We’re nearly 40 days away from election day! Members have been canvassing for Kristin Seale bi-weekly since June, and now we’re gearing up for weekly canvasses as GOTV and election day approach. Whether you’ve been coming out every weekend, or have been meaning to get involved, here are some ways you can contribute to our campaign and help send another great socialist candidate to office!
Finally, don’t forget to save the date! The next General Meeting of the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America will be on Saturday, November 17th at First Unitarian Church.
At a Glance:
Saturday, September 29 | 1:00 pm | 521 N Monroe St, Media, PA
Saturday, October 6 | 1:00 pm | 521 N Monroe St, Media, PA
Saturday, October 13 | 1:00 pm | 521 N Monroe St, Media, PA
We're 40 days away from the general election on November 6th! Philly DSA will be knocking doors every weekend until election day to make sure that our fellow member, Kristin Seale, wins her seat in the PA State Assembly this fall.
If you have any questions or would like to organize a carpool, reach out to [email protected].
Saturday, September 29 | 3:00 PM | Smedley Park Picnic Grove | 20 Paper Mill Rd, Springfield, PA 19064
Join us for a post-canvass picnic in support of Kristin Seale! There will be live music, food, and (as always) plenty of good company.
Monday, October 1 | 5:30-8:00 | TBD
Monday, October 8 | 5:30-8:00 | TBD
Monday, October 15 | 5:30-8:00 | TBD
Can’t make it to the canvass but want to get involved? Join us at our next phonebank!
The goal of these phonebanks is to turn people out to our upcoming canvasses. Direct conversations with members are one of the best ways to reach out to our local and get them involved with our campaign work. Plus it’s a lot more fun with comrades!
Email [email protected] for details.
Tuesday, October 2 | 7:00 pm | Bennett Hall 3340 Walnut Street | Room 231
The night school is back in full swing. This time around, we'll talk about the tumultuous political uprisings of the 1960s and revisit–fifty years later–the period of civil unrest now known as May '68.
The Philly DSA Night School is intended as a forum for discussing thinkers, "-isms," and current trends in socialist politics. All meetings are free and open to the public, and are designed for all people regardless of previous experience.
New members are welcome!
Please contact Jarek Ervin at [email protected] with questions!
Thursday, October 4 | 7:00 PM | Love City Brewing | 1023 Hamilton St | $20 donation at the door
With the general election a little over a month away, Philly DSA is hard at work for Kristin Seale, a DSA member running for State Representative in Pennsylvania's 168th district with the endorsement of both our local and DSA's national organization. To help raise the money the campaign will need to print canvassing materials and do the research necessary to target our GOTV work, we're holding a fundraiser!
Join us on October 4th at Love City Brewing, where we'll have a lineup of hilarious local comedians performing, free snacks, and plenty of craft beer available for purchase. With your help, we can flip a Republican district and prove that Kristin's message of Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, and clean, zero-carbon energy infrastructure resonates strongly, even outside of traditional Democratic strongholds.
Tuesday, October 9 | 6:00 PM | EL Bar | 1356 N Front Street
Join the Philly DSA Social Committee for a Happy Hour in Fishtown! DSA Happy Hours are a space for our chapter's members and anyone interested in or curious about DSA to hang out and get to know each other in an informal setting.
If you're new to DSA, heard about us on the news, curious about what we're up to, or a long-time member who just wants to hang out, stop by!
Sunday, October 14 | 1:00 pm | DIYRE | 4244 Lancaster Avenue
If you're a new member of Philly DSA or are thinking about joining, come to our upcoming New Member Orientation! Our Local chapter continues to grow and as new members join these orientations help make clear what it means to be a member of a democratic-socialist, dues funded, volunteer run, membership organization.
There will be time to chat informally with other new members, meet committee persons and campaign organizers, as well as hear speakers cover major topics:
Orientation meetings will take place monthly going forward to supplement general meetings with more informal space for becoming familiar with the organization.
Please contact Peterson Goodwyn via [email protected] if you have any questions.
Monday, October 8 | 7:30 pm | Chapterhouse Coffee | 620 S. 9th Street
The Marxism Reading Group will be meeting to discuss G.A. Cohen's Marx's Theory of History: A Defense. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in joining. New participants are welcome!
