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Carry Me Back to New Virginny: From Jim Crow to Progressive Stronghold?
Bill Mosley
March 2021
In 2021, Virginia is a much-changed state absorbed by a blue wave that foretells an opening for progressive politics from Virginia to Florida.
Reflections from 1985: Number 51
Rich Bruning
March 2021
DC statehood is back on the nation’s agenda. With Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, only a likely Senate filibuster stands in the way of adding a 51st star to the US flag.
The DSA begins its Prince George's chapter
Kurt Stand
February 2021
Organizers in PG County have finally come together to help build socialism in Maryland.
Building Dual Power: The Spreadsheets of Revolution
Michael Marmol
February 2021
Local socialists have been quietly building out an anti-capitalist technical operation for use by the DC-area left. Its impetus and activities are outlined here.
State of the District Left
Gary Z.
February 2021
A decade of neoliberal retrenchment is finally starting to crack. Can DC's left recognize the moment?
DC Police Union Negotiations Are Another Front in the Fight for Abolition
Nell Geiser
December 2020
The Police Union is a critical barrier to defunding the Metropolitan Police Department and investing in the community - here's what needs to happen.
District Educators Cannot Be Pitted Against Families and Other Workers
Dylan Craig
November 2020
As the Washington Teachers Union battles against reopening plans set forth by Mayor Bowser, the need for working-class solidarity is more apparent than ever.
Reflections from 1984: Interview with Josphine Butler
Stu Comstock-Gay
November 2020
A republished interview from 1984 with DC statehood and environmental activist Josphine Butler.
Can Co-ops Endure To Prefigure A Socialist World Together?
Morgan Fecto
October 2020
An investigation of how co-ops in DC are navigating the post-covid world reveals their resilience in the face of systemic turmoil.
Reflections from 1997: Croft for City Council
Pleasant Mann
October 2020
Longtime DSA member Howard Croft, who died of COVID-19 in June, ran for DC Council in 1997. This article provides a concise overview of Croft’s accomplishments to that point and the vision he brought to the race for the Ward 6 seat.
Images from Occupy DC
Ronan M.
October 2020
Unearthed images of Occupy protests in Washington, DC.
A History of Metro DC DSA (1982-2016)
Bill Mosley
October 2020
Introduction
Days of Revolt: Notes on DC's Summer Uprising
Gary Z.
September 2020
The latest eyewitness reporting on protesters, hostile and often brutal police conduct, and Mayor Bowser’s duplicitous and self-serving maneuvers.
Housing is a Human Right: Dispatch on the Fight against Evictions in Alexandria, VA
Adam Stromme
August 2020
In a housing market based on private pursuit of profit, the denial of the basic right to housing is a rule of business.
Class Struggle in Dupont/Kalorama: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
Bill Mosley
August 2020
A guide for exploring the clash of ideologies in a compact enclave in Northwest Washington.
Defunding MPD
Gary Z.
July 2020
A wide network of activists and organizers, fueled by popular uprising in DC, provides a legitimate political opening for local change.
Black Radicalism on the Eastern Shore: Gloria Richardson
Kurt Stand
July 2020
A history of Black radicalism on the eastern shore of Maryland.
Enforcing the First Amendment
Daniel Adkins
July 2020
The National Guard and police have illegally assaulted protesters in Lafayette Square (D.C.) by violating the First Amendment of the Constitution, which allows peaceful demonstrations. The demo did not violate curfew and the attack was without warning.
Reflections from 1991: A Tale of Two Cities
Bill Mosley
July 2020
This article, published in the June 1992 issue of the Washington Socialist, looks at two uprisings from that time triggered by police violence: in DC’s Mount Pleasant Neighborhood in 1992 and in Los Angeles the previous year.
Workers Blast Hogan for Disastrous Reponse to MD Unemployment Crisis
Woody Woodruff
July 2020
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has failed to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 virus in a state battered by skyrocketing unemployment.
Union Building for the Long Haul
Kurt Stand
July 2020
A review of Michael Raysson's book on security guard unizonization efforts in Boston.
Remembering Dr. Howard Croft
Multiple Authors
July 2020
Dr. Howard Croft, DC Statehood advocate, professor and chair of urban studies at UDC and longtime member of Metro DC DSA from its earliest days, has died. Members and activists who have long memories of his tireless work for empowerment of all residents of the District of Columbia contribute their recollections.
The Battle for Rent Control
Gary Z.
June 2020
Following pandemic hardship and fears of displacement due to impending recession, stronger tenant protections have never been more urgent.
