Upcoming Events – Austin DSA

	April 2020
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 ■ Weekly Online Socialist Night School: Responding to Coronavirus! Weekly Online Socialist Night School: Responding to Coronavirus! April 1, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm See Zoom Call Link Below Remove "DSA" from the middle of this link to join the call: https://zoDSAom.us/j/918939590 The capitalist class never lets a good crisis go to waste, and the rapid spread of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus) is no exception. How will corporations use this crisis to further privatize our society? How will the right wing take the rapid spread of disease as an impetus to further marginalize racial minorities? How can the left resist these efforts and offer an alternative for a rational society based in democracy? To discuss these questions and more join Austin DSA's Socialist Night School (by Zoom conference call) on Wednesday, April 1. Thanks to the wonders of our Silicon Valley overlords, Zoom will allow us to break out into small groups and give everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts and experience. READINGS AND VIDEO: "Mike Davis on Coronavirus: “In a Plague Year”", Mike Davis, Jacobin https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/mike-davis-coronavirus-outbreak-capitalism-left-international-solidarity DSA Coronavirus Bulletin #5 https://www.dsausa.org/news/dsa-covid-19-bulletin-5/ "Go on Strike for Your Health and Safety", Ryan Bruckenthal, Jacobin https://jacobinmag.com/2020/3/new-york-city-public-school-teacher-organizing "Coronavirus Capitalism — and How to Beat It", Naomi Klein, YouTube video, 9 minutes, The Intercept https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niwNTI9Nqd8&feature=youtu.be See more details •	2 ■ Strategic Mutual Aid Strategic Mutual Aid April 2, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm https://actionnetwork.org/events/strategic-mutual-aid, RSVP here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/strategic-mutual-aid We'll discuss how we help our communities in this crisis. We’ll talk about how to plan mutual aid as an effective tactic in your chapter’s work to build working class power. See more details •	3	4 ■ Solidarity Story Night Solidarity Story Night April 4, 2020 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm See event description for link! Copy&paste this link but remove "DSA" from the middle: https://zDSAoom.us/j/456572581 The worker and the boss have nothing in common, as the old Industrial Workers of the World saying goes. Join Austin DSA on Zoom to hear funny and infuriating stories about everyday mistreatment of workers and perhaps share one of your own. We will share stories, toast the workplace organizing going on around the world, and sing more than one old IWW song! RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2499890000261540/ See more details •
5 ■ Organizer Training: Beating Apathy Organizer Training: Beating Apathy April 5, 2020 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm https://zoom.us/j/2093362022 Join us for a training on how to beat apathy in the workplace and organize on the job! We will practice having one on one organizing conversations, learn what makes a good organizing issue, and discuss how the boss keeps us disorganized. Feel free to invite interested coworkers! See more details ■ Q&A about DSA: National Call Q&A about DSA: National Call April 5, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm https://act.dsausa.org/signup/QA_about_DSA/ Interested in DSA but haven’t joined yet? Sign up here to talk with leaders in DSA about who we are and what we do, especially in this uncertain moment. This is welcome to everyone and those who are not members of DSA are encouraged to register. RSVP here: https://act.dsausa.org/signup/QA_about_DSA/ See more details • •	6	7 ■ Ecosocialist Working Group Ecosocialist Working Group April 7, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Join us to review our campaign and share thoughts on our goals, strategy, what went well, what didn't and what's next. Email [email protected] for the link or get on the Slack where it's posted! See more details ■ Immigrant Rights Committee Meeting Immigrant Rights Committee Meeting April 7, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm https://zoom.us/j/312894093 Join Austin DSA's Immigrant Rights Committee over Zoom call as we discuss ways we can support people in detention during the COVID Pandemic. Spanish and ASL interpretation are not planned for this event. See more details • •	8 ■ Weekly Online Socialist Night School: The Rank and File Strategy Weekly Online Socialist Night School: The Rank and File Strategy April 8, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm See Zoom Call Link Below Online Meeting! Readings are below, but not required to participate. Remove "DSA" from the middle of this link to join the call: https://zoDSAom.us/j/779981250 At the peak of the US labor movement in the 1950s, one out of every three workers was organized in a union. Over the past 40 years the capitalist class has waged a devastating attack on labor, resulting in a decline in living standards for the many and the growth of corporate profits. This session sets out to understand what happened to labor and the American Left, and what hopes the labor movement can have in the future. We're all workers, condemned to be exploited. Here's what we can do about it. READINGS: What is the Rank-and-File Strategy, and Why Does It Matter?, by Barry Eidlin https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/03/rank-and-file-strategy-union-organizing We Need to Reconnect Socialists to the US Labor Movement, an interview with Eric Blanc https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/eric-blanc-labor-movement-militant-minority-red-state-revolt The Rank-and-File Strategy and the Trade Union Bureaucracy, by Joe Evica https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/09/rank-and-file-strategy-trade-union-bureaucracy-labor-movement Did Bernie’s Campaign Lead to the Teachers Strikes? by Eric Blanc https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/11/bernie-sanders-teachers-strike-wave-chicago-union-red-state-revolt See more details •	9	10	11
