Features
You Deserve a Union! Come Learn How to Organize for One!
Tomorrow at 3:00-4:30 pm, DSA organizers will meet at the New Orleans Nora Navra Library, 1902 St. Bernard Ave., with individuals interested in labor organizing, learning about labor organizing, and meeting with labor allies in the New Orleans area. Everyone from every experience level is welcome, whether you are newly curious about the labor movement, or you are a seasoned organizer.
Labor unions are a step toward workplace and economic democracy. The past few years have illustrated how much the US struggles with capitalist powers that control our political system. Radical change is needed at the grassroots level to save working people. In addition to challenging this power imbalance, union participation can immediately change your workplace as you know it. If you think a labor union is “not for you” or “doesn’t work” in your industry, please come anyway! The organized labor landscape is changing tremendously in the US, and we need everyone to get involved.
We are also putting on a labor organizing in-person training series starting on July 12, in which we will host an in-person showing of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee’s (EWOC) live training seminar, along with time to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow labor organizers. We will encourage people to sign up on June 7, but if you would like to secure your spot ahead of time, please go to https://workerorganizing.org/training/.
Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair is Around the Corner!
Join us next Saturday, June 14, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at 4961 N Claiborne Ave. for our Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair. We can check and change your brake light, share food and cold drinks, take your blood pressure, connect you to community health resources, and chat about achieving socialist revolution together. We also put together gift bags and other goodies to distribute as well!
Wanna volunteer? We can teach you how to change brake lights day-of and always have other little tasks available to make the event the best it can be, so don’t be afraid to come by to lend a hand. Sign up here to volunteer.
See you next Saturday!
How Did We Become The Oddities? -Andy L
As our good friend William Gibson reminds us: “the future is already here… it’s just not evenly distributed.” The end goal of the prison abolitionists (building a world where we don’t have police) shows itself in the wealthy, well resourced neighborhoods of rich folks – you almost never see the cops there. This is what calls us to socialism. We want to build that better world for everyone, not just for those who can afford it.
As it turns out, we can all afford it, and the way we’ll build that world is through the democratic method, the method of discussion, criticism, persuasion and education, and not by the method of coercion or repression. We cannot compel people to give up idealism, any more than we can force them to embrace Marxism.* We see the injustices of homelessness, of Palestine, of people treating others in a way they wouldn’t dare treat their own mothers. This is the world that we’re fighting to change.
Society is full of seemingly good people, yet this basic extension of humanity to EVERYONE escapes them. We need to talk to them, try to get to the root of what went wrong in their lives, and get them back on track. I’m not talking about deep psychotherapy, just listening to them (mostly listening), talking to them, and helping them work through some of the contradictions they’ve internalized growing up in a capitalistic society. None of us started out as socialists; we had help getting to where we are now. To pay it back, you need to help others along the path. Socialists aren’t the oddities – we’re the ones who are still in touch with enough of our humanity that we want the whole world to become more fully human.**
* Mao
** Marx
Red Rabbits Recommendation – Don’t Feed The Trolls
When we’re out at a protest/march/event, there will sometimes be counterprotesters. It’s important not to engage with them. They are there to distract us from the purpose of our event and dissipate the energy there. Remember – gathering in groups gives power to the group: if you’re alone in the tall grass and you hear a tiger, you get afraid. If you’re there with ten of your comrades, you say, “let’s get that tiger!”
We’re social beings – it’s hardwired into us over tens of thousands of years, and you can feel that energy when you’re gathered together and focused on a task. Don’t let a bunch of ding-dongs take that away from you. Let the protest marshals take care of any counterprotesters – that’s why we have them at events. Any time you spend with the trolls is time you’re not focusing on the event speakers, the calls to action, or your fellow comrades. You can go home and argue online as much as you want, but when you’re at an event, do yourself a favor and recharge yourself on the energy flowing through the space. Don’t give the trolls a second thought.
Bulletins
Recommendation to Vote for Erica Johnson on June 14
At our May GM, the chapter voted to recommend Erica Johnson for Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District. Click the link above to find your polling place – it’s probably not the one you usually go to.
Support our Endorsed Candidates for City Council
Our chapter voted to endorse three candidates in this year’s City Council races. Now, it’s up to us to help get our members into those seats! Check out our newly launched Endorsement HQ to find up-to-date info on all of our endorsed candidates! Take a minute to follow them on social media, donate to their campaigns, and volunteer using the links provided. Also, fill out our (very brief) Campaign Outreach Survey and let us know how you can best get involved.