Reflections from 1983: Hilda Mason
Stu Gay
June 2020
Hilda Mason was not only a longtime DC councilmember but also an open socialist, making her one of the few DSA members in elected office prior to 2017.
Communists on the Waterfront: Pat Whelan
Kurt Stand
June 2020
The story of Pat Wheelan and his maritime organizing in Charm City.
ስራ የለም? የቤት ኪራይ የለም!; Or, No Jobs? No Rent! Organizing Dispatch from Alexandria, VA
Adam Stromme
May 2020
The special impact of the COVID-19 health/economic crisis on working-class tenants around the DMV has generated mass protests, notably in Alexandria, to defy rent collection.
May Day Musings on Maryland’s Radical Traditions: Elizabeth Gilman
Kurt Stand
May 2020
This is the first entry in a larger series recounting radical labor history in Maryland.
An Interview with McKayla Wilkes: "Socialism, and Socialists, are Saving us"
Adam Stromme
May 2020
An interview with candidate McKayla Wilkes, who is running against House Majority leader Steny Hoyer.
Feeling the Bern in Nova
Eric S
March 2020
An eye-witness recounting of the energy surrounding Bernie Sanders' rally in Northern Virginia.
Hogan’s public-private highway scam riddled with loopholes and lies
Ben Ross
March 2020
Will Gov. Larry Hogan, like Trump, make Maryland taxpayers hostages to a foreign (global capitalist) power?
Reflections from 1985: The Obligations of Conscience
Bill Mosley
Febrary 2020
If civil disobedience is needed to prick the consciences of a number of us sufficient to avert a new global tragedy, then we are obliged to practice it.
And Then There Were Two: McKayla Wilkes, Steny Hoyer, and the Race for Maryland District 5
Adam Stromme
Febrary 2020
Arguably, only Nancy Pelosi is as powerfully connected and invested in the status quo of the DCCC as MD Rep. Steny Hoyer. Unseating him would send a powerful message that the politics-as-usual approach of the DCCC will no longer stand.
Jobs with meaning and hope are subtext of 2020 MD Assembly mandate
Woody Woodruff
Febrary 2020
We look at the list of issues that many analysts say will top the agenda of this 2020 General Assembly session, and we get the itchy feeling that one sentence could clear away some of the confusion.
Socialist Heritage Caucus Examines Past of DSA and the Left
Bill Mosley
January 2020
The Caucus mission statement cited its purpose as the exploration of “the history of DSA both locally and nationally, as well as the history of left politics and culture locally, nationally and internationally, in order to provide a historic perspective that can contribute to the present-day thinking and practices of Metro-DC DSA.”
“Change the Name” Advocates to Drop Petitions on Football Team
Bill Mosley
December 2019
RWF will present to representatives of team owner Daniel Snyder a sort of holiday gift: the petitions collected during the year with signatures of members of the public demanding a name change.
La ColectiVA Calls on Virginia Politicians to 'Check Your Complicity' on Migrant Abuse
Kaiser F.
December 2019
The Check Your Complicity campaign calls out Virginia elected officials who continue to benefit from violence against migrants, largely thanks to generous contributions from ICE contractors, while making a show of being on our side.
Maryland still has work to do on criminal justice reform
Sonja Neve
November 2019
Maryland needs a system that treats addiction and substance abuse as a health care, instead of criminal issue.
Endorsed Maryland candidate Mckayla Wilkes statement to MDC DSA members
McKayla Wilkes
November 2019
Mckayla Wilkes has been endorsed by MDC DSA membership in her run for the Democratic nomination for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. The primary is April 28, 2020. The incumbent: Steny Hoyer.
Panel to fight high drug prices in Maryland stalled by Hogan
Woody Woodruff
September 2019
The Assembly passed a bill creating a panel to examine and if necessarily lower prescription drug prices in Maryland. The GOP governor, whose veto of the bill was overriden, has refused to release the funds appropriated, kicking off a nasty fight.
Single-Member Assembly Districts Will Help End MD's Incumbent Protection System
Richard DeShay Elliott
August 2019
With Maryland’s multi-member districts, the costs of running a race and the time needed to cover the 125,000-plus population districts are too much for all but the most well-funded insurgent candidates. In many parts of the state, particularly Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, the only way to win is by joining the incumbent slate.
Hogan Stonewalling on Spending Riles Critics Across the Spectrum in MD
Woody Woodruff
August 2019
Hogan, as Treasurer Nancy Kopp acutely suggests, is becoming rapidly more Trump-like as he wallows in second-term freedom, acting out the Maryland equivalent of the Obama-obsessed Trump’s attempt to erase the work of his predecessor, in Hogan’s case Democrat Martin O’Malley.
