Features
New Orleans DSA Fall 2025 Voter Guide Release This Weekend
The Trump administration is sending federal agents and National Guard troops to occupy American cities, disappearing people into ICE detention, and continuing the genocide in Gaza. The religious right have criminalized reproductive healthcare and are targeting LGBTQ+ rights. The Supreme Court is rigging election maps and laws. Billionaires control the major media platforms and the algorithms that steer you to their manufactured trends. We are fully immersed in an authoritarian crisis and our own local electeds are building the surveillance networks and jail cells that the fascists are using to strangle free speech and assembly. This is what’s at stake.
How are candidates auditioning for the fight? Well, many are fiddling around with ChatGPT and uploading AI slop to their socials. Candidate surveys used to be hard to come by and thin on details because it takes a lot of time to thoughtfully answer so many questions. But in this cycle, candidates are churning out dozens of five-paragraph essays with all the hallmarks of large language models: most restate the prompt, offer superficial policy proposals riddled with empty jargon, are obsessed with three-item series, sprinkle em dashes everywhere, throw in an obscure statistical citation here and there, and repeatedly use this sentence pattern: This campaign is not just about [some cliché]–it’s also about [some other cliché].
Why does it matter that they’re using ChatGPT? After all, frauds and grifters co-opting progressive vocabulary is nothing new, and we’ve long had Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Bloomberg controlling our media ecosystem. But now, as Entergy positions itself to steal power away from communities for their massive new data centers, and generative content destroys our cognitive function and our environment, we also have to vote for some idiot whose primary political handler is an algorithm channeling Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, or Elon Musk? Hell no.
DSA and all of our candidates aren’t giving any ground to fascism. We adopted a Resolution to Prohibit Chapter Use of AI-Generated Content that we stand by. We ran a slate of candidates to explicitly reject the far-right leadership in Baton Rouge and DC. We believe in democracy–a society organized by and for the working class. We believe in socialism–a society based on equitable distribution, feminism, racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships. We are the Democratic Socialists of America, and we believe in fighting fascism whenever and wherever it appears. Join us in the struggle.
New Orleans DSA General Meeting Tomorrow! – Brodie L
We’re holding our September General Meeting tomorrow at the Healing Center. It’s going to be a great one because we’re bringing back food! No need to worry about sitting through new business with a grumbling stomach; at our recess we will take a break and refresh ourselves over hot food and cold drinks with our comrades. Our docket has only two pieces of new business, but we’ll also have plenty of updates.
The chapter will vote on whether to institute a Queer SOC, which will create a way for our queer comrades to plan, organize, and otherwise feel affirmed in our space. We’ll also decide several Voter Guide recommendations: 1) Parishwide HRC Amendment, 2) Clerk of Court, 3) Assessor, and 4) City Council District D.
Your local has also been at work launching several new mutual aid initiatives across the city and providing support to our endorsed candidates. Come hear the specifics at our meeting, and if you can’t make it, please still send in your proxy vote because it helps us make quorum. We can either assign a comrade one or you can let us know which comrade attending will be voting with yours. Hope to see you tomorrow at 12:00 pm at the Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258, or online. Make sure to RSVP; it gives us a headcount, and gets you the virtual link or a proxy if you need.
DSA at the Movies: The Act of Killing – Brodie L
This past Wednesday night, DSA had its first ever Movie Night at the Broad, courtesy of Gaptooth Media. It was an opportunity to share a few drinks with fellow and prospective comrades before watching a deeply profound and troubling film. If you joined the Political Education Committee in reading The Jakarta Method by Vincent Blevins, then the subject matter would be familiar: the mass slaughter of communists in Indonesia in 1965-’66. The director, Joshua Oppenheimer, mainly follows the executioner Anwar Congo, but several of his associates appear throughout the film.
Oppenheimer asked them to re-enact the killings in whatever way they wished. Even just writing that still feels surreal. They discuss the way they murdered their fellow human beings with such ease. Anwar seems to actually wrestle with the moral implications of what he did as he plays the part of one of his victims in a reenactment. It should be on every leftist’s watch list; the film is a grueling treatment of how easily a society can descend into violence and never leave it.
