Seattle Democratic Socialists of America

Afrosocialists & Socialists of Color Caucus meeting
2020-10-26 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-11-02 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-11-09 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-11-23 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-11-30 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-12-07 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-12-14 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-12-21 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 9 more dates | Online, Seattle, WA, United States
DSA’s caucus of Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color (AFROSOC) brings Black, indigenous and people of color socialists together to educate ourselves and organize our campaigns. We are doing the work of cultivating coalitions as communities of color to help build antiracist multiracial working-class base — the only viable strategy for securing a socialist future.
Through public and internal education and agitation, we aim to continue the legacy of the Black radical tradition, as well as the radical traditions of other oppressed minorities. Our goal is to act as a network that will support and develop non-white DSA members as leaders in the organization.
BIPOC socialists (DSA members and nonmembers alike) are invited to join us at our weekly meetings most Mondays at 6:30 pm. Find the Zoom link on SDSA Slack in the #afrosoc channel or email afrosocialists@seattledsa.org and provide your full name to receive an invitation.

Stop Trump from Stealing the Election District 3 Phonebank
2020-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join your fellow District 3 members for phonebank of other District 3 members! We’ll be talking to folks about the Nov. 1st Action Assembly: Stop Trump from Stealing the Election as well as our town hall to put pressure on wavering City Council members to stick to their promises of defunding SPD by at least 50%! It’s also important for us as socialists in a political organization to engage each other in conversation for our collective political development, especially as the pandemic continues and many of our comrades may feel isolated.
This is a fun, easy action to take. We’ll meetup on Zoom before making calls to prepare.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89717305255
If you need to call in:
12532158782
Meeting ID: 897 1730 525

DSA Town Hall w/ Councilmember Tammy Morales: Defund SPD by 50%
2020-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Hosted by: Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and DSA’s caucus of Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color
Endorsed by:

Decriminalize Seattle
Black Collective Voice
Labor for Black Lives
Real Change
Roxanne White (family member/survivor/advocate, Murdered and Missing Indigenous People and Families)
Tenants Union of Washington
Transit Riders Union
Rev. Angela Ying, Bethany United Church of Christ, Beacon Hill (endorsing in personal capacity)
The Washington Bus
ArtsCorps
Hate Free Delridge
Book Workers Union
Sustainable West Seattle
The Lumber Yard Bar
The Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle

Tens of thousands of people protested for months, urging Mayor Durkan and the City Council to defund the Seattle Police Department by 50% and reinvest those funds in community-led health and safety services. As a result, 7 out of 9 council members pledged to defund the SPD by 50%. However, the council cut the 2020 SPD budget by only 3%.
As the City Council negotiates the new 2021 budget, the community must demand that the Council fulfills its promise to defund SPD by 50%. Join us for an online town hall meeting with District 2 City Councilmember Tammy Morales. Come sign up to speak, or just come watch, and invite family and friends!
Click here to RSVP, and look for an email confirmation with Zoom details.

New Member Recruitment Party
2020-10-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
RSVP Here
Are you interested in building a better, more equitable world? Are you “socialist curious” or just plain fed up with the current choices available to you this election? DSA might be for you!
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest and fastest growing socialist organization in the united states, with 72,000 members and over 200 chapters in communities and on campuses across the country and in every state. Together, we are working to build a mass movement that can stop evictions, defund the police, and win Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and so much more. We seek to organize the working class into fights against bosses, landlords, corporations, and corrupt politicians and take back power from them. Our power comes from our strength in numbers, and when we stand together we can win our transformative demands.
At this event, we’ll discuss this current political moment, the elections, the pandemic, and how we can learn from these to engage in mutual aid and build power for a socialist future in which people come before profits. You’ll also get a chance to hear from some of our caucuses and working groups to find out about the work that DSA is doing right now and how you can contribute!
Current DSA member? Bring your friends to help get them involved too!
RSVP Here

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2020-11-01 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual, WA, United States
The Ecosocialism reading group will be meeting on Sunday, 11/1 at 1:30pm for a discussion of chapters six and seven of Timothy Mitchell’s Carbon Democracy. A pdf can be found here, and the paperback is available from Verso for $12. Feel free to join us whether or not you’re able to get through the reading!
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88041874573?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 880 4187 4573
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone 253-215-8782

Socialist Night School
2020-11-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Socialist Night School is an open course that provides a chance to develop our politics together, regardless of background knowledge or whether you’ve attended a class before. New members and lifelong socialists, all are welcome! To sign up for our mailing list or to find out more, e-mail us at SeaNightSchool [at] gmail . com
—> RSVP here! <—
We will have a guest speaker again this month! RSVP through the link above to get the Zoom info to join the discussion on Nov 2nd.
Required Reading
Peter Camejo – Liberalism, Ultraleftism, or Mass Action

Protest to Count Every Vote
2020-11-04 17:00 - 20:00 | occidental square, WA, United States
While thousands of mail-in ballots are yet to be counted in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, likely swinging the election to Joe Biden, Donald Trump has already declared victory. We need to flood the streets and demand that every vote be counted.
Join DSA, 350-Seattle, Black Action Coalition, Morning March, Indivisible, and others at the Count Every Vote protest at Occidental Square at 5PM Wednesday, November 4th.
Bring your friends, your family, and your coworkers. Come prepared and mask up: 350-Seattle Protest Safety Video. If necessary, we’ll be at Occidental Square at 5PM everyday.
After the protest at Occidental Square tomorrow, we’ll march to Westlake Park along with EDM (Every Day March), Nikkita Oliver, Morning March, Engage, and Black Action Coalition for a Don’t Let Trump Steal the Election protest.

Count Every Vote!
Defund SPD by 50%!
Abolish ICE!
Abolish the Electoral College!
Build the Socialist Left!

Housing Collective (El Grupo para Organizar su Edificio) - Online Meeting
2020-11-04 17:30 - 19:00, 2020-12-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Does your building management take too long to make repairs? Are you concerned that your lease could be illegal? Does your landlord charge you too much rent? You’re not alone.
The Housing Collective is a group of Seattle area residents, including experienced housing rights activists, who meet every month to teach each other concrete, effective organizing skills to build power at home. This collective is open to everyone who wants to improve the lives of their families and communities by organizing for economic justice.
We also set aside time to talk about how we can mobilize around housing issues via mutual aid, advocacy, and other methods.
Can’t make this event but you’d like to discuss how to improve your housing situation? Email the event organizers at housing@seattledsa.org to set up a one-on-one appointment.
Zoom Call Info available upon signing up here.