12	13	14 ■ Feminist Action Committee Meeting Feminist Action Committee Meeting April 14, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Zoom URL: https://zoom.us/j/135476712 See more details •	15 ■ Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism April 15, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm See Zoom Call Link Below Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Part A Remove "DSA" from the middle of this link to join the call: https://zooDSAm.us/j/807039809 In Part A, NYU Sociology Professor Vivek Chibber explains why capitalism isn’t just a collection of individuals, but individuals grouped in social classes with very different interests. Required reading: The ABCs of Capitalism: Understanding Capitalism, by Vivek Chibber https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WLi8HxfE7aufNoY4c1moe6Bxd6ieAW4b Optional reading: This lecture by Vivek Chibber covers much of the same material and should adequately prepare you to take part in the discussion. https://www.blubrry.com/thecallradio/38387252/episode-11-vivek-chibber-on-class/ See more details •	16 ■ Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State April 16, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Join members of Austin DSA and friends for a 4 week reading and discussion group on the history of militant labor struggles in Texas. This group involves committing to several hours of reading per week and a weekly discussion session on Thursday nights. We will share a Zoom link with everyone who registers. REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/txlaborhistory The schedule is: Texas Exceptionalism - April 16, 2020 \| 7pm CST Race, Nationality and Labor - April 23, 2020 \| 7pm CST The Latinx Working Class - April 30, 2020 \| 7pm CST Socialists in Texas! - May 7, 2020 More information, including links to the readings, can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nhtTGcQK6iHM6ijzMLZDE81J0pMkIRnigtyEkqWToq4/edit?usp=sharing See more details •	17	18
19	20	21 ■ General Meeting - Open to All! General Meeting - Open to All! April 21, 2020 @ 6:45 pm - 9:00 pm Call info and agenda to come We meet at the Parish Hall on the east side of their property. Look for the DSA banner and groups of friendly socialists! Agenda will be available one week prior to the meeting. Questions? DM us on Facebook or reach out at [email protected] See more details •	22 ■ Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism April 22, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm See Zoom Call Link Below Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Part B Remove "DSA" from the link to join the call: https://zoDSAom.us/j/974883299 In Part A, we discussed the basic structures of capitalism and class. For Part B we will be discussing how capitalism influences the state, how the state tends to reinforce the power of capital, and the structural forces involved. This part of the ABCs will help us understand the ways that capitalism undermines democracy, and the structural reasons why the establishment Democrats + others are lash out in earnest against the growing movement supporting Bernie. We hope you can join us! Required Reading: The ABCs of Capitalism: B. Capitalism and the State https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gbGeclikmo5XX-PH2pNc2ZqDGRECJJeD Optional podcast: This lecture by Vivek Chibber covers much of the same material and should adequately prepare you to take part in the discussion. https://www.blubrry.com/thecallradio/38387253/episode-12-vivek-chibber-on-the-state/ See more details •	23 ■ Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State April 23, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Join members of Austin DSA and friends for a 4 week reading and discussion group on the history of militant labor struggles in Texas. This group involves committing to several hours of reading per week and a weekly discussion session on Thursday nights. We will share a Zoom link with everyone who registers. REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/txlaborhistory The schedule is: Texas Exceptionalism - April 16, 2020 \| 7pm CST Race, Nationality and Labor - April 23, 2020 \| 7pm CST The Latinx Working Class - April 30, 2020 \| 7pm CST Socialists in Texas! - May 7, 2020 More information, including links to the readings, can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nhtTGcQK6iHM6ijzMLZDE81J0pMkIRnigtyEkqWToq4/edit?usp=sharing See more details •	24	25
26	27	28	29 ■ Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Part C Weekly Online Socialist Night School: ABC's Of Capitalism Part C April 29, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm See Zoom Call Link Below Remove "DSA" from this link to join the call: https://zooDSAm.us/j/556706261 The conclusion of our mini-series on The ABCs of Capitalism by Vivek Chibber. The first two parts of our mini-series covered some rather bleak aspects of living in a capitalist society: bosses will always put the pursuit of profit over workers, the state is far from neutral, and the system really does favor the interests of the wealthy over the working class. But we shouldn’t despair just yet! Part C is here to give us hope and point us toward a path out of the muck. The discussion for our final session in this mini-series will be about class struggle and working class political strategy. We will examine why class struggle creates power and political leverage, and how that leverage can help us win victories in all of our battles against all forms of oppression. Required Reading: The ABCs of Capitalism: Capitalism and Class Struggle https://drive.google.com/open?id=1y1_v00qHa3xDoiBMw8QQaKQHp53H7ZvC Optional: If you don’t have a copy of the pamphlet, this lecture by Vivek Chibber covers much of the same material and should adequately prepare you to take part in the discussion. https://www.blubrry.com/thecallradio/38387254/episode-13-vivek-chibber-on-collective-action/ See more details •	30 ■ Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State Texas Labor History: Forgotten Stories of Solidarity in the Lone Star State April 30, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Join members of Austin DSA and friends for a 4 week reading and discussion group on the history of militant labor struggles in Texas. This group involves committing to several hours of reading per week and a weekly discussion session on Thursday nights. We will share a Zoom link with everyone who registers. REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/txlaborhistory The schedule is: Texas Exceptionalism - April 16, 2020 \| 7pm CST Race, Nationality and Labor - April 23, 2020 \| 7pm CST The Latinx Working Class - April 30, 2020 \| 7pm CST Socialists in Texas! - May 7, 2020 More information, including links to the readings, can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nhtTGcQK6iHM6ijzMLZDE81J0pMkIRnigtyEkqWToq4/edit?usp=sharing See more details •

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April 2020