Priority Proposal: A New Strategy and the Fight for Bodily Autonomy
Whereas, a year ago, NCTDSA approved a Priority Campaign, A New Strategy and the Fight for Bodily Autonomy; and
Whereas, DSA’s national Political Platform holds that the US is not a democracy and that the fight for socialism is synonymous with the fight for true democracy; and
Whereas, North Carolina, by prohibiting ballot initiatives without state approval and heavily pre-empting the powers of municipalities, denies legal public input into politics; and
Whereas, over the last year, Republicans obtained a supermajority in the state legislature, allowing them to unilaterally pass fascist legislation such as SB 49, HB808 and SB20; and
Whereas, in that time, Democrats have failed to adequately fight for our rights, as shown by Roy Cooper’s refusal to veto legislation such as HB 40; and
Whereas, state elections this year could produce another Republican supermajority legislature and see fascist Republican Mark Robinson elected as governor; and
Whereas, North Carolina specifically is widely regarded not just among socialists, but among experts and lay liberals as well, to be an exceptionally anti-democratic state; and
Whereas, North Carolina is uniquely suited for a democratic political struggle, and there is no clear existing movement for democracy with a mass base in North Carolina at this time; and
Whereas, due to both our organization’s level of development and the specific anti-democratic features of our political system, it is not practical for NCTDSA to contest for meaningful power at the state or federal level, but NCTDSA has already proven it can win municipal races in Carrboro and Durham; and
Whereas, the wielding of municipal power to facilitate the creation of a mass base and displace the legitimacy of the capitalist state has wide precedent in socialist politics, and direct municipal resistance against unjust state and federal law has a broad precedent through sanctuary cities; and
Strategy
Therefore, the chapter renews the New Strategy priority campaign for another year; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will convert disparate, unfocused struggles for democracy and civil rights into a broad struggle for socialism and the overturning of all existing oppressive relations; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will take initiative in the movement for bodily autonomy and reproductive justice, by building a mass movement to conquer municipal power and challenge the authority of the state government through civil non-compliance, therefore assuming leadership in the struggle for democracy in North Carolina, and by openly tying these efforts together; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will aim to assume leadership by showing clear and politically focused initiative, and strive to avoid any chauvinistic orientation towards other groups fighting for democratic and/or civil rights; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will attempt to actively recruit and develop the most politically advanced layer of the working class it interfaces with through these struggles; and
Therefore, this proposal shall constitute a priority for the chapter, and all provisions within this resolution shall, unless specifically otherwise stated, apply for a period of one year, upon which NCTDSA will review the campaign and optionally propose it for renewal or revision at a general meeting,
Therefore, a special meeting of the chapter will be called following the November elections, on a day to be determined by the chapter Steering Committee, with this campaign as its sole focus, for the chapter to be updated on the status of ongoing work related to the campaign, discuss the impact of the election results on ongoing work, and hear feedback from chapter members; and
Therefore, this proposal is available for any modification or termination of its measures by the general membership at a valid general meeting of the chapter as described in the Chapter Bylaws; and
Therefore, not precluding any endorsements made by national DSA, NCTDSA will prioritize municipal races over state and especially federal races, and will advise interested candidates who indicate they wish to run for state or federal level races of this policy; and
Tactics
Priority Campaign Committee
Therefore, the already existing Priority Campaign Committee is renewed by the chapter; and
Therefore, the Priority Campaign Committee will be required to have two co-chairs and a secretary, and have meetings available to chapter members at least once a month; and
Therefore, the chapter Steering Committee will either designate an existing officer of the chapter to liaise with the Priority Committee and report back on progress to Steering Committee meetings, or appoint a new position to the Steering Committee (as is allowed in the bylaws) to fulfill this task; and
Therefore, the primary purpose of this Priority Campaign Committee will be to coordinate the working groups involved in the New Strategy priority and plan related events; and
Therefore, in the immediate term, the main activity of this Priority Campaign Committee will be to coordinate the Electoral Working Group, the Queer and Trans Solidarity Working Group, our Socialists in Office, and other stakeholders in the chapter in supporting the Queer and Trans Solidarity Working Group campaign to undermine the implementation of SB 49 in local school districts; and
Therefore, committees involved with the priority campaign will democratically select at least one but preferably two liaisons to attend Priority Campaign meetings and meetings of their working groups to ensure information flows in both directions, as well as engage in membership reachout with the Priority Campaign Committee; and
Therefore, involved working groups that have liaisons attending Priority Campaign meetings can request that the Priority Committee engage in membership reachout, such as phone and textbanking, to help with Working Group event turnout; and
Therefore, the Priority Campaign will hold a monthly phonebank to do turnout for events put on by the working groups involved. For an event to be eligible for the phonebank, members of the relevant working group must be in attendance; and
Electoral Working Group