DC Mayor Bowser Orders New Push To Weaken Land Use Controls
Andy Feeney
July 2019
The DC Office of Planning, proposed in early 2018 to amend the Comprehensive Plan’s all-important preamble section in such a way as to make it virtually impossible for residents to use the provisions of the plan as the basis for challenging bad land-use decisions in court.
A Small Victory for Science in “Deep Time”
Bill Mosley
July 2019
The administration's brain-dead war against science is a reason why “Deep Time,” the new permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, is so refreshing.
A Green New Deal for DC
David Schwartzman
July 2019
All of these Green New Deal goals will need a broad bottom-up mobilization of the residents most impacted, DC’s working class along with their allies, and must be planned and implemented by the same.
The Tidal Basin Diaries
Andy Feeney
July 2019
For ecosocialists and mainstream environmentalists anxious to rally support for a Green New Deal, we'll have to take the task of educating voters into our own hands.
Grassroots vs. Segregation: The Ongoing Fight against Amazon HQ2 in Arlington
Kaiser F.
July 2019
After Arlington County's vote, “For Us, Not Amazon” coalition will refocus around the issues we learned were the foremost concerns in the community.
Anti-Gentrification Activists Scramble On Proposed Rewrite of Land Use Provision
Andy Feeney
July 2019
Members of a DC anti-gentrification alliance are scrambling at press time to read through Mendelson’s proposed rewrite of the Comp Plan preamble.
Meeting the Needs of Returning Citizens: A Prince George’s County Update
Kurt Stand
June 2019
Intrinsically valuable in and of themselves, a reentry council, an office of returning citizens, and community-based halfway houses can also open up a pathway for changing a system that is too willing to throw away the lives of too many.
Maryland Assembly Session limps to close, faces big leadership decision
Woody Woodruff
May 2019
Sine Die was, to say the least, complicated by the death of House of Delegates Chair Mike Busch the weekend before, followed by a dismal and unseemly contest to succeed him.
Football or families? Fight over RFK site reaches critical stage
Bill Mosley
May 2019
In 2015, the Arlington County Board also adopted a resolution condemning the Washington football team’s name as racist. But two jurisdictions that have shown interest in luring the team have remained mum on the issue.
By offsetting federal tax cuts, we can improve the quality of life for DC residents
David Schwartzman
May 2019
The Fair Budget Coalition — which advocates for a District budget and public policies that address poverty and human needs — included “offset federal tax cuts locally” in its platform for fiscal year 2020.
For DC Ecosocialists, Threats to Cherry Trees Could Support ‘Crossover’ Climate Activism
Andy Feeney
May 2019
DSA climate activists might conceivably play an important role in saving the Tidal Basin that could win grudging support from a host of different local and national organizations.
Gov. Hogan's Maryland Budget Doesn't Stand Up to Analysis for Social Needs
Woody Woodruff
March 2019
The ostensibly sunny-day Hogan budget puts a heavy load on the General Assembly to adapt it to what Marylanders actually need.
Hogan Administration Drops Transit Options from Scheme for Privatized Toll Lanes on Beltway, I-270
Woody Woodruff
March 2019
On February 14 an advocacy transportation group denounced a quiet move by Hogan’s ethically compromised transportation agency (MDOT) to formally drop all mass transit options from his big plan to add toll lanes to the I-495 Beltway and to I-270.
Yes, Maryland Is Changing Politically -- It's Due to Activists
Larry Stafford Jr.
March 2019
The changing ideological disposition of the Maryland General Assembly is the result of wide range of actions organized by visionaries in the state.
Reflections on the First Year of the Socialists of Faith Caucus and Plans for 2019
Kaiser F.
March 2019
The Socialists of Faith Caucus formed in 2018, has operated in the tradition of radical social movements of the past.
Richmond DSA Hosts Virginia Statewide DSA Convention
Craig T.
March 2019
Virginia's DSA Statewide convention, recounted here.
NOVA DSA building power in "For us not Amazon" coalition
Hunter T.
March 2019
With only two weeks to go before the Arlington County Board is set to vote on its $23 million incentive package for Amazon, the fight is more important than ever, and there are plenty of opportunities for comrades to get involved.
Political Events Around Assembly Session Sketch a Divided Debate
Woody Woodruff
February 2019
As political Maryland swings into another General Assembly session where Democrats face a second-term GOP governor, the shape of things political in a divided state is sketched by a variety of examples.