At our July General Meeting, Philly DSA voted to join the Our City Our Schools Coalition and to enact an Ad-Hoc Committee to coordinate our chapter’s participation in the coalition’s fight for education justice in Philadelphia. The Philly DSA OCOS Coordinating Committee had their inaugural meeting and strategy session on Sept. 5. Look for more soon on the next meeting and upcoming actions. Email Seth Kulick and Kate Cairns at [email protected] for further info.
Calling all college students! Philly DSA is happy to announce our participation in the national YDSA Fall Campus Organizing Drive. Do you want to connect with your school’s chapter or build a new one? We can help you! There will be an informational meeting on Sunday, September 30th at 2 PM at Temple University in Gladfelter Hall Room 413. We will have plenty of information, DSA swag, good company, food, drinks, and more, so invite your friends! If you have any questions please direct them to [email protected].
Saturday, November 17 | 12:00 pm | First Unitarian Church | 2125 Chestnut Street
At General Meetings, the local assembles to hear reports from projects and committees, set local policy and work priorities, and to debate and vote on resolutions. The assembled membership is the ultimate decision-making body of the local, so participation of all members is crucial. The general meeting is open to all, but you must be a member in good standing (have paid national dues) in order to vote. Voting members are those who are on the the list provided by national DSA one week in advance of the meeting. Visit www.dsausa.org for more information on becoming a member (dues waivers are available).
Participation of all members is crucial: if you have any questions or require any accommodations to facilitate your attendance, please reach out to [email protected]
Labor Branch
Sunday, September 30 | 2:00 PM | OnePA | 5027 Baltimore Ave
Electoral Evaluation Committee
Tuesday, October 9 | 7:00 PM | UPenn Bookstore | 3601 Walnut St
Recent Minutes
Canvassing Committee
TBD | 7:00 PM | UPenn Bookstore | 3601 Walnut St
Outreach Committee
TBD | 7:00 PM | DIYRE | 4244 Lancaster Ave
Meeting minutes can be found here.
Monday, October 1 | 7:00 PM | Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce Street (Room TBD: email [email protected] for updates if you plan to attend)
The Steering Committee administers the affairs of the Local and oversees the implementation of the decisions of the General Meetings; it may also create policy in-between Local Conventions. Steering Committee meetings are open to all Philly DSA members, although only Steering Committee members have voting privileges.
Recent minutes
As a membership organization, we are only as strong as members are active, participating and mobilized. Philly DSA is committed to making all aspects of its work available and accessible to all members. If you require any accommodations or resources in order to participate, please reach out via [email protected]. The more we understand about the needs of our chapter, the stronger of an organization we can become.
Philly DSA is seeking members interested in becoming parliamentarians to help run our General Meetings and other official business meetings of the local. Candidates should be comfortable with public speaking and facilitation and have a willingness to learn the basics of Robert’s Rules of Order, which are used to administer large meetings of the DSA at the national level and local level in Philadelphia. If you are interested, please fill out this brief application here.
Philly DSA has only just started receiving funding from the National DSA, so local dues are crucial to the health of our chapter. They support our campaign work and cover everyday operating costs like meeting space, web hosting, and communication tools. Local dues can be paid in the form of one-time or monthly donations of $10, $20, $30, or $50; a custom amount can also be arranged. Getting our finances in order lets us plan ahead to effectively implement the kinds of political activities that we decide on as a local. If we can get even 50% of our Philly membership paying local dues, we will be on a path to really shake things up! Please sign up here to contribute a one-time or recurring payment. Thank you for your support!
Help fund Philly DSA's independent electoral campaigns by contributing to our PAC. Contributions made to Philly DSA PAC go toward expenditures on printed materials, venue rental fees for joint fundraisers with candidates, and other expenses critical to these campaigns' success.
Philly DSA PAC is a political committee connected to Philly DSA. We have this PAC because PA election law requires all coordinated expenditures made to influence the outcomes of elections to be paid from a separate segregated fund (the PAC), not our chapter's general treasury. Contributions to this fund are not redundant with local dues since only individuals can contribute to this fund while our main chapter bank account cannot.
Link to the PAC can be found here: http://dues-phillydsa.nationbuilder.com/pac
In Solidarity,
Philly DSA Outreach Committee
Inquiries: [email protected]
Website: www.phillydsa.com/
Isn’t it time to do something? Get involved with the Local.