Green New Deal and Ecosocialism Meeting
2020-11-08 15:30 - 17:00, 2020-11-22 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
Join us to pursue a fair and effective Green New Deal to halt climate change and win environmental justice. We explore ecosocialist theory, organize with climate groups, and are developing a campaign for fare-free transit.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85803903635?pwd=[REDACTED]
OR by phone 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 850 6149 0366
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seattle DSA General Membership Meeting: Trump is Out, What Next?
2020-11-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join Seattle DSA for our monthly general membership meeting to discuss Trump’s defeat and where we go from here. What can we expect from a Biden presidency and how can the left continue to build multiracial working-class power in the fight to dismantle capitalism?
This is a virtual meeting. RSVP here or check Seattle DSA’s Slack. Are you a new SDSA member and want to get on Slack? Send your welcome email from Maria Svart to info@seattledsa.org and we’ll get you added to Slack!
You can find the agenda here. If you have an announcement or suggestion for the agenda, please email info@SeattleDSA.org

DSA Town Hall w/ Councilmember Herbold: Defund SPD by 50%
2020-11-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
RSVP here to get the Zoom link.
Tens of thousands of people protested for months, urging Mayor Durkan and the City Council to defund the Seattle Police Department by 50% and reinvest those funds in community-led health and safety services. As a result, 7 out of 9 council members pledged to defund the SPD by 50%. However, the council cut the 2020 SPD budget by only 3%.
As the City Council negotiates the new 2021 budget, the community must demand that the Council fulfills its promise to defund SPD by 50%. Join us for an online town hall meeting with District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. Come sign up to speak, or just come watch, and invite family and friends!
RSVP here to get the Zoom link.
Hosted by: Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and DSA’s caucus of Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color
Endorsed by:

Decriminalize Seattle
Black Collective Voice
Labor for Black Lives
Real Change
Roxanne White (family member/survivor/advocate, Murdered and Missing Indigenous People and Families)
Tenants Union of Washington
Transit Riders Union
Rev. Angela Ying, Bethany United Church of Christ, Beacon Hill (endorsing in personal capacity)
The Washington Bus
ArtsCorps
Hate Free Delridge
Book Workers Union
Sustainable West Seattle
The Lumber Yard Bar
The Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle

Trumps out, Biden barely won. Why? What’s next? Next District 3 Meeting
2020-11-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join Seattle DSA District 3 members to discuss Trump’s defeat and where we go from here. Biden has barely eked out a victory, the Democratic Party lost seats in the House, and Republicans will likely retain Senate control. Why was the vote so close? Does this mean that half (or more) of the US working class are hopelessly conservative and right wing? Is Trump and Trumpism really defeated? How should DSA and left wing working people and youth relate to the Democratic Party? What can we expect from a Biden presidency?
We’ll also be discussing the upcoming Defund SPD Town Hall organized by District 3!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85720839300
If you need to call in:
253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 857 2083 9300

Postering: Defund SPD by 50% Town Hall with Councilmember Andrew Lewis, Nikita Oliver, et al
2020-11-13 17:30 - 18:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join other Seattle DSA District 3 members this Friday, Nov 13th at 5:30pm for postering in District 3 to get the word out about the Defund SPD by 50% Town Hall with Councilmember Andrew Lewis, Nikita Oliver, et al organized by District 3. It’ll be nice to see each other in socially distanced person.
Come join us on Friday!
Masks are mandatory**
Meet up at:
Cafe Victrola
411 E 15th

Queer & Feminist Working Class History Happy Hour
2020-11-14 17:00 - 18:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join the Queer and Feminist Caucus for our monthly Working Class History Happy Hour, featuring working class struggles led by women and queer people throughout history.
After a grueling election, this month we’ll focus on the inspiring story of Eugene Debs and the Socialist Party who ran for president in the early 1900s, showing that building working class power, based in workplaces and on anti-racism and independent of the Democratic Party was entirely possible — even when organized socialists were a minority in society.
We’ll also have some time to debrief the 2020 elections, what happened and what we do next.
This is an online meeting. RSVP here.
Join us on the Queer & Feminist Slack channel if you have ideas, would like to help organize, or have any questions! Coming up in future months: the General Strike of Enslaved People & the Civil War, the Strike of 100,000 in New York City, & more!

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2020-11-15 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual, WA, United States
The Ecosocialism reading group will be meeting on Sunday, 11/15 at 1:30pm for our postponed discussion of chapters six and seven of Timothy Mitchell’s Carbon Democracy. A pdf can be found here, and the paperback is available from Verso for $12. Feel free to join us whether or not you’re able to get through the reading!
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88041874573?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 880 4187 4573
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone 253-215-8782

Defund SPD & Reinvest in Community Teach-in
2020-11-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Tens of thousands of people protested for months, urging Mayor Durkan and the City Council to defund the Seattle Police Department by 50% and reinvest those funds in community-led health and safety services. As a result, 7 out of 9 council members pledged to defund the SPD by 50%. However, the city council’s new budget proposal would defund the Seattle Police Department by only 17%.
As the City Council finalizes the 2021 budget, the community must demand that the Council fulfills its promise to defund SPD by 50%. Join us for an online teach-in on defunding SPD and reinvesting in community with community organizer and activist Nikkita Oliver, and activist and educator Jesse Hagopian. Come sign up to speak, or just come watch, and invite family and friends!
RSVP here to get the Zoom link.
Hosted by: Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and DSA’s caucus of Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color
Endorsed by:

Decriminalize Seattle
Black Collective Voice
Labor for Black Lives
Real Change
Roxanne White (family member/survivor/advocate, Murdered and Missing Indigenous People and Families)
Tenants Union of Washington
Transit Riders Union
Rev. Angela Ying, Bethany United Church of Christ, Beacon Hill (endorsing in personal capacity)
The Washington Bus
ArtsCorps
Hate Free Delridge
Book Workers Union
Sustainable West Seattle
The Lumber Yard Bar
The Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle

