Welcome, Central Branch Organizers!

This page has all the resources you need to start connecting with other members in your neighborhood! Basic tools are here at the top, and more in-depth resources can be found at the bottom. If you have any suggestions for making things better, let us know. Good luck, and solidarity!

Rap Cheat Sheet

1. DISCOVER

Ask questions to learn about your comrade and build a trusted relationship with them. 

2. STIR

As you learn what your comrade cares about, lay blame to get them agitated and willing to act. Then share the vision of how we plan to win.

3. ACT

Give your comrade a chance to be a protagonist by making the ask and inviting them to join in our work.

4. FOLLOW-UP

Send whatever resources, links, invitations, etc. that came up in your conversation. Stay in touch.

CHAPTERWIDE ACTION ITEMS

These are actions that members can take to contribute meaningfully to our movement — though we understand not everyone should be expected to do everything!

Inviting people to share in this collective work is what separates us from a social club, but use your discretion as an organizer when making asks of people.

December 16th at 6PM

Growing our movement means asking 
all DSA members to commit to talking with people in their network about growing a movement for the working class in Los Angeles. But how do you have a successful 1-1 conversation? The Political Education committee invites DSA-LA members for a training in the art of the one-on-one organizing conversation where you’ll learn and practice how to have a successful conversation that moves people to action. RSVP HERE

January 13, 2021 @ 6:00 pm  8:00 pm

As part of the chapter resolution In Response to Crisis: A Neighborhood Solidarity Program by DSA-LA, the Political Education Committee is hosting this special event to examine the current capitalist economic crisis and its relationship to unemployment and underemployment.

Join us to explore why — in this moment — we should dedicate organizing efforts in solidarity with the poor, unemployed, underemployed, and precariously employed, and what opportunities this moment presents for the organized Left. RSVP to receive the Zoom link for this event, as well as suggested pre-reading materials.

RSVP HERE

We just wrapped up our successful four part Class on Class Series! We welcomed over 200 comrades who discussed foundational concepts in socialist analysis. While the Class on Class series is over for now, you can still find the Class on Class reader here. Have a friend, family member, or co-worker who’s interested in learning more about foundational concepts in Marxist theory? The Class on Class reader is a great resource to send them!
In addition to the of-the-moment opportunities for action, there are a few things that we hope all members will do:

  • Complete Labor, Housing, and Demographics Surveys
    • More info below
  • Get involved with Neighborhood Organizing
    • We want to build stronger bonds at the super local level, and to do that,  we need more organizers like you! Consider inviting your contacts to join us in this work. They can sign up using this link: dsa-la.org/neighborhood-organizing
  • Connect with Street Watch if there’s a local nearby
    • Attend a Street Watch New Member training to learn more, or ask your captain! All Street Watch new member events viewable on chapter calendar.

BRANCH-SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS

Chapterwide action items allow us to act as one and exercise our collective power, but we also know there are certain campaigns and issues that will be more relevant for members in certain regions. These branch action items will always still align with our strategic goals. The purpose is not just to create a bulletin board of things that can be done in a region, but to highlight key things that a mass of members can participate in and that will contribute to material change.

At our recent 2020 convention, the members voted to approve a resolution called In Response to Crisis: A Proposal For A Neighborhood Solidarity Program.

This resolution represents a commitment to build the capacity of our regional bodies, encouraging them to engage strategically with bread and butter issues as they arise in their own areas — while still staying connected and engaged with the overall movement chapterwide.

Region-specific Action Items should not be considered more or less important than chapterwide Action Items. They are a simply one strategic part of building a movement!

It’s vital that we learn more about our members needs and situations so that we can organize effectively. We also want to learn about our chapter demographics as we work to build an organization that looks like the working class of Los Angeles

It’s recommended that you complete the following surveys for your contacts within your first 1-2 check in calls!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you have any questions, they might already be answered here! If you think something should be added, let us know on Slack!

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZING STRUCTURE HANDBOOK

This is the most complete guide to our work, goals, and structure. If you want to learn more about the details of this organizing structure, your responsibilities, or what to expect from your captain, this is a great in-depth reference guide.

SAMPLE CONTACT ORGANIZING SPREADSHEET

While we require organizers to use the form above to log all attempted contacts, we understand that you might want to keep your own notes about people in the neighborhood! Feel free to make a copy of this template to keep detailed notes about your contacts!

LINK TO JOIN DSA-LA SLACK

In case you haven’t been added to the DSA-LA Slack, you can request to join by clicking the link above.

NOTE: We have a private channel called #neighborhood-organizers that you can join. If you haven’t been added to that channel, please message your neighborhood captain on Slack.

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZER SIGN UP FORM

If one of your contacts is interested in joining us in this work, please invite them to sign up using this link!

This collection of tools is put together with the goal of helping you develop your skills as an organizer and expand the reach of DSA in your neighborhood.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT DSA (AND SOCIALISM)

This mini training lays some great groundwork for helping us get more people to join DSA. There are some great pointers for talking about DSA and socialism to people outside the organization, including how to deal with people who are hostile to our ideas. This was developed a member of DSA San Francisco.

DSA-LA COVID-19 FAQ

This is a crucial time for meeting comrades’ material needs. This guide contains exhaustive resources from vetted sources that cover: Healthcare, Work/Employment, Children/Families/Education, Internet/Computers, Food/Groceries, Utilities/Rent/Housing/Homelessness, Immigrants and Undocumented People, Mental Health and Well-Being, Mutual Aid and Community Resources, Political Education and Analysis.

“MY ROLE IN A SOCIAL CHANGE ECOSYSTEM”

In an organization like DSA, we all have different roles to play. While not an official DSA resource, this article provides one interesting way of thinking about our roles, and about ways you may be able to contribute beyond the minimum expectations of being a neighborhood organizer. What do you think yours is? And how do we play to our own strengths without falling into individualism?

“THE LEFT CAN WIN”

Thought-provoking and inspiring speech about what it will take for the left to win. “…the people, the workers, they prefer the enemy to you. They believe him. They understand him when he speaks. They don’t understand you. And maybe you are right! Maybe you can ask your children to write that on your tombstone: “He was always right — but no one ever knew.””

WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE CHARACTERISTICS

How do we build power in an anti-oppressive way? This is a very useful resource to help us be on the lookout for learned White Supremacist behaviors that can negatively impact our work.

DSA-LA CONFLICT RESOLUTION RESOURCES 

Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we can find ourselves in conflict with other members or simply need someone to talk to. DSA-LA has lots of resources to support members experiencing difficult situations, including a clear misconduct policy to guide situations where accountability is needed. Please take advantage of these resources if you need to!

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR BUILDING

Coming Soon – If you want to organize your neighborhood, you should talk to your neighbors! This practical guide will give you the basics about how to organize and build community with your neighbors. It’s easier than it might sound!

NEIGHBORHOOD HANGOUT ORGANIZING GUIDE

Coming Soon – A step by step guide for hosting a successful neighborhood hangout. If you aren’t already doing hangouts in your neighborhood and you would like to, talk to your captain and see if you can help to start hosting them!