Change the Name!
Josh Silver
February 2019
The next big battle to persuade the local NFL owner to Change the Name – the racist name of the football team – will be fought in Montgomery County, and it may represent a tipping point.
Organizing for Democracy and Social Justice in PG County
Kurt Stand
January 2019
In Prince George’s County, a far too comfortable Democratic Party apparatus shuts out dissident voices and relies on low voter turnout to maintain power.
Multistate decarbonization compact offers window for ecosocialist activism
Woody Woodruff
January 2019
Environmental activism has been hampered by political boundaries in the DMV. A singular, multi-state public initiative could allow DMV socialists to engage in cross-jurisdictional ecosocialist work.
Outgoing MD Lawmaker, DSA Member, Launching Pro Bono Lobbying Shop
Bill Mosley
December 2018
The People’s Lobbying Group is lining up clients that work on tax issues, economic justice, labor, consumer rights and local Prince George’s County matters.
Northern Virginia DSA: what's ahead in 2019?
Elizabeth Stafford
December 2018
Where do Northern VA socialists go in 2019?
Activists Demand Change to Football Team's Headquarters
Bill Mosley
December 2018
On December 8, activists pressing for a change to the Washington football team’s racist name take their campaign to the club’s headquarters in Ashburn, VA.
Amazon HQ: The 800-Pound Gorilla in NoVa
Bob Guldin
December 2018
A community forum held in Crystal City/Arlington showed that many NoVA residents are worried about the impact that Amazon will have on their home towns.
Bowser Exploits DC Racial Divide to Boost her Power
Bill Mosley
November 2018
The progressive faction on the council has largely pursued policies to benefit the majority of DC residents, but Reeder’s rise shows they have not made necessary connections with the District’s lower-income minority communities.
DC just saved the country millions of dollars - now, a favor
Bill Mosley
September 2018
DC has been playing an increasingly assertive role in facing down the hostile occupier sitting in the White House. Now we need to ask for a favor from those outside the District.
Larry Hogan's Racist Transportation Scheme - playing to his base
Woody Woodruff
September 2018
In Places Journal, Alex MacGillis writes about the legacy of highway-fueled white flight in Baltimore, and the sheer resentment suburban residents feel toward transit serving the city (‘loot train’).
Hogan's Stealth "Centrism" Cloaks an Easily Exposed Pro-Corporate Agenda
Woody Woodruff
August 2018
Woody Woodruff analyzes the duplicitous stealth-centrist posture of GOP Gov. Larry Hogan as he seeks a second term in November – and the conservative and pro-corporate administration he leads.
It’s Time for a Public Bank in DC
Kim Lehmkuhl
August 2018
Kim Lehmkuhl explains the many ways that a public bank for public funds would benefit all of DC’s residents, rather than just the wealthy who benefit from the city’s funds being kept in the scandal-encrusted Wells Fargo bank.
Ben Jealous: an earthquake hits Maryland's establishment politics
Larry Stafford Jr.
July 2018
Ben Jealous’s primary victory puts Maryland within striking distance of the progressive governor Maryland deserves and needs.
Democracy, Block by Block: The ANC Elections Working Group
Zach Eldredge
July 2018
Some of [what happens in ANCs] is minutiae that you may not be interested in, but it is the real nuts-and-bolts of self-governance at work.
The War Against Displacement: A Tale of Six Neighborhoods
Bill Mosley
July 2018
Today’s galloping gentrification is only the latest chapter in a decades-long saga in which the powers that be have sought to remake Washington, DC at the expense of the people who have made it a living, breathing city.
DSA Activists Pressure Council to Save Land Use Planning in DC
Andy Feeney
July 2018
Local DSA members have been involved for more than a year now in the Grassroots Planning Coalition's monthly organizing meetings around protecting the DC Comp Plan and making it better able to protect low-income housing in the District.
MDC DSA Amazon Critic assails local government tax breaks at Town Hall
Elizabeth Stafford
July 2018
As a corporation, Amazon’s interests begin and end with their own wealth and influence. Any promises of corporate responsibility or community benefit not nailed down in ironclad legal contracts should be considered empty.
Progressive pushback coalesces against local giveaways to Amazon HQ2
Alex Howe
June 2018
Our local leaders have shown time and again that they are unable and unwilling to fight for what's best for the marginalized in our region
Summer's here - and the time is right for radical tourism
Bill Mosley
June 2018
Radical tourism is not merely about passing a day while visiting another city, but rather looking at the world from the viewpoint of those who challenged the status quo of profit, patriarchy, white privilege and homophobia.