Divest SPD meeting
2020-11-17 17:00 - 18:30 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Come get involved in our campaign to get corporations and nonprofits to divest from Seattle Police Foundation and reinvest in BIPOC community organizations.
RSVP here for the Zoom link: https://actionnetwork.org/events/divest-spd-meeting-5

Online New Member Orientation
2020-11-19 18:00 - 19:30, 2020-11-21 12:00 - 13:30, 2020-12-17 18:00 - 19:30, 2020-12-19 12:00 - 13:30, 2021-01-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2021-01-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Come to learn about what Democratic Socialism is all about, what we can learn about capitalism and socialism from the current uprisings and the pandemic, and how YOU can get involved with Seattle DSA’s efforts to engage in mutual aid and building power for a socialist future in which people come before profits. You don’t need to be an official member to attend – “DSA curious” folks are welcome!
RSVP for Zoom link
Questions? Contact: member-engagement@seattledsa.org.

SDSA Black Reparations? 2021 Socialist Program? Protest on Inauguration Day? Next District 3 Mtg
2020-11-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Next month, on Tuesday, December 1, is the quarterly SDSA business meeting where we’ll be debating and voting on some important and exciting resolutions, including the potentially controversial resolution for internal DSA reparations (at least from what I saw on Twitter). The general membership meetings are great but their size and time limitations make it difficult for many members to come into the discussion with their thoughts/opinions/questions. The relatively smaller District 3 meetings provide a more conducive atmosphere for more members to come in and for some back and forth where members can respond to each other’s points.
So next Wednesday Nov. 25th at 6:30pm the District 3 meeting will feature a discussion on the 6 resolutions with a focus on 3 of the resolutions, but of course members can discuss all 6 resolutions in the discussion. The three resolutions that Sean and I (elected D3 Coordination Committee members) propose we discuss are:

Resolution to Create a Seattle DSA Black Reparations Fund
No Honeymoon for Biden
A Socialist Program for Seattle’s 2021 Elections

Check your e-mail (or slack) for the resolution text.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86420074654
If you need to call in:
253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 864 2007 4654

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion-Note Revised Time
2020-11-29 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual, WA, United States
Join the Ecosocialism Reading Group Sunday 11/29 at 3:00 for our final discussion of Carbon Democracy. We’ll be covering the final chapter and conclusion. A pdf can be found here. Please feel free to come whether or not you have a chance to get through the reading!
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86520683532?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 865 2068 3532
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial in option +1 253 215 8782

Immigration Justice Working Group
2020-11-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join us at our monthly meeting where we review our recent work and plan our next efforts which include raising money for the bond fund, planning and joining protests, providing training for court support, supporting asylum seekers and their hosts, and otherwise supporting our partner organizations in their work, including La Resistencia, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, and Entre Hermanos. New member friendly!
RSVP Here

Divest SPD meeting
2020-12-01 17:00 - 18:30 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Come get involved in our campaign to get corporations and nonprofits to divest from Seattle Police Foundation and reinvest in BIPOC community organizations. When you RSVP on this page the next page you are taken to will include the Zoom link for the meeting. See you there!
RSVP HERE: https://actionnetwork.org/events/divest-spd-meeting-6

Seattle DSA General Membership Meeting
2020-12-01 19:00 - 21:00, 2021-01-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join Seattle DSA for our monthly General Membership Meeting! This meeting will be a business meeting. We will discuss seven member-submitted resolutions. The resolutions have been sent to members via email and are available on Slack. If you are a member and can’t find the resolutions, please email info@seattledsa.org. Members in good standing are eligible to vote at the meeting.
This is a virtual meeting meeting. To attend the meeting, you must register here. Please register as early as possible so we can verify your membership.

Green New Deal and Ecosocialism Meeting
2020-12-06 15:30 - 17:00, 2020-12-20 15:30 - 17:00, 2021-01-03 15:30 - 17:00, 2021-01-17 15:30 - 17:00, 2021-01-31 15:30 - 17:00, 2021-02-14 15:30 - 17:00, 2021-02-28 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
Join us to pursue a fair and effective Green New Deal to halt climate change and win environmental justice. We explore ecosocialist theory, organize with climate groups, are developing a campaign for fare-free transit, and are participating in the national DSA’s Green New Deal campaign. Questions? Email greennewdeal@seattledsa.org
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83567416514?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 835 6741 6514
Password: [REDACTED]
Join by phone +1 253 215 8782

District 4 Meet-Up
2020-12-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join District 4 a casual zoom-based meet-up! This will be a time to get to know each other, build community, chat about whatever topics are on our minds, answer questions, etc.

This event is open to DSA members from other districts – or anyone curious about DSA.

District 4 is roughly U District, Eastlake, Fremont, Wallingford, Roosevelt, Ravenna, Bryant, Laurelhurst, Sand Point, View Ridge, and Wedgwood.

Zoom details:
https://washington.zoom.us/j/95567184321

Meeting ID: 955 6718 4321
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,95567184321# US (Tacoma)
+12063379723,,95567184321# US (Seattle)

*Please contact us at d4sdsa@gmail.com if you have any accessibility concerns re: zoom*

“We are a working class party now”. The Future of the GOP? Next District 3 meeting
2020-12-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
“We are a working class party now” announced Republican Senator Josh Hawney. “The future of the (Republican) party is based on a multiethnic, multiracial working-class coalition,” (Sen. Marco) Rubio recently said, claiming that Republicans should recognize “the free market exists to serve our people. Our people don’t exist to serve the free market.”
Trump got over 10 million votes more than he did in 2016, taking his total to nearly 75 million. Trump lost the election but has a stranglehold on the party, will right wing populism and Trumpism continue dominating the GOP or will the establishment try to move on? The GOP beat back another Blue Wave delivering several upsets in the house and seem likely to hold onto the Senate. While voter suppression is widespread, suppression alone cannot explain why Republicans are winning so many elections. Is the GOP a new working class party?
Biden is nominating former Obama aides to key Cabinet positions and the threat of Biden unfurling policies that led to Trump in the first place is very real. This will undoubtedly engender discontent and lead many to drift into right-wing populism to express their inchoate anger at their falling living standards, what should DSA and the broader Left do to push back against both a Democratic Party failing to take up the economic demands of poor and working people and the growing appeal of right-populism? Will 2022 see the return of GOP control of Congress? 2024 Trump 2.0?
Join District 3 members this Thursday to discuss and analyze these important developments from a socialist perspective.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82545183038
If you need to call in:
253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 825 4518 3038