One of the most shocking moments for me was seeing a state television news host praising Anwar and his accomplices because they found “new and exciting ways of killing communists more efficiently.” The film was only released in 2012, 13 years ago, and they still talk openly about the mass murder of over 1 million of their fellow countrymen with awe. This is a future we must seriously grapple with in the US where far-right violence is the norm, not the exception. Stay safe, comrades!
Red Rabbits Recommendation: Drop and Give Me Twenty (Tomatoes)
The weather is about to break, everyone. We’re leaving the time of the year where we hide from the heat and let our yards run wild. This is the perfect time to get to gardening. It’s a wonderful form of low-impact exercise. You’re up, you’re down, you’re digging over here, you’re weeding over there. Almost all of us need to be more physically active, for all kinds of reasons.
Motion is the lotion, Comrade! By moving around, you’re loosening up your joints and helping your body’s natural pump system do its job. Focusing your attention on something that’s not flashing or beeping at you, or live-streaming horrible things half-a-world away, lets your brain slow down to a more natural pace: the speed of growing things. It’s good to work on something that won’t pay off right away but will change and grow and bear fruit with time. It’s a great reminder that things as they are now are not the things that they will be later.
There are beneficial critters in healthy soil that your body might be really missing. Touching grass is all well and good, but pulling weeds and releasing the beasties from the soil is where it’s really at. Gardening is a great way to build community as well. There aren’t really that many asshole gardeners: they tend to be sharers of knowledge, of company, and when they plant too many carrots, of produce. Red Rabbits firmly believe that We Keep Us Safe. So grow that ‘We’ as you grow your Swiss chard. We are blessed with an environment where we can garden all year long. Get out there, get dirty and grow whatever you can, however you can do it.
Bulletins
Eye on Surveillance Community Scouting Day Tomorrow
Join the community effort to map out Project Nola cameras, which pose a danger to our privacy and well being. Join Eye on Surveillance for a walk downtown and learn how to scout, identify, and map the hundreds of cameras that spy on our community every day. Meet at 2:00 pm Saturday, September 27, on the sidewalk outside 422 Canal St.
Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair on Saturday, October 4
Your favorite DSA comrades will be at AP Tureaud Memorial Park on Saturday, October 4, changing brake lights and handing out hot meals, cold drinks, and doing health checks. We’re also welcoming our friends from Trystereo to provide Narcan kits and educate us on how to use them. It’s always a good time with good people, so come hang out and do some community organizing!
The address is 1800 AP Tureaud Av, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Get your hat, get your sunscreen, and get a friend or make one at the clinic.
No Contract, No Coffee! Support the October 4 Starbucks Worker Picket
Starbucks Workers United will have a practice picket on Saturday, October 4. It’ll go from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the River Ridge Starbucks, 9301 Jefferson Hwy. They are demanding a fair union contract with the staffing, hours, take-home pay, and on-the-job protections they need to do their jobs. 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. 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.
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.
DSA/FRSO/Indivisible Safety Coalition Training
DSA, FRSO and Indivisible NOLA have teamed up to build collective capacity for the increasingly frequent need to take to the streets. Our goal is to develop a large pool of New Orleanians trained in security and de-escalation that can be activated to keep our community safe during free speech events. This is the last training opportunity if you’d like to volunteer for the Safety Team for No Kings NOLA 2.0. Meet at the New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av, on Sunday, October 12, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Sign up here.
Sign Up for Neighborhood Circles
We’re making neighborhood circles to connect people where they live, work, and anywhere else they spend time. Use your circle to host gatherings, plan events, and organize around issues in your neighborhood. If you’re interested in joining our newly formed neighborhood circles, opt in here. Neighborhood circles will follow the chapter’s code of conduct and guidelines for respectful discussion.
2025 DSA Membership Survey
Members in good standing are encouraged to fill out our quick 2025 Membership Survey for us to get a better sense of who our membership is overall and to guide our actions as a chapter.
