MARCH UPDATES — Elections, Upcoming Events, and More!

Posted by cochairs

Hey comrades! Read on for updates, important info, and calls to actions.

Election Day for party offices is March 23rd. Check out the fully released Voter Guide at dsaneworleans.org/voter-guide-spring-2024 for the breakdown on the stakes, races, and candidates. Happy voting!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • THURSDAY, March 21st, 7-8:30pm — Political Education Committee Meeting: Communism? Exchange? Hierarchy? Thursday at Parish Hall (or over Zoom here), come on down and talk about money, where it comes from, and why it doesn’t mean what we think it does… We are discussing David Graeber’s “Debt: the First 5000 Years” and the film Parasite. Watch, read, or just come in to talk economics. Text available for free here!
  • SUNDAY, March 24th, 3pm-dinner — Let Us Not Forget: Vigil for Unhoused Lives: Join us at Duncan Plaza for a ceremony honoring the unhoused neighbors we lost over the past year, building community, and reaffirming our dedication to the fight for housing as a human right. Can’t come but want to support? Their Venmo is @NolaVigilForUnhoused; donations are used to pay for supplies and compensation for unhoused artists & performers. Reach out to see how else you can volunteer; every extra hand helps
  • MONDAY, March 25th, 6-7pm — Make Entergy Pay Meeting: Join us to plan taking back control over our power! Meets at QiQi’s; if you want to attend but can’t come in-person, reach out!
  • WEDNESDAY, March 27th, 5-6pm — Health Justice & Direct Service Meeting: Join the Health Justice and Direct Service Committees as we plan our Brake Light Clinics and Health Fair. This is a hybrid meeting, in person at Parish Hall and over Zoom here.
  • WEDNESDAY, March 27th, 7-8pm — Municipal Action Committee Meeting: Now that the voter guide is out the door, the next MAC meeting will be March 27th to review how it went & look ahead to school board elections this fall. 
  • SATURDAY, March 30th, 12-2pm — General Meeting: 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? Join via Zoom here!
  • Sunday evenings at 6pm — Emma Goldman Gathering at Holy Ground: Come talk politics with us and test out how well you believe the things that you think you believe. Reading books is all well and good, but you have to practice pulling it out of your head and putting it into your own words. Beer can sometimes help that process.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO AND CALLS TO ACTION!

  • The New Orleans Workers’ Bill of Rights is up to be heard to get on the ballot this fall! Join Step Up Louisiana & some DSA members at City Hall for an important council hearing Tuesday, March 19th @ 9:30AM. Make your voice heard for union rights, living wages, paid leave, and healthcare! Read more about the Workers’ Bill of Rights here.
  • Save Grow Dat! The City Park Conservancy began a master planning process for all of City Park which will alter transportation, infrastructure, and access in the park. They propose building a road straight through the Grow Dat Youth Farm, displacing them from the 7 acres they have cultivated and flourished on for over 13 years. Make your voice heard and stand up to save Grow Dat’s current home! Fill out this form to get involved, and attend the City Park Planning meeting Thursday, March 21st @ 5:30-7:30pm at Dillard to speak out.
  • The Electoral Working Group is looking to recruit at least one candidate in the 2025 Fall election for municipal offices. Contact Bob M on Slack if you’re interested.
  • Local Council voted to endorse and help organize a Statewide March on the Capitol during the legislative session, scheduled for Friday, April 19th. Interested in helping with the statewide march or assisting in coalition building? Reach out!
  • 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 and check out NOSHIP’s fantastic site of resources, petitions, ways to help, and more. 

Hope to see y’all at these events and look forward to talking more! 

Solidarity forever, 

New Orleans DSA

Why New Orleans DSA Is Hosting a Protest Health and Safety Training This Weekend

Posted by dsa-communications

In solidarity with Charlottesville DSA as well as all impacted by the fascist violence one year ago — and in remembrance of Heather Heyer — New Orleans DSA is using this Medicare for All Weekend of Action to host a Protest Health & Safety Training with the help of our local street medic collective.

For those at that protest who suffered injuries and trauma, health injustice is an urgent, concrete, and ongoing crisis. Even with single-payer, we will need to know how to take care of ourselves and each other. We’ll need to know how to offer healing and wellness to our communities in times of trouble.

Today, we’ll be learning skills to keep each other as safe as possible in compromising situations, and we’ll discuss how to support one another’s wellness on an ongoing basis. We’ll be thinking of Heather and Charlottesville as we do so, and will collect money for the Charlottesville Resilience Fund.

Solidarity Forever,

Allison Tebbe and Frances Gill, New Orleans DSA

Stories and Takeaways From Our 7/28 Brake Light Clinic

Posted by dsa-communications

The New Orleans DSA’s monthly Gimme A Brake (Light) event on Saturday, July 28, drew a grateful crowd eager to talk about over-policing in the community and get free brake lights.

The clinic drew a wide array of participants, from a Tulane law student working on criminal justice reform who said, “Socialism is great,” to a pregnant hairdressing business owner and her fiancé, who both needed bulbs replaced. One man was moving to Atlanta with his wife to be closer to his children and needed his brake light fixed so he wouldn’t be pulled over on the long drive.

(more…)