Fight for Our Lives GND Day of Action
2020-12-12 09:00 - 13:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join the Seattle Ecosocialist Caucus, along with dozens of other DSA chapters nationwide, for a socially-distant action to kick off the decade of the Green New Deal. We will be giving away gloves to people who need them. If you have gloves or mittens you would like to contribute, fill out this form.
COVID-19 devastated working people this year. We need money, we need healthcare, and we need jobs. The climate crisis will be even more devastating. It’s time for a just transition. It’s time to fight for our lives.
Our Demands

Immediate COVID-19 Crisis Relief (including $2,000 per month for all)

A Green Stimulus (including investments in renewable Public Power)

A Green Job Guarantee

The PRO Act

The Healthcare Emergency Guarantee Act

Want to join us for the action? Please RSV to greennewdeal@seattledsa.org.

Jacobin Reading Group: The Constitution is Bad, Plus Tech and Global Capital
2020-12-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
For December we will be reading “Failure is an Option.” We’re also going to try an experiment and listen to part of a podcast about sovereign wealth funds and tech (relevant content starts around 20 minutes in). If you’re interested in learning more about the link between global money flow, imperialism, and domestic worker suppression, this should be an accessible and fun entry point.
Meeting link: https://meet.google.com/gzh-yooy-znc

District 4 Reading Group: The Wretched of the Earth
2020-12-12 15:00 - 16:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join the District 4 reading group December 12th at 3pm to read the classic “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon — https://grattoncourses.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/frantz-fanon-richard-philcox-jean-paul-sartre-homi-k.-bhabha-the-wretched-of-the-earth-grove-press-2011.pdf. We will be reading through to the end of the chapter “On Violence” in which Fanon writes about the inevitability of violence in the process of decolonization.
This event is open to DSA members and anyone curious about DSA.
https://washington.zoom.us/j/96051788790
Meeting ID: 960 5178 8790

Socialist Night School - What is Marxism (and why should I care)?
2020-12-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Socialist Night School is an open course that provides a chance to develop our politics together, regardless of background knowledge or whether you’ve attended a class before. New members and lifelong socialists, all are welcome! To sign up for our mailing list or to find out more, e-mail us at SeaNightSchool [at] gmail . com
–> RSVP here! <–
What is Marxism (And Why Should I Care)? A discussion w/Ramsin Canon of Chicago DSA
The work of Karl Marx and other Marxist thinkers have been a guiding influence for socialist movements around the world for over 150 years. In the years since Capital‘s release, however, anti-capitalist movements have risen and fallen, and capitalism has grown and changed dramatically.
Why, then, is Marx still relevant for socialists? Can it inform our organizing in a tangible way? And what does it mean to call yourself a Marxist?
Join us for a special Seattle DSA Socialist Night School as we speak with Ramsin Canon, three-term political education coordinator for Chicago DSA. We’ll discuss his Midwest Socialist essay “What It Means to Be a Marxist,” what the hell “Marxism” is, why it’s not just a historical curiosity for the hyper-educated…and much more.
Recommended readings:

Ramsin Canon, “What It Means to Be a Marxist”
Ellen Meiskins Wood, “Back to Marx”

Divest SPD meeting
2020-12-15 17:00 - 18:30 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Come get involved in our campaign to get corporations and nonprofits to divest from Seattle Police Foundation and reinvest in BIPOC community organizations. When you RSVP on this page the next page you are taken to will include the Zoom link for the meeting. See you there!
RSVP HERE: https://actionnetwork.org/events/divest-spd-meeting-7/

QFC Campfire Chat
2020-12-19 17:00 - 18:30 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Join us for a contemplative and low-key chat about where our caucus has been over the past year and where we want to go in 2021. Let’s brainstorm projects, check in with each other, and spread some end-of-year cheer! New members welcome to jump on in!

District 4 Reading Group: The Wretched of the Earth
2020-12-26 15:00 - 16:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join the District 4 reading group December 26th at 3pm to read the classic “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon — https://grattoncourses.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/frantz-fanon-richard-philcox-jean-paul-sartre-homi-k.-bhabha-the-wretched-of-the-earth-grove-press-2011.pdf. We will be reading through to the end of the chapter “On Violence” in which Fanon writes about the inevitability of violence in the process of decolonization.
This event is open to DSA members and anyone curious about DSA.
https://washington.zoom.us/j/99301013240
Meeting ID: 993 0101 3240

No Honeymoon for Biden - First Action Planning Meeting
2020-12-27 14:00 - 15:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
President-elect Biden has made clear from the moment he was elected that he plans to oversee a neoliberal, racist, business-as-usual agenda during his term. From his appointment of corporate lobbyists like Tom Vilsack, a dairy/ago-industry exec, to vehemently underscoring how he will not use executive action to pass a progressive agenda, it’s clear that Biden is more interested in punching left than providing a way forward to the millions of people struggling right now.
If we let this do-nothing agenda go unchallenged, we can be certain we will be facing a Trump 2.0 situation in four years. That’s why it’s vital the left comes together on Day 1 of Biden’s administration to get organized and show our commitment to fighting for Black Lives Matter, real COVID relief, Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and an end to deportations and detentions. We have four years to get organized and build a working-class alternative.
Seattle DSA will be organizing an Inauguration Day (or week) event in January to help bring the left together and fight for our shared demands. If you’re interested in helping plan this action, come to our first planning meeting!
RSVP here for zoom info!