Do It Jewett for US Congress District 1
Union teacher and New Orleans DSA member Lauren Jewett is running for US Congress, LA-01. Lauren has been a public school special education teacher for 17 years, standing up for the things that working people in Louisiana deserve: dignity, a life we can afford, thriving opportunity, and actual protection and recovery from major storms and disasters. She knows that workers are the hands, hearts, soul, and backbone of our state and our country. We deserve a representative who believes that and acts like it. Stay tuned for more campaign updates for Lauren, and help us kick off her candidacy with your financial support.
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, September 26
Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm (every Friday) – Immigration Court, 365 Canal St
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Get involved
Now That’s What I Call Voting! Expert Lefties’ Hot Takes on Municipal Election Issues
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Okay Bar, 1700 Port St
Critical Mass Community Bike Ride
6:00 pm (last Friday) – French Market, Barracks St & French Market Pl
Saturday, September 27
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Canvass for Jackson Kimbrell, Council District C
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Get involved
Nola to Angola Roll to the Polls
10:00 am – Louis Armstrong Park, 701 N Rampart St
New Orleans DSA General Meeting
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258 – RSVP
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
1:00 pm – 2:45 pm – Get involved
Eye on Surveillance Community Scouting Day
2:00 pm – 422 Canal St sidewalk
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, Council District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Bob Murrell Candidate Meet and Greet
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Carrollton Station, 8410 Willow St
Sunday, September 28
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
NLG Legal Observer Training
2:00 pm – VOTE New Orleans, 4930 Washington Av
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, Council District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Poli-Ed Reading Group: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine & #StopFuelingGenocide: Boycott Chevron!
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (rescheduled from 9/21) – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258 – Reading List
DSA Comms Meeting
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258
Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (first and last Sunday) – Meet
Monday, September 29
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Pastor Gregory Manning, Council At-Large Division 2
5:30 pm & 6:30 pm (Monday-Thursday) – Broadmoor Community Church, 2021 S Dupre St – Get Involved
Tuesday, September 30
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Pastor Gregory Manning, Council At-Large Division 2
5:30 pm & 6:30 pm (Monday-Thursday) – Broadmoor Community Church, 2021 S Dupre St – Get Involved
Wednesday, October 1
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
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
Canvass for Pastor Gregory Manning, Council At-Large Division 2
5:30 pm & 6:30 pm (Monday-Thursday) – Broadmoor Community Church, 2021 S Dupre St – Get Involved
Thursday, October 2
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Canvass for Pastor Gregory Manning, Council At-Large Division 2
5:30 pm & 6:30 pm (Monday-Thursday) – Broadmoor Community Church, 2021 S Dupre St – Get Involved
Friday, October 3
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Free Palestine! Abolish ICE! Weekly Lunch Hour Rally
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm (every Friday) – Immigration Court, 365 Canal St
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Get involved
Film Screening & Panel: The Facility
5:30 pm doors, 6:00 pm screening, 6:45 pm panel – VOTE, 4930 Washington Av
Saturday, October 4
Early Voting
8:30 am – 6:00 pm (through October 4, except Sunday) – Locations
Canvass for Jackson Kimbrell, Council District C
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Get involved
River Ridge Starbucks Picket
10:00 am – 12:00 pm – River Ridge Starbucks, 9301 Jefferson Hwy
Brake Light Clinic & Health Fair
11:00 am – 2:00 pm – AP Tureaud Civil Rights Memorial Park, 1800 AP Tureaud Av – Volunteer Signup
Canvass for Bob Murrell, Council District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, Council District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Rise Up for Gaza: Two Years of Genocide International Day of Action
6:00 pm – Racist President Square, 701 Decatur St
Sunday, October 5
Canvass for Bob Murrell, District A
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Get involved
Canvass for Danyelle Christmas, Council District E
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Get Involved
Poli-Ed Planning Meeting
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm (first Sunday) – New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av Room 258 – Meet, Reading List
Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (first and last Sunday) – Meet
Down the Road
October 9 New Orleans Rank & File Project Monthly Meeting
October 10 Rent Party Raffle & Music Show
October 11 Election Day: Municipal Primary
October 12 DSA/FRSO/Indivisible Safety Coalition Training
October 18 No Kings
October 23 Purrsday Karaoke for DSA at Twelve Mile Limit
November 15 Election Day: Municipal Runoff
December 6 Labor Notes New Orleans Troublemakers School