Therefore, the Electoral Working Group will continue its strategy of the capture of municipal governments with the explicit goal of putting these on the front line of the struggle for democracy within North Carolina, and accordingly prioritize local elections, and prioritize further races that are necessary to win a governing majority at the municipal level; and
Therefore, the Electoral Working Group will collaborate with the Membership Committee on candidate recruitment and development, both in terms of cadre DSA members through direct asks and power-mapping of existing NCTDSA members who may have not considered running for office before and promising potential candidates discovered from coalition organizations or partners; and
Therefore, the Electoral Working Group will reach out to elected officials who are members of DSA but not endorsed by the chapter, strongly encouraging them to go through our adoption process; and
Therefore, the Electoral Working Group will seek to get cadre DSA members, particularly but not only those interested in running as municipal candidates in the future, on municipal boards and commissions relevant to this democracy and civil rights program; and
Therefore, after a curriculum for electeds and prospective electeds is prepared by the Political Education Working Group (see below), the Electoral Working Group will utilize it to host political educational sessions for electeds and prospective electeds; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will require all of its electoral candidates to run as a unified, openly democratic socialist slate, and require candidates to promote unified messaging on the fight for democracy and civil rights and the role of municipal government in this as envisioned by NCTDSA; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will require all successful endorsed electoral candidates to form a socialist caucus in any body where more than one DSA-endorsed candidate is elected, deliberate strategy in collaboration with NCTDSA’s Socialists in Office Committee, and vote as a bloc; and
Therefore, endorsed candidates who agree to and adhere to these requirements will receive the full backing of the chapter, including mobilizing in support of their candidacies and the ability to partner with the chapter on issue campaigns while in office; and
Therefore, NCTDSA will not seek to capture any executive offices and will instead pursue a strategy of building legislative majorities that will take a stance of opposition to the reactionary state and federal government; and
Therefore, in council-manager systems, the Mayoral office is interpreted as a legislative rather than executive office; and
Therefore, within the next six months, NCTDSA’s Electoral Working Group will engage in a systematic powermapping of chapter members with the aim of identify members who are currently interested in running for office or may be interested in the future; and
Membership Committee
Therefore, NCTDSA’s Membership Committee will instruct and train mobilizers to cover the priority campaign during mobilizations with an ask inviting new members to participate in the next canvass, external action or meeting associated with the priority campaign, with preference given to canvasses and external actions and not meetings as the first entry to the priority campaign; and
Political Education Working Group
Therefore, NCTDSA’s Political Education Working Group, in collaboration with Electoral Working Group, will draft a basic and accessible educational curriculum aimed at socialists either in office or interested in running for office, covering present political conditions in the Triangle, the New Strategy, and Marxist electoral strategy more broadly; and
Therefore, after the completion of this curriculum, Electoral Working Group will set an expectation for prospective candidates that they complete this curriculum, and strongly encourage presently endorsed candidates and electives to also do so; and
Socialist Feminist Working Group
Therefore, NCTDSA’s Socialist Feminist working group shall pursue working relationships with other groups fighting for reproductive rights in North Carolina, particularly around non-electoral initiatives to improve access to reproductive rights and healthcare; and
Therefore, the Socialist Feminist working group shall continue a campaign to disrupt local Anti-Abortion Centers (AACs) by picketing AACs, holding monthly canvasses of nearby neighborhoods and businesses, engaging in a pressure campaign on landlords of AACs, and empowering new participants to organize their own actions with the goal of building an active base to help AAC clients find alternative resources and push municipalities to implement our demands; and
Therefore, the Socialist Feminist working group shall partner with student organizations (i.e. NC State YDSA) and community groups to expand our activism against AACs by providing organizing materials, recruitment assistance, and other resources as appropriate. This should also act as a way to build a larger base of support for pushing our demands,
Therefore, the Socialist Feminist working group shall recruit participants from this base through the aforementioned canvasses, as well as phonebanks led and conducted by priority campaign participants, to pursue a larger goal of connecting community members with credible reproductive care resources and embedding ourselves in the reproductive care provision infrastructure in the Triangle,
Queer and Trans Solidarity Working Group
Therefore, NCTDSA’s Queer and Trans Solidarity Working Group shall pursue working relationships with other groups fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights in North Carolina, particularly around non-electoral initiatives to preserve access to gender-affirming care and generally safeguard and fight for additional rights for LGBTQIA+ peoples; and
Therefore, NCTDSA’s Queer and Trans Solidarity Working Group shall take the lead in the fight against SB 49; and
Chapter As A Whole
Therefore, NCTDSA as a chapter will specifically advertise and attempt to mobilize its membership for any public actions related to this priority proposal by the various working groups; and
Therefore, NCTDSA Steering Committee will include time during general chapter meetings to discuss progress in this priority campaign.