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2020-12-27 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
The Ecosocialism reading/discussion group will be meeting on Sunday, 12/27 at 3:30pm. Please join us for a discussion of national DSA’s Green New Deal campaign. https://ecosocialists.dsausa.org/fight-for-our-lives-demands/
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88049261164?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 880 4926 1164
Passcode: [REDACTED]
By phone 253-215-8782

D3 Movie Night: Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle
2020-12-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join District 3 comrades for a movie night! We’ll be taking a break from our regular meetings over the holidays, but watching a movie together and discussing it is a great, low-barrier way for us to stay engaged with each other.
Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle chronicles the organizing of the first Black trade union—the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This inspiring story of the Pullman porters provides one of the few accounts of African American working life between the Civil War and World War II.
Miles of Smiles describes the harsh discrimination which lay behind the porters’ smiling service. Narrator Rosina Tucker, a 100 year old union organizer and porter’s widow, describes how after a 12 year struggle led by A. Philip Randolph, the porters won the first contract ever negotiated with Black workers. Miles of Smiles both recovers an important chapter in the emergence of Black America and reveals a key source of the Civil Rights movement.
Join us on Zoom to watch together: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85205647875

D3 Reading Group: The Communist Manifesto
2021-01-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join District 3 members for a reading and discussion group on the Communist Manifesto! It’s a classic for a reason, folks!
Who are the proletariat? Who are the bourgeoisie? What is class struggle? Why do we still read this 172-year-old text? Join us to answer all these questions and more!
We’ll be discussing Part 1 (Bourgeois and Proletarians) of the Manifesto this week. Study questions for this week are available here.
If you don’t have a physical copy (Samuel Moore’s translation is preferred), you can find a digital copy here, including links for ePub, PDF, and audiobook formats: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84016589039

January General Membership Meeting
2021-01-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join Seattle DSA for our monthly General Membership Meeting! This meeting will be a business meeting. We will discuss two member-submitted resolutions. The resolutions have been sent to members via email and are available on Slack. If you are a member and can’t find the resolutions, please email info@seattledsa.org. Members in good standing are eligible to vote at the meeting.
This is a virtual meeting meeting. To attend the meeting, you must register here. Please register as early as possible so we can verify your membership.

Housing Collective (El Grupo para Organizar su Edificio) – Online Meeting
2021-01-06 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-03 17:30 - 19:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
The Housing Collective is a group of Seattle area tenants who meet every month to learn and teach each other concrete, effective organizing skills to build power at home.
If you’re worried about an eviction, maintenance issues that are going unaddressed, or general mistreatment from your landlord, this meeting is for you.
This month we will be having a presentation about eviction defense.
Can’t make this event but you’d like to discuss how to improve your housing situation? Email the event organizers at housing@seattledsa.org to set up a one-on-one appointment.
Zoom Call Info available upon signing up here.

District 4 Reading Group: The Wretched of the Earth
2021-01-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join the District 4 reading group January 9th at 3pm to read the classic “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon — https://grattoncourses.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/frantz-fanon-richard-philcox-jean-paul-sartre-homi-k.-bhabha-the-wretched-of-the-earth-grove-press-2011.pdf. We will be reading the chapter “Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity”.
This event is open to DSA members and anyone curious about DSA.
https://washington.zoom.us/j/93280489412
Meeting ID: 932 8048 9412

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2021-01-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
Please join members of the Ecosocialist Caucus Sunday, 1/10 at 3:30 for a casual conversation about Ecosocialism, the Green New Deal and our priorities for the discussion group and our organizing in 2021. .
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86416563477?pwd=[REDACTED]
By phone: 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 864 1656 3477
Passcode: [REDACTED]

D3 Study Group: The Communist Manifesto (pt. 2)
2021-01-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join District 3 comrades to continue our discussion on The Communist Manifesto! Let’s keep the ball rolling after a dynamic first session!
What’s the distinction between socialism and communism? What is private property, and why should we get rid of it? Do communists want to abolish nations? We’ll answer these questions and more!
Study questions for this week’s session available here.
If you don’t have a physical copy of the book, you can find a free digital copy here in a variety of formats: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82463888346
Meeting ID: 824 6388 8346
To call in:
+12532158782, 82463888346# US (Tacoma)

Right-wing Capitol Rampage: What does it signify & how should DSA and the Left respond? Next District 3 Meeting
2021-01-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
This past Wednesday was an outrageous attempt by far-right Trump supporters to disenfranchise millions of working class votes by storming the Capitol building, some with murderous intent. This is universally being referred to as a failed coup attempt and an act of domestic terrorism. Prominent people on the Left are calling for the expulsion of GOP Senators and Representatives on the grounds they incited violence and violated their “sacred oath.” The Democratic Party is moving to impeach Trump again. Social media companies are restricting or locking out Trump. Some in the GOP establishment are distancing themselves from Trump, while sections of big business are calling for him to step down. Is this the end of Trumpism? Was what happened an insurrection? Should DSA support Cori Bush’s call to expel GOP congresspeople? Who stands to benefit from the changed political situation? What demands could Socialists be putting forward?
Join District 3 members (all are welcome!) this Thursday to discuss and analyze these important developments from a socialist perspective.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82738245592
253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 827 3824 5592

District 3 Study Group: The Communist Manifesto (pt. 3)
2021-01-17 18:30 - 20:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join District 3 comrades to round out our discussion of the Communist Manifesto!
We’ve had two great sessions so far. For this week, we’ll review the Manifesto as a whole, answer any lingering questions, and hammer home the key takeaways of this seminal text.
To help demystify the text a little, here are some supplemental materials that help explain what the hell Marx and Engels are talking about:

Red Menace podcast: The Communist Manifesto
Hadas Thier (contemporary Marxist writer/economist) on who makes up the proletariat
Short animation on the Manifesto

You can find this week’s study questions here.
If you don’t have a physical copy of the book, you can find a free digital copy here in a variety of formats: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
If you missed the first two sessions, that’s okay! Feel free to join us anyway. This study group is for anyone interested in or curious about Marxism/communism, whether you’ve read all of Capital or barely know who Marx is!
Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82616759609
Meeting ID: 826 1675 9609
To call in:
+12532158782, 82616759609# US (Tacoma)

