May Central Iowa DSA Update
Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter! This month, we’re bringing you an exciting mix of updates, actions, and reflections on how we’re continuing the fight for a just, liberated future. From upcoming events to ways you can get involved, there’s plenty to dive into. Let’s keep building power, one action at a time!
Remember, each monthly newsletter is also available on our website at centraliowadsa.org.
Get Involved – Organize for Change 
Capitalism isolates us, but together, we fight for a better world. Whether you’re a long-time member or just getting started, there’s a place for you in our movement! From labor rights to housing justice and queer liberation, we’re fighting for a world that works for all of us.
Want to take action? Join one of our working groups or committees to deepen your involvement. Together, we make change.
May General Meeting- Sunday May 11th 4:00 pm
Our next General Meeting is on Sunday, May 11 at CCI at 4 PM (RSVP here). These meetings are a space to connect, learn, and take action on local and national issues. Join us to discuss ongoing campaigns, hear committee updates, and help shape our work! Then, stay after for some fun social time to unwind and connect with others.
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All month long, Central Iowa DSA is hosting a May Day Month of Action—a celebration of working-class struggle and solidarity. From political education and film screenings to screen printing, brunches, and crafts, there’s something for everyone to join in and get organized. Whether you’re brand new or a longtime comrade, this is a great time to plug into the work and build power together! 
Upcoming National Events
The April National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter from DSA is packed with updates and calls to action. It highlights the upcoming May Day mobilizations, where DSA chapters nationwide will rally for labor rights, environmental justice, and solidarity with Palestine. The newsletter also announces support for two new electoral candidates and urges members to help pass vital trans rights legislation. Additionally, it provides resources for organizing efforts and educational events leading up to International Workers’ Day.
DSA Spotlight
The DSA Spotlight is a new section of the CIDSA Update dedicated to shining a spotlight on one national committee, working group, campaign, or resource each month. This month, we’re looking at: Central Iowa DSA’s International Working Group
The International Working Group is building connections between our chapter and global movements fighting for justice. Right now, we’re calling on the Iowa State Fair to drop its Chevron sponsorship.
Chevron fuels Israel’s war machine—profiting from genocide in Gaza and the apartheid system oppressing Palestinians. They’re also one of the worst offenders when it comes to climate destruction.
We’re taking action to demand an end to their role in violence and exploitation. Join us.
June International Reading Group
The DSA Spotlight is a new section of the CIDSA Update dedicated to shining a spotlight on one national committee, working group, campaign, or resource each month. This month, we’re looking at the International Working Group’s new reading group. This group will be held quarterly starting on June 12, where we will discuss Edward Said’s seminal book Orientalism.
Working Groups
CIDSA has a variety of committees and working groups where you can roll up your sleeves and get to work on the issues that matter most—media, political education, labor rights, housing justice, public transit—you name it. These groups are all about taking action, building power, and connecting with comrades who share your vision for a better world. Check out what each group is up to, and find your place in this movement.
Queer Liberation Working Group
Become a DSA Member- Build Power with us!
By becoming a DSA member, you help strengthen our collective power to challenge the systems that oppress us. Monthly dues sustain our organizing efforts and build long-term power for socialism. If you’re a lapsed member, now is the time to rejoin. And if you’re already a member, help us grow by reaching out to a friend to join too!
Join today and set up monthly dues!
Queer Liberation Film Screening
The Lavender Scare
On April 26, CIDSA’s Queer Liberation Working Group hosted a screening of The Lavender Scare at The Garden, with about 30 people in attendance. Co-sponsored by Iowa Fair Air Network, the event explored the U.S. government’s Cold War-era purge of LGBTQ+ workers and the lasting impact on labor rights and queer liberation struggles. After the film, attendees shared poetry and took part in a powerful discussion connecting this history to today’s ongoing fights for justice and equality. Thank you to everyone who joined us for an afternoon of learning, reflection, and solidarity!
What are we enjoying?
A People’s History of the United States - Howard Zinn
I’m only on chapter 3 of A People’s History of the United States, and already, I’ve learned so much I never got in school. Zinn’s approach is so eye-opening—he centers the stories of groups like Indigenous peoples, enslaved peoples, and laborers who’ve been left out of the typical history we’re taught. It’s been shocking to realize how much of this country’s foundation rests on the struggles of these communities, not just the “great men” we usually hear about.
Growing up in a small farming community here in Iowa, I’ve seen how mutual aid and collective action are part of everyday life. People work together to help one another, often without realizing they’re practicing the same principles we fight for in democratic socialism. This book just reinforces for me that what we’re fighting for—fairness, equality, solidarity—isn’t a new idea. It’s been here all along, in the ways people have always supported one another, even if they didn’t have a name for it.
For me, this history is a reminder that socialism isn’t some far-off, radical idea. It’s about returning to the values of community, fairness, and support for each other that have always been a part of our struggles, whether we’ve recognized them or not.
Stacey
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“At Peace” - Propagandhi
This song touches on so many things we’re all feeling as American imperialism accelerates its destruction and turns against its own citizens and neighbors — the grief, the rage, the loneliness.
A lot of us think we have to go through it alone, or maybe it just feels safer that way.
How do you find peace when it feels like the world is coming apart?
I never thought I’d be living through one of those times you only read about in history books — or that I would be an active participant.
It’s rage-inducing to watch capitalists undo everything that was built for the people, destroying anything that gets in the way of their profits.
The way I’ve decided to channel that rage is by finding ways to clog the killing machine.
I’ve become passionate about liberation, studying what expert revolutionaries have done (and are doing) and following their examples in the revolutionary class struggle.
That work puts me in contact with others fighting for the same things — and it helps lighten the load.
Another way I keep moving is by having a few things I’m actively trying to get better at.
The killer riffs in this song — and so many other Propagandhi songs — keep pushing me to be a better guitar player. Plus, they’re a blast to play.
It all ties back to the closing quote of the song, borrowed from Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time:
“Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.
Gotta kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight.”
Hector
DSA in the News
How East Bay DSA, Community Members, and Workers Won Alameda County Divestment from Israeli Apartheid
Written by Andrew Basta, Vish Soroushian and Zach Weinstein
What does it take to get a county to divest millions from companies tied to apartheid?
East Bay DSA members, workers, and community allies found out — and they won.
In Democratic Left, Andrew Basta, Vish Soroushian, and Zach Weinstein share how months of organizing, coalition-building, and worker solidarity led to a historic victory in Alameda County.
Find out how they did it — and what’s next.