We’re on Bluesky!
New Orleans DSA is now on Bluesky! Give the account a follow and get the latest chapter news.
Political Education Committee Reading Group
The Political Education Committee’s book for the month is The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins. Whether you finish the book, only part of it, or just want to hang out for discussion, come by Oak St. Brewery, 8201 Oak St., on June 19 at 7:00 pm.
Nominations for 2025-2026 Local Council
Local Council is our democratically elected chapter leadership with responsibility for managing the overall direction of the chapter. Local Council consists of two co-chairs, one membership chair, one secretary, one treasurer, two at-large members, a steward for each of the official committees, and a representative of each administrative or currently-chartered campaign group. For a complete description, see our chapter bylaws. To nominate yourself or someone else, fill out this form.
Submissions Open for 2025 Local Convention
New Orleans DSA’s annual Local Convention will be June 28. Submissions can include proposals to amend bylaws, resolutions for new campaigns, or they can be for other chapter business. Reach out to Jack RS for information on how to write a resolution, and stay tuned for a resolution writing workshop ahead of convention. Be sure to RSVP for the Local Convention here.
Municipal Action Committee Wants You!
MAC currently has 2 vacant co-chair positions. While they aren’t strictly defined roles, we think it would be extremely useful to have one that is focused on electoral work, such as coordinating with our endorsed candidates, and one that is focused on civic engagement, such as keeping tabs on our various city governmental institutions. If either of these areas interest you, please shoot an email to hello@dsaneworleans.org or find Charlie B on Slack!
Chapter Merchandise Available Now!
Support and rep your favorite socialist organization with merch! Help us fundraise to send our delegates to DSA’s biennial National Convention, move into a new space by ordering a shirt, or just give us feedback on what items you might want to see in the future. Check it out at bit.ly/dsanola-merch.
Announcing our National Convention delegates!
Congratulations to John L, Emmanuel S, Benjamin H, Wash F, Jack RS, Amelie D, and Aspen W on their election as delegates to National Convention. They will represent our chapter at the highest decision making body of DSA in Chicago this summer. Thank you to all our candidates for running.
Community Calendar
Friday, June 6
12:00-12:45p Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally – NOLA ICE Field Office, 1250 Poydras St.
Saturday, June 7
10:00a-12:00p Canvassing (Danyelle Christmas, District E) – Get involved
1:00-4:00p Canvassing (Bob Murrell, District A) – Signup
3:00-4:30p You Deserve a Union! – Nora Navra Library Conference Room, 1902 St. Bernard Ave.
Sunday, June 8
10:00a-12:00p Canvassing (Danyelle Christmas, District E) – Get involved
1:00-4:00p Canvassing (Bob Murrell, District A) – Signup
Tuesday, June 10
6:00-7:00p DSA Chapter Orientation – Zoom
Thursday, June 12
5:30-6:30p Red Rabbits Working Group: Convention Prep
6:00-7:30p Local Council Meeting – Meet
Friday, June 13
12:00-12:45p Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally – NOLA ICE Field Office, 1250 Poydras St.
6:00-8:00p Toxic Legacies: Environmental Racism & Resistance in Louisiana – Café Istanbul, 2372 St Claude Ave., Room 252
Saturday, June 14
8:00a-6:00p Election for Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District – Find your polling place
10:00a-12:00p No Kings Counter-Parade & Protest – Lafayette Square, 550 St. Charles Ave.
11:00a-2:00p Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair – 4961 N. Claiborne Ave.
Sunday, June 15
9:00a-12:00p Canvassing (Jackson Kimbrell, District C) – Get involved
Down the Road
June 17 Sports Drink Community Night: Politics Edition – Sports Drink, 1042 Toledano Ave.
June 19 Political Education Committee Reading Group – Oak St. Brewery, 8201 Oak St.
June 28 New Orleans DSA Local Convention – New Orleans, RSVP here
August 8-10 DSA National Convention – Chicago
October 11 Municipal Election Day – Open Primary
November 15 Municipal Election Day – Runoff
Solidarity Means Action is the weekly newsletter of the New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America. Subscribe for updates every Friday at 8:00 am Central.