D1 and D2: Bridging the Gap in Seattle Transit and Environmental Policy
2021-01-21 19:00 - 20:00 | On Zoom, WA, United States
Join the Ecosocialism caucus and the Districts 1 and 2 groups to fight for transit justice in South Seattle. We’ll discuss options to make the West Seattle bridge more sustainable and accessible and strategize next steps to center the long-term interests of our communities and the planet.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83539645207?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 835 3964 5207
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2021-01-24 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
Join us 3:30 Sunday for discussion of militarization in the U.S. liberal response to climate change. Please check out the following podcasts and readings on the topic, and come on in even if you aren’t able to get to them.
https://citationsneeded.libsyn.com/episode-122-climate-chaos-part-ii-the-militarization-of-liberals-climate-change-response
https://ips-dc.org/climate-militarism-primer/
Bonus:
https://citationsneeded.libsyn.com/news-brief-the-ice-and-pentagon-bloating-vagueness-of-the-climate-change-is-a-national-security-issue-mantra
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86265916035?pwd=[REDACTED]
Join by phone: 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 862 6591 6035
Passcode: [REDACTED]

The First 100 Days of Socialism
2021-01-24 17:00 - 18:30 | Virtual, WA, United States
National DSA is hosting this panel discussion envisioning what “The First Hundred Days…” could look like. https://www.dsausa.org/calendar/the-first-100-days-of-socialism/ . Includes reps from several national DSA working groups, including Ecosocialist, and will probably include a little more info on the national Green New Deal campaign that our chapter voted to join.

District 3 Movie Night: The Take
2021-01-24 18:30 - 20:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join District 3 members for a movie night! We’ll watch a film together, then discuss!
This month we’re watching The Take, a 2004 documentary that tells the story of workers in Buenos Aires, Argentina who reclaim control of a closed Forja auto plant where they once worked and turn it into a worker cooperative.
You can find some discussion questions we’ll use to facilitate discussion here.
Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89064478814
Meeting ID: 890 6447 8814
To call in:
+12532158782, 89064478814# US (Tacoma)

Adam Smith: No More Excuses! End the war in Yemen!
2021-01-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
No More Excuses! Adam Smith, use your power as chair of the House Armed Services Committee to actually help end the war in Yemen
Washington congress-member Adam Smith has been the powerful chair of the Armed Services Committee since 2019. He has added language to the Defense Authorization Act to end US funding for the war in Yemen, knowing full well that the Senate version will restore the funding, and always allowing the funding to be restored when the two versions are reconciled. This way he can have his cake and eat it too — claiming to be fighting to end the war and suffering, while not expending any political capital to make it happen.

Enough is enough!

As part of the January 25 International Day of Action on Yemen, we demand that Adam Smith do the right thing for once, and use his power and his position and work with the Democratic controlled Senate and the Biden administration to immediately stop this genocidal war — because without US logistical and intelligence support, the Saudi-led effort will come to an end.

To participate, write a letter on ActionNetwork and share on social media.

Please note that the petition site will only send the letter if you live in Adam Smith’s district. If your address does not fall in his district, you may get a “no recipients were found” error message.

Socialist Night School
2021-01-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Socialist Night School is an open course that provides a chance to develop our politics together, regardless of background knowledge or whether you’ve attended a class before. New members and lifelong socialists, all are welcome! To sign up for our mailing list or to find out more, e-mail us at SeaNightSchool [at] gmail . com

–> RSVP here! <–
Our theme for this session is “Socialism and the Family“. We’ll be discussing the ways in which capitalism shapes family life (spoiler: it’s not good, folks!) and what an alternative might look like. We’ll also be discussing the ways in which the pandemic has further exposed the failures of capitalism to address the basic needs of working class families. RSVP for Zoom info!

Required Readings:

Parenting is a Job. During the Pandemic it’s Impossible by Hadas Thier
An excerpt from The Politics of Everybody: Feminism, Queer Theory, and Marxism at the Intersection by Holly Lewis
It’s Okay to have Children by Connor Kilpatrick

Optional Readings:

“A Blueprint for Universal Childhood” by Megan Erickson
An excerpt from “Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism”

What can we expect from the Biden Administration - friend or foe? Next District 3 Meeting
2021-01-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join District 3 DSA members to discuss…
Before Biden took office many on the left said that Biden was a corporate Democrat that would champion a neoliberal agenda. However, in his first 3 days in office Biden has signed a raft of progressive executive orders cancelng the Keystone XL Pipeline, strengthening DACA, ending the Muslim ban, preventing workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, putting forward a $15/minimum wage and more. Is Biden a corporate Democrat? Do the executive orders mean that Biden and the Democratic Party have moved to the left and are more of a pro-working class political party? In this changed situation, what’s the role of DSA?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85683369169
Meeting ID: 856 8336 9169
One tap mobile
253-215-8782

UNITE HERE Rally to Demand Extended and Increased Unemployment Benefits
2021-01-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Amazon Spheres, 2101 7th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98121, United States
A Tale of Two Pandemics: Millions Will Starve / Billionaires Make Another Trillion

In 2020, billionaires gained $1 trillion—while millions of working people lost jobs and are barely surviving.

Join UNITE HERE Local 8 and Restaurant Workers United on Saturday, January 30th to demand extended unemployment benefits, increased unemployment benefits, and extending the eviction moratorium.
Where: Amazon Spheres, 7th Ave & Lenora St
When: Saturday, January 30th at 12PM

UNITE HERE is the union of hospitality and food service workers, workers who were hardest hit by job losses from COVID-19. Workers and their families are barely surviving, making less than $337/week on unemployment, or receiving no income if they are undocumented. Restaurant Workers United is a growing network of food service workers who started to organize together during the pandemic around safety, relief, and respect.

Meanwhile, Seattle Area billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates’ wealth increased by $92.1 billion from the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown—for a combined net worth of $303.1 billion as of December 2020.

In a country where the billionaires’ wealth has increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, we cannot accept the excuse that there is not funding for relief that will stave off starvation, homelessness and even greater loss. At a minimum, we demand:

Extension of federal unemployment relief beyond April — when millions whose jobs have not returned will lose all income — through the end of the pandemic.
Increase of weekly unemployment benefits to a livable income.
Extension of the eviction moratorium until after the pandemic has ended so that families can remain safely in their homes.

We demand action. Extend and increase unemployment benefits until jobs come back! Extend the eviction moratorium and cancel rent!

