Building Up: November 2023

Welcome to Building Up!

Welcome to the second issue of Groundwork’s Monthly Newsletter, Building Up. Here we’ll share our perspective about National DSA internal politics and the NPC, as well as highlight efforts Groundwork members are doing across the country and ways that you can get involved in our campaigns!

Building Out

Ashik here. As Lenin put it: “there are weeks where decades happen,” which certainly describes the last few. We’ll have more on our Cuba delegation, the national Public Power conference, and DSA’s election day successes soon, but right now, I wanted to talk about Palestine.

Mainstream Democratic leaders’ lack of courage in the face of widespread human rights violations and the deaths of over ten thousand as of this writing has left a moral vacuum demanding peace — into which Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), along with many Arab and Jewish organizations, has stepped.

–Democratic Socialists of America Is a Key Player in the Fight Against Israel’s Assault on Gaza, Jacobin

That’s how Liza Featherstone put it in her excellent overview of DSA’s vast array of organizing against Israel’s genocide in Gaza over the last month. Fellow Muslim and Groundwork comrade Cihan T and I were interviewed about what it means to be a socialist fighting for Palestinian liberation, what DSA chapters across the country are doing on the ground (detailed more below), and why the ruling class has so obsessively attacked DSA from the start.

*DSA members marching at the largest Palestine protest in US history last week*

“From the streets to the halls of power” isn’t just a slogan, but a description of what makes DSA a unique threat to the ruling class. In fact, it’s our own enemies’ analysis. From the start, everyone from the far-right architect of the CRT panic to the Democratic mayor of New York City worked to publicly slander DSA in a divide-and-distract strategy meant to turn the public's focus away from Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, and towards things like the wording of some Tweets.

With the full backing of the establishment and corporate media, DSA weathered the worst attacks in our history. Under the pressure, we could have retreated to our silos, and let the ruling class use Palestine as a wedge to cow electoral organizing, threaten legislative organizing, and suppress labor organizing–to even pit them against each other.

Instead, we’ve learned from years of struggle how to use them to become stronger. Our 80,000 members leapt into action to do anything and everything we can to fight back against the US-funded genocide campaign in Palestine. Chapters organized and supported allies and direct actions across the country, and we proudly sponsored the largest Palestine rally in US history last week. Members are risking arrest by the hundreds to force the nation’s eyes off of statements and tweets and onto where they must look: Gaza. Our state and local electeds are amplifying our reach and getting arrested themselves. Union leaders our rank and file organized to elect are sparking a new voice for Palestine within labor.

Equally important is that our efforts connect our mass organizing all the way into the heart of the imperial core: the US Congress. In a few days, Groundwork comrades lead the way on building a national infrastructure for our No Money for Massacres phone banks, which has enabled close to 250,000 calls to build support for the Ceasefire resolution introduced by DSA reps Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib. Even as the war machine circles the wagons with a disgusting vote to censure Rashida, we are rattling its foundations by building our own.

Comrades are risking major personal consequences. In DC, several trans comrades including Groundwork’s Saoirse G were jailed for two days, where the police subjected them to transmisogynistic abuse. Others have been rendered unable to go to work due to mass death threats and harassment. Jewish comrades have done heroic work organizing to stomp out spurious “anti-Zionism is anti-semitism” claims. And crucially — but less seen in the media for multiple reasons — are the contributions of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab DSA members who have been leading so much of our organizing on this, in a climate where risk is even more heightened than before.

Groundwork comrade Cihan T, left arrestee

But we won’t stop. Above all, we must do whatever it takes to stop this genocide, which has already killed over 10,000 people, and expelled at least a million. But amidst the worst political repression and most aggressive US propaganda assault in decades, a supermajority of voters want a ceasefire. The mass, organized left our 80,000 members and counting are so pivotal in building is throwing wrench after wrench into the machines of war and consent.

No wonder AIPAC is spending millions trying to stop us. Imagine telling someone in 2015 that socialist Congressmembers, backed by a multiracial mass movement, would soon be openly demanding an end to not just Israeli occupation but apartheid, including the most well-known one in the country. It would sound like a description of their worst nightmare, but also so implausible as to feel like a dream.

So, let’s keep becoming AIPAC’s worst nightmare. It is our duty as socialists to lead the way into a world where all people live lives of dignity. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

NPC Meeting Recap

Every month, DSA’s highest decision making body, the National Political Committee, meets to make decisions about organizational matters, voting on various resolutions that function as national DSA policies.

As the world around us changes rapidly and violently, the NPC voted to create a committee focused on mass phone banking elected officials nationwide, demanding they fight for a ceasefire in Gaza. Since then, chapters across the country have co-hosted phone banks along with allies like the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, which include political education on the situation itself, followed by targeted phonebanks.

This committee has also helped organize actions around the country where thousands of people are taking to the streets to demand a ceasefire and no money for massacres.

Many Groundwork comrades lead on this work, both on the NPC and not. A big thanks to everyone around the country working hard to make our voices heard and demanding a stop to the killing of all innocent lives!

Local Groundworks

Recent DSA Chapter Accomplishments Groundwork supporters are leading, or heavily involved in

It’s been a hectic few weeks, but from the Mid Hudson Valley to DC to Los Angeles and more, we’ve seen Groundwork comrades phone banking, speaking out, getting arrested, and doing political education, all to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and say no money for massacres.

This is not an exhaustive list of actions held by these chapters, which would take too long to list!

**Metro DC:** Co-organized a massive Palestine action in DC with American Muslims for Palestine and tens of thousands of people marching on Washington, featuring powerful words by Metro DC chapter leader Bakari–followed by the biggest Palestine action ever in DC last weekend, with organized contingents of DSA members coming in from all over the country.

Mid Hudson valley rally — **Mid-Hudson Valley:** Organized more than 150 people to demand a ceasefire outside of representative Pat “AIPAT” Ryan’s office–then did it again in Kingston.

Action in Grand Central Terminal New York City — NYC: Organized the largest NYC-DSA rally ever alongside Adalah Justice Project, JVP, and other organizations, with over 3000 people showing up in the rain, and 150+ arrested. Other actions include a shut down of Grand Central Station with many more arrested, actions at Congressmember’s offices, and more.

LA: Among many other actions, DSA-LA held a rally in Burbank demanding representative Adam Schiff sign on to Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush’s resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Alma Castro addressing a rally — New Mexico: Santa Fe DSA lead a Ceasefire March with allies, featuring a stirring speech from their just-elected Councilmember Alma Castro.

More Photos from Local Groundworks

Mid Hudson Valley

Santa Fe

New York City

These are just a few of the many happenings around the country in DSA, especially in the Groundwork sphere, along with phone banks and political education that are helping members unite and win a better world for the multi-racial working class and a free Palestine!

Groundwork in the Media

Groundwork does not necessarily endorse all views expressed by members in their own media appearances... unless they are good.

Matt H’s review of Naomi Klein’s excellent book, Doppleganger, was praised by none other than Naomi Klein. Matt is also a co-writer and editor of this very newsletter, so just think about how well that reflects on us!

Layla A’s incisive yet accessible analysis is waging an all out attack on the consent manufacturing. This includes one of Jacobin’s most read pieces this year, and a powerful Dissent piece that was featured in the New York Times, as well as podcast appearances on Pod Damn America and The American Prospect’s Left Anchor.

Danny V was featured in The Nation for his work organizing NYC-DSA’s organization for parents, Comrades with Kids. He also published powerful reflections on visiting Cuba as part of DSA’s Cuba delegation.

Watch for more Groundwork in the media soon! 👀