Detroit DSA 2022 Recap
by Melina Herrera and Gary Walker
Happy holidays comrades! Even as the year winds down and we are gearing up for 2023, we are deep in a fight to help get our comrades at the Ferndale Library workers the recognition they deserve.
But before we look ahead to the new year, let’s take a look back at all our hard work, solidarity, and good times with great comrades this year.
2022 began with a resolution to support workers at local coffee shop Great Lakes Coffee in fighting for recognition for their union. Our Co-Chair Mel H. and then at-large Steering Committee member Landis S. connected Comrades In Coffee with UNITE HERE and on February 16th we joined them at their first action, and stuck with them for over 150 days, until they ended their strike and decided to move on.
Photos from actions with Comrades in Coffee (Rose Latte art by Alisa Damaso):
In March, nine of our members went to Lansing to participate in the inaugural Michigan DSA Summit. The two-day summit involved in-depth discussion and sharing of strategies, tactics and goals for what a statewide formation could do. It was the first time comrades from all over the state have gathered together outside of a National Convention.
Also in March, we voted to re-endorse Rashida Tlaib, and had a great campaign kickoff party at Cutz Lounge in Northwest Detroit.
In April, we voted to shrink our Steering Committee from 25 people to 11.
For May Day, we had our biggest event since the pandemic started, with 120+ comrades coming together for a potluck picnic on Belle Isle. It was such a good time, we didn’t really take photos!
A few days later, the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade was leaked, and we quickly mobilized to join hundreds of people in Downtown Detroit to march against our bodily autonomy being stripped away.
After passing a resolution to endorse the Reproductive Freedom For All ballot initiative, we spent the remainder of spring and beginning of summer collecting signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot, helping to make it the most popular petition signature collection effort in state history, with 753,759 signatures collected. In November, after months of canvassing for the initiative, we celebrated its passing, which ensures the reproductive rights of Michganders are protected.
In the streets for reproductive rights, including with our Comrade Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib:
A couple of Reproductive Freedom for All canvassing teams:
In June, we contributed funds to send comrades from Detroit to Chicago to participate in the Labor Notes Conference, where they joined thousands of people engaged in labor fights around the country.
Towards the end of summer, we joined Michigan Nurses in solidarity in their fight for a better contract. Nurses have been even more overworked and understaffed since the beginning of the pandemic and had had enough. We were proud to help them leaflet around the University of Michigan, and glad to see them win a better contract.
Detroit DSA stands with Michigan Nurses!:
Over Labor Day Weekend, a dozen comrades from our Ecosocialist Working Group helped organize and traveled up north to participate in Camp Pipe Out, an activist camp with over 100 participants from all over the state coming together to raise awareness about Line 5, an oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. They participated in direct action trainings, art builds, and several events throughout the weekend in the Mackinac City, including a flotilla, the Water is Life Festival, a light brigade, and the Mackinac Bridge Walk.
In October, we added two transit ballot initiatives to our campaign work, and saw our work pay off with both initiatives passing with overwhelming majorities. The initiatives implement millages in Oakland and Macomb counties which maintain and expand transit services in the Metro Detroit area, including connecting cities that previously had no transit service.
Some of our Freedom to Move, Freedom to Choose canvassing teams:
The following are some other highlights from the year, which do not fall under any endorsed campaign yet:
In solidarity with Starbucks workers at the Partridge Creek Mall in Clinton Township in February and July:
It was busy but rewarding 2022, and we are looking forward to an even better 2023!
The Detroit Socialist is written and produced by members of Detroit DSA’s Newspaper Collective. Interested in becoming a member of Detroit DSA? Go to dsausa.org/join to become a member. Send a copy of the dues receipt to: membership@metrodetroitdsa.com in order to get plugged in to our activities!