Join hospitality and food service workers at the Amazon Spheres at 12PM on Saturday, January 30th!

District 2 Meeting: Trump's Gone, Now What? Fighting for What We Need During the Biden Presidency
2021-01-30 15:00 - 16:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
While together we breathe a collective sigh of relief over Trump’s departure, we also know that these crises pre-date Trump and that the very conditions that led to the rise of Trumpism remain completely intact: massive wealth inequality, corporate money dominating our political system, mass incarceration, low-wage jobs, and a wholly inadequate private healthcare system that leaves 40 million uninsured. Many of these policies were created or expanded under the Obama/Biden administration, including the deportation of 2.7 million people.
Join District 2 DSA for a discussion about how we can organize for what we need under a Biden presidency. What are the challenges and opportunities for the socialist movement?
RSVP here for Zoom info.

February General Membership Meeting
2021-02-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join Seattle DSA for our February General Membership Meeting, where we’ll discuss how we can build the socialist movement to defeat the far right, as well as hear from housing and homelessness activists who are leading the fight for shelter for all and the Kshama Solidarity campaign. This meeting is open to the public.

This is a virtual meeting. For Zoom login info, please RSVP by registering here!
This is the link we use to post the proposed agenda for our monthly membership meetings. It is possible that this link may have an outdated agenda from the last month’s meeting. If so, the Local Council will eventually update this link with the proposed agenda for the upcoming month’s meeting as soon as it’s available. If you have an announcement or suggestion for the agenda, please email info@SeattleDSA.org

Ecosocialism Reading/Discussion Group
2021-02-07 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual, WA, United States
The capitalist system, driven at its core by the maximization of profit regardless of social and ecological costs, is incompatible with a just and sustainable future. Ecosocialism stands against both reformist “market ecology” and “productivist socialism.” Join us for an open discussion!
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85980105698?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial in by phone: 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 859 8010 5698

District 3 Study Group: More Than Just Kings & Queens
2021-02-07 18:30 - 20:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join District 3 comrades to continue our study of Marxism! This week, we’ll be reading an article called More Than Just Kings & Queens. This accessible piece will help us delve a little further into historical materialism, building on our discussions of the Communist Manifesto.
Study Questions for this week can be found here.
We’re also including an optional (but recommended) supplemental reading that covers some of Marx’s & Engels’s thoughts on historical materialism. You can find that reading here.
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85009605172
To call in:
+12532158782,,85009605172# US (Tacoma)

Kshama Solidarity Phone-Bank: Fight the Right-Wing Recall!
2021-02-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Defend Seattle’s socialist city council member! After failing to buy District 3’s city council seat in 2019, Seattle’s ruling class is attempting a right-wing recall of Kshama Sawant. We won’t let it happen!
Join us to phone-bank our membership about the Kshama Solidarity campaign. We’ll inform our comrades about the recall effort, rally volunteers, and ask for donations.
——RSVP here——
We’ll meet over Zoom for a brief training on our call system, then hit the phones. Phone-banking is a fun, easy way to get involved with this campaign. We’ll be talking to our fellow neighborhood socialists, so expect friendly conversations!

Housing Justice Policy Committee - First Meeting!
2021-02-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Online, Seattle, WA, United States
With the eviction moratorium set to expire March 31st, an “eviction tsunami” is looming if we don’t force lawmakers to take action to prevent it. Unemployment remains at historic highs, and statewide 14% of renters owe back-rent to landlords according to a survey last month. That’s nearly 225,000 households facing possible eviction and homelessness.

We are forming the Housing Justice Policy Committee to fight back. As a first step, we will push our state legislatures to pass the strongest possible tenant rights protections before the legislative session ends in early April.

We will work in coalition with other housing justice groups to pass several bills they’ve helped shape. One bill would ban landlords from evicting tenants for back rent accrued during the moratorium and force landlords into mandatory mediation where tenants have the right to legal counsel, and create a statewide “just cause” eviction requirement. Another bill would mandate a statewide 12-month rent freeze (capping increases to inflation rates) following the moratorium.

As socialists, our goal is not simply to become another lobbying group, but to link the fight for these partial emergency reforms with a mass movement building strategy, keeping our eyes on the prize. In today’s fights we must popularize the need for transformative socialist policies, like permanent statewide rent control and a massive expansion of green social housing, offering all who need it an affordable and democratic alternative to the failed private sector real estate casino. Join Seattle DSA’s HJP Committee to help win this vision.

RSVP here.

Online New Member Orientation
2021-02-18 18:00 - 19:30 | On Zoom, WA, United States

Housing Justice Policy Committee
2021-02-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Online, Seattle, WA, United States
Join SDSA for our second meeting of the Housing Justice Policy Committee!
We are currently focused on planning a joint march for Amazon Workers and Tenant Rights on February 20th as part of a national day of solidarity with the Bessemer, Alabama Amazon workers organizing for a union.
We are also building town halls to put maximum pressure on state legislators to pass vital COVID tenant protections including a “just cause” eviction protection and barring landlords from evicting tenants for back rent accrued during the moratorium, and establishing a one-year rent freeze following the moratorium.
Our social media and research team is publicizing the connection between the housing crisis, COVID, capitalism, and the landlord lobby’s pull on the Democratic-Party dominated State Legislature. We are absolutely against any reduction of the Seattle Amazon Tax.
All of this helps us gear up for a broader class-struggle fight for a green jobs program to rapidly build tens of thousands of affordable homes, statewide rent control, and permanent “just cause eviction” protections.
Join us on Thursday to help build for the February 20th Rally for Amazon Workers and Tenant Rights and the campaign beyond!
RSVP here for Zoom info.

