Features
Help the 9th Ward Stop the Lock!
The Army Corps of Engineers wants to build an outdated, unnecessary, and harmful expansion of the Industrial Canal at the St. Claude bridge.
First approved in the 1950s, this plan destroys homes, ties up traffic, and worsens quality of life for Bywater and the Lower 9th Ward. And for what? For short term profit for a few shipping companies based on outdated projections. The project is projected to take over a decade and cost well over a billion dollars. A decade of dredging that will expose residents to toxic chemicals. A decade of pile driving that will affect the water table underneath houses and businesses as far as 2 miles away. A decade of “relocation” for some residents.
All for a project that will have no economic benefits for the people of New Orleans. If completed, the project will increase the risk of flooding for people living in the area. The traffic bridges will stay up for longer periods, cutting off access to critical services like ambulances and fire trucks and creating daily traffic jams for people on their way to work or school. If millions of dollars are spent, residents’ lives are disrupted and the project is not completed, the Corps will not assume any liability or owe the citizens of New Orleans anything for their failure.
Join The Canal Will Kill Nola and submit public comment opposing the Army Corps of Engineers’ dangerous plan for expanding the Industrial Canal. The deadline is this Tuesday, September 2.
No Contract, No Coffee! Support a Starbucks Worker Strike
Starbucks baristas greet customers, remember their names and favorite orders, open and close the stores, make the coffee and clean up the spills. They are part of our community and part of the fabric of our daily lives. They are neighbors. They are workers. They deserve a fair wage.
Starbucks workers, like all of us, deserve to make ends meet. That’s why they’re demanding a fair union contract with the staffing, hours, take-home pay, and on-the-job protections they need to do their jobs. Now they’re asking for our support as they fight for a union and a fair contract to turn these demands into reality. When they fight, we will support them. And when they strike, we will not cross the picket line. Show your support and sign the pledge. We will not patronize any Starbucks store when baristas are on strike.
The Value of Marx – Andy L
In our primitive past, the natural phenomenon of lightning was not understood, so it was attributed to mysterious, unknowable forces, or gods, or something beyond the understanding of man. Then some people figured out electrons, then some others figured out how to move electrons through wire, to light up a room or turn a motor. Now we have a society swimming in electronics that lets us travel and communicate over impossible distances, heal the sick, and even make ice for our drinks.
Similarly, the inner workings of living beings were attributed to humors or spontaneous generation or different types of tissues, but eventually some people figured out cells, and then some others figured out DNA, and now we have CRISPR, a tool that can drill down and modify the genetic code of living beings.
We still live in a superstitious world, where people believe that the political and economic forces that drive our lives are unknowable, or mysteries of human nature, or just too big to figure out. However, Marxism (AKA Scientific Socialism) allows us to break these systems into understandable parts. Just as JJ Thompson introduced us to the electron, and Robert Hooke taught us about cells, Marx started with the commodity and used it to develop the laws of motion of the economy. Our task is to continue that analysis, run different experiments, and build that better world for all of us. Marx laid the tools at our feet. Now, what are we going to do with them? As the man himself said: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.”
Bulletins
Fall 2025 Voter Guide Team Weekly Meeting Tomorrow
Every election, New Orleans DSA publishes our voter guide analyzing the key issues in each race through a socialist lens. This is a volunteer effort by comrades in the chapter, and we want you to join us! We’ll be at the Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Bring your laptop and all of your longstanding grudges against our local oligarchs. Get in touch with Aaron Z for more info.
DSA 4 Palestine Banner Build
Join your comrades this Thursday, September 5, for the DSA 4 Palestine Banner Build. Come paint and hang out with us at the Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave, Room 258, starting at 6:00 pm. Food, drink, and all materials provided. Sign up here to let us know to expect you.
Fork and Knife Club Inaugural Distribution
Help contribute to our Direct Service Committee as we begin a new campaign to distribute food around local community fridges. We’ll be preparing, packaging, and distributing meals starting at the Healing Center on September 13th at 12:00 pm. If you are interested, please sign up here. We would love volunteers to help with any stage of the process!
Keep Up With the Candidates at Endorsement HQ
Election Day is October 11 and New Orleans DSA has four endorsed members running for City Council. Pastor Gregory Manning, Danyelle Christmas, Jackson Kimbrell, and Bob Murrell are making calls, knocking on doors, and attending candidate forums. Volunteer, donate, and follow these campaigns at our Endorsement HQ.
Write Like a Socialist: We Have a World to Win!
Have an update from your committee or working group? That’s a Bulletin! Want to tell us about an upcoming event? Add it to the Community Calendar! Got some opinion or analysis to share for the good of the membership? Write us a Feature! Make your contribution to the next edition of Solidarity Means Action in the Comms Discord channel.
Community Calendar
Friday, August 29
Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm (every Friday) – Immigration Court, 365 Canal St
Critical Mass Katrina Ride
6:00 pm – French Market, Barracks St & French Market Pl
Saturday, August 30
Canvass for Jackson Kimbrell, District C
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Get involved
Voter Guide Team Weekly Meeting
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Saturdays through September 20) – Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Sunday, August 31
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (first and last Sunday) – Meet
Monday, September 1
AFL-CIO Labor Day Picnic
11:00 am – 3:00 pm – City Park’s Marconi Meadows, 6100 Marconi Dr
#SolidaritySeptember New Orleans Workers Over Billionaires Labor Day Rally
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park, 701 N Rampart St – Event info
Tuesday, September 2
From Disaster to Solutions: A Mayoral Candidate Forum About Climate
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Ashé II @ The Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Bd
Wednesday, September 3
Indivisible Wednesday ICE Protest
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (every Wednesday) – ICE Field Office, 1250 Poydras St
Health Justice & Direct Service Meeting
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (first Wednesday) – Meet
Urban League By The People Debate Series: Council At-Large Division 1
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Ashe Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Bd
Friday, September 5
Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm (every Friday) – Immigration Court, 365 Canal St
Urban League By The People Debate Series: Assessor
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Bd
DSA 4 Palestine Banner Build
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258 – Sign up
Saturday, September 6
Canvass for Jackson Kimbrell, District C
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Get involved
Voter Guide Team Weekly Meeting
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (Saturdays through September 20) – Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St
The Forum: LGBTQ+ Voices Matter Political Candidate Forum
11:00 am – McDonogh 35 HS, 4000 Cadillac St
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Sunday, September 7
Poli-Ed Planning Meeting
10:00 am – 11:30 am (first Sunday) – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258 – Reading List
Coffee with Comrades
11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Big in the 90s Fundraiser for Bob Murrell
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St
Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (first and last Sunday) – Meet
Down the Road
September 9 Urban League By The People Debate Series: Mayor
September 24 Together New Orleans Mayoral and City Council Forum
September 24 Poli-Ed Movie Night: The Act of Killing
September 26 Voter Guide Release
September 27 Early Voting Starts
October 11 Election Day: Municipal PrimaryNovember 15 Election Day: Municipal Runoff