A two-century tour through the World of Work in the US
Bill Mosley
December 2017
The artists we now call modern increasingly adopted the world around them as their subject matter, a world being reshaped by industrialization and revolution.
A History of DC through the lens of race
Bill Mosley
December 2017
Every significant development in the history of the district has had a racial component. This is a city whose very existence is steeped in racial geography.
Maglev? Hyperloop? Maryland should fix what it's got
Woody Woodruff
December 2017
A useful intercity rail system is in reach for Maryland if it defers the maglev and hyperloop dreams in favor of the needs of today's travelers.
Join "Rebrand Washington Football" in its petition delivery to Ashburn
Bill Mosley
December 2017
For the past three years, the grassroots group Rebrand Washington Football (RWF) has been circulating petitions calling on the team to adopt a new name.
2018: Assembly Session and Elections Intertwine in Maryland
Woody Woodruff
November 2017
Democrats hone their strategy for sending Governor Larry Hogan back to private life while Hogan postures for his base.
Colonialism's Legacy: Neglect in Puerto Rico, Suffocation in DC
Bill Mosley
November 2017
If Puerto Rico is cursed by federal Washington's indifference and neglect, the District of Columbia has the opposite problem: suffocating micromanagement
Prince George's DSA and allies hear legislative briefing from Del. Jimmy Tarlau
Editorial Crew
November 2017
Prince George's DSA members met with allies from Our Revolution PG and Progressive Prince George's to begin forging a progressive agenda for the Maryland General Assembly session in January.
A Cascade of Press Clips on the Nov. 7 Election's Left Surge
David Shen
November 2017
A roundup of headlines and news clips commenting on election night, 2017.
Hogan's Highway Plan a War Against Middle-Class Drivers
Ben Ross
October 2017
Hogan's highway plan encumbers an enormous cost and short state revenues.
Convention proposals seek solutions for growing pains and persistent identity issues
Editorial Crew
October 2017
The convention will offer more than just the grind of voting on proposals, but the opportunity to shape a socialist organization for a nimble and substantive future.
Metro DC DSA goes on offense with "Health Justice for All" Town Hall
Editorial Crew
October 2017
Our local chapter is enjoying excellent timing for this public outreach as the Senate's last-gasp Graham-Cassidy attempt at ruinous health care changes implodes.
Get Rid of These DC Monuments -- Now
Bill Mosley
September 2017
While the removal of racist monuments is on the agenda, we need look no further than in our own backyard for examples of memorials that should never have been erected in the first place.
Trump Fueled the Hate that Exploded in Charlottesville
Bill Mosley
September 2017
Emboldened hate groups followed Trump's example in a march on Charlottesville. Thousands, including dozens of members of Democratic Socialists of America, marched in a counter-demonstration to show with their presence that hatred and intolerance cannot go unanswered.
DCPS Teachers Have Been working without a contract since 2012
Jared Catapano and Austin Kendall
August 2017
Austin Kendall and Jared Catapano discuss chapter solidarity actions with DCPS teachers, who have worked without a new contract for five years.
Longtime Alexandria DSA Member Alice Leonard Turns 100
Bill Mosley
August 2017
The 100th birthday celebration of a founding member of DSOC/DSA in our local and a Northern Virginia activist for over 70 years.
Make Planning Fair and "Affordable" Shelter Actually Affordable
Andy Feeney
August 2017
Andy Feeney outlines the proposed DC Comprehensive Plan amendments that DSA members, in concert with allies, have submitted.
NOVA, MoCo branches extend diversity and reach of DSA
Wm. Hunter Tammaro
July 2017
The local branches, while still under the umbrella of the Metro DC chapter, give current members opportunities bring the socialist vision to bear on a wider range of issues.
DSA surge in Charlottesville primary battle had impact
Michael Payne
July 2017
A report on DSA's activism in the Virginia primary election, from a Charlottesville DSA comrade.
June 3 Rally Demands Removal of a Monument to Racism
Bill Mosley
June 2017
For the residents of DC, the Marshall monument is an affront to our city.
Paid sick leave veto may backfire on Hogan
Woody Woodruff
June 2017
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan delivered his long-threatened veto of HB1 -- it must be used against him.
DC ReInvest pressures city government on investment policy
A Discrete Socialist
May 2017
Local socialists join a united effort to push the DC government to pay stronger attention to investment policy.
Transit as a core of community success
Kurt Stand
May 2017
Transportation advocacy is key for introducing localities to the need for strong climate policy.