POSTPONED: Online New Member Orientation
2021-02-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
We are sorry to postpone today’s Online New Member Orientation. Please join us at the Rally for Amazon Workers and Tenant Rights. Please reach out to the Member Engagement Team to learn more about Seattle DSA or to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Questions? Contact: member-engagement@seattledsa.org

Rally for Amazon Workers & Tenant Rights!
2021-02-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Washington Multi-Family Housing Association, 711 Powell Ave SW, Renton, WA, 98057, United States
THIS IN-PERSON MARCH WILL BE *STRICTLY* SOCIALLY DISTANCED. MASKS REQUIRED.
Over the years, Amazon has turned Greater Seattle into a city completely unaffordable to ordinary people. Yet while Amazon’s workers struggle to make rent, and 225,000 Washington families are in danger of being swept up by an “eviction tsunami” when the eviction moratorium expires March 31st, Bezos has earned enough money to give each of his workers $150,000 bonuses and still be as rich as he was before COVID.
That’s why King County Labor Council, Tenants Union of Washington, 350 Seattle, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, Transit Riders Union, UNITE HERE Local 8, Seattle Democratic Socialists of America, and others are uniting in solidarity for a rally and march on February 20th.
This is part of a national day of action to support the union drive of Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama, as well as to demand the state legislature pass the strongest possible tenants rights protections, while thousands of Amazon workers and others struggle through COVID to stay afloat.
We’ll begin with a rally at the headquarters of a corporate landlord lobby group, the Multi-Family Housing Association, one of the most vocal opponents of vital tenant rights legislation in the Washington State Legislature right now — and make our way to the Amazon Flex warehouse a few blocks away.
We’re demanding:

Governor Inslee extends the moratorium until we can guarantee a dignified solution to all unemployed and lower-income workers unable to access quality affordable housing!
Pass a “just cause” eviction protection and bar landlords from evicting tenants for back rent accrued during the moratorium (SB5160)!
Establish a one-year rent freeze following the moratorium (SB5139)!
We need a green jobs program to rapidly build tens of thousands of affordable homes, statewide rent control, and permanent “just cause eviction” protections!
Don’t hollow out the Seattle Amazon Tax! We need progressive taxes to solve our housing crisis.
Amazon: quit your union-busting campaign!

Show up to support unionizing Amazon workers and desperately needed progressive housing legislation!

Queer & Feminist Caucus with Special Guests: The Matchgirls Labor Struggle
2021-02-21 12:00 - 13:30 | Online, Seattle, WA, United States
Join the SDSA Queer & Feminist Caucus for our regular labor history happy hour — this time for brunch!
This month we’ll be joined by special guests from the UK who organizing to raise consciousness around the impact of the Matchgirls, a group of women in the 1880s who went on strike against some of the most horrific working conditions in the world and laid the groundwork for the modern labor movement, not just in the UK and Europe, but in the U.S. and around the world!
RSVP here for Zoom access & info

Socialist Night School
2021-02-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Socialist Night School is an open course that provides a chance to develop our politics together, regardless of background knowledge or whether you’ve attended a class before. New members and lifelong socialists, all are welcome! To sign up for our mailing list or to find out more, e-mail us at SeaNightSchool [at] gmail . com

–> RSVP here! <–
Last October, after a year marked by mass protests over rising wealth inequality, Chileans voted overwhelmingly to create a new constitution—one that would replace the 1980 document drawn up by the country’s former dictator, Augusto Pinochet. It was a major step in the political revolution against Chile’s neoliberal regime.
What’s next for the creation of Chile’s new constitution? What social forces and political parties are involved? And what does Chile’s recent political history tell us about the challenges and prospects of a new road to democratic socialism?
Joining us to help make sense of all of this is Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez. Gutmann-Gonzalez grew up in a rural community in post-dictatorial Chile and much of her early experiences there were foundational to her understanding of and belief in the working class. She has been a member of DSA since 2017 and is the former two-term Co-Chair of East Bay DSA. She currently resides in Berkeley, California.
You don’t need to be an expert on international politics or a Seattle DSA member to enjoy this lecture and the Q&A that follows. If you’d like to learn more about the past and future of the Chilean left, please join us!
Optional readings:

Noam Titelman, Allende in Chile Today
Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez/Andrew Richner, Chile Awakens
René Rojas, Chile’s Democratic Revolution

Housing Justice Town Hall Planning
2021-02-24 19:30 - 20:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81171650966
Come join us for our next pillar of the Housing Justice campaign: Town Hall events! We’re planning multiple town halls for state legislators to hear their constituents – tenants, housing justice advocates – and why they must pass vital tenants rights legislation, including SB 5160. We will also bring our demands of No Evictions, Social Housing, Shelter for All, and Rent Control! Come help us plan, we need you!
~SDSA’s Housing Justice Policy Committee

District 4 Meet-Up
2021-02-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Join District 4 a casual zoom-based meet-up! This will be a time to get to know each other, build community, chat about whatever topics are on our minds, answer questions, etc.
This event is open to DSA members from other districts – or anyone curious about DSA.
District 4 is roughly U District, Eastlake, Fremont, Wallingford, Roosevelt, Ravenna, Bryant, Laurelhurst, Sand Point, View Ridge, and Wedgwood.

Zoom Details:
https://washington.zoom.us/j/95571608202
Meeting ID: 955 7160 8202
*Please contact us at d4sdsa@gmail.com if you have any accessibility concerns re: zoom*

Queer & Feminist Caucus - Community Meeting
2021-02-28 12:00 - 13:30 | Online (Zoom Call), WA
Hop on a call with the Queer & Feminist Caucus as we talk about the future of our community. We’ll be gathering to discuss a new meeting structure and setting goals/projects we can work towards!
Grab yourself some food, a coffee, a mimosa and join us for Sunday brunch!

RSVP here for Zoom info

Immigration Justice Working Group
2021-02-28 15:00 - 17:00 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
RSVP HERE
Immigration Justice Working Group February meeting. Let’s celebrate the win on the state bill to ban for-profit prisons in WA state. And then plan what to do next to move forward on more justice for immigrants.
RSVP HERE

District 3 Movie Night: Judas and the Black Messiah
2021-02-28 18:30 - 20:30 | Eightball Cafe in Everett, 2727 Colby Ave, Everett, WA, United States
Join D3 comrades for our monthly movie night! This month, we’ll be watching the new film Judas and the Black Messiah. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah is a dramatic portrayal of Illinois Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton’s (Kaluuya) assassination by local and federal law enforcement, aided by FBI informant Bill O’Neal (Stanfield).
We’ll watch the film together and have a discussion afterward.
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81426471411
