse ourselves of the propaganda and ignorance that is inherent to residing within the empire. It is critical to our chapter work, to DSA, and to the movement that each one of us recognize and understand these connections between Palestine solidarity organizing and the issues that arise in other areas of movement work. We must stay curious, be continually willing to self-reflect, educate ourselves, have conversations with comrades, and listen to the members of marginalized and exploited communities. This is doubly important for our endorsed members and those holding political office as they purport to represent and lead the rest of us.

Murder of 17-year old Tawfic Abdeljabbar by Zionist forces on January 19th: Last week, we learned that Israeli occupiers murdered 17-year old Tawfic Abdeljabbar, a Palestinian member of our New Orleans community. As a member of Masjid Omar pointed out, Tawfic is not even the first teenager from New Orleans murdered with complete impunity by Israel. In 2014, Israeli forces murdered 14-year old New Orleanian Orwah Hammad. This Sunday, January 28th at 1pm meet at Masjid Omar, 1528 Pietro Ct. to Ride for Tawfic, a Memorial Motorcade in honor of Tawfic Abdeljabbar and all martyrs of Israel’s genocide. Please follow Masjid Omar and Nola4Palestine on Instagram for updates on this action.

Curious to learn more about Palestinian liberation?

• We recommend starting with Decolonize Palestine, a collection of resources for organizers and anyone who wants to learn more about Palestine.

• In light of the decades-long and ongoing genocide of Palestinians, Haymarket Books has made a number of their ebooks on Palestine available for FREE. 

• TOMORROW Saturday, January 27th, 1:00-4:00pm at Cafe Istanbul, JVP New Orleans, Patois, Channel Vivid and Nola Healthcare Workers for Palestine are hosting a special screening of “Israelism” + the short film ‘Roof Knocking.” The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the Palestinian and Jewish members of our community who are fighting together for a free Palestine. Get your tickets here! 

• Also this Saturday at 2:00-3:30pm, JVP New Orleans is hosting the next meeting of their Anti-Zionist Study Group. They are on Chapter 4 of “The Question of Palestine” by Edward Said (FREE PDF and Audiobook!). Please directly message them for the location or check your inbox if you’re on their email listserv. 

Louisiana Democratic State Party Election Updates:

Thanks to the current misleadership of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Louisiana now has a Republican governor and a veto-proof Republican supermajority in both chambers of the Louisiana legislature. The upcoming Democratic State Party elections are an opportunity to breathe new energy into the Louisiana Democratic Party. At our January General Meeting, our chapter officially recommended eight state-wide DSA members as candidates for the upcoming Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) elections in March, and six local chapter members as candidates for Democratic Parish Executive Committee (DPEC) races. Those candidates are:

Democratic State Central Committee:

• Courtney Price (Baton Rouge DSA, 66A)
• Davante Lewis (Baton Rouge DSA, 67B)
• Jackson Voss (SWLA DSA, 31B)
• James Jeane (Shreveport DSA, 5B)
• Kai Macias (Shreveport DSA, 11A)
• Ealom “Tucker” Allen (Shreveport DSA, 14B)
• Bobby Woodruff (LA Tech YDSA, 11B)
• Benjamin Eunice (LA Tech YDSA, 12B)

Democratic Parish Executive Committee:

• Lauren Jewett (JPDEC At Large)
• Tom Stoner (OPDEC A)
• Michele Johnson (OPDEC B)
• Jack “Big Okra” R. Sweeney (OPDEC B)
• Charlie Bini (OPDEC C)
• Huey Fischer Garcia (OPDEC C)

In addition to these recommendations, our chapter will vote to endorse six of our chapter’s members for their respective DSCC races. A chapter endorsement requires a simple majority vote of at least 25% of our membership. You can review their responses in the candidate’s Q&A sessions in Drive for the video and notes. Chapter members, please check your email for an email from OpaVote.com titled “New Orleans DSA DSCC Endorsements” with instructions on how to vote. Abstentions help towards the 25% quorum requirement, so please submit your ballots before Tuesday, Jan 30th. Those candidates are:

• Laurie Herbert Constantinou (23A)
• Jack “Big Okra” R. Sweeney (23B)
• Lauren Jewett (78A)
• Miranda Burbridge (90A)
• Britain Forsyth (91B)
• Page Gleason (99A)

The deadline to register as a democrat to vote for our comrades running for Louisiana State Democratic Party seats is March 2nd! (Register or Change your Registration Here!). Early voting begins March 9th: find early voting locations here. And Election Day is March 23rd: Check your ballot. 
We are also announcing — nominations are open for two new roles with the Electoral Working Group: Working Group Coordinator and Socialists in Office Liaison. These new roles will help support our continued efforts electings socialists into office & advocating for our vision of New Orleans and Louisiana. These positions are open to any members in good standing of the chapter, and individuals can nominate themselves. Descriptions can be found on the nominations application here.