July Central Iowa DSA Update
Central Iowa DSA Update
This July, we remember that real freedom isn’t handed down by elites, it’s built together in communities. Let’s organize for the kind of liberation that actually includes everyone.
Bayard Rustin: Unwavering Fire
Get Involved – Organize for Change
It’s the 4th of July, and the sky will be full of explosions. But real change doesn’t come from fireworks. It comes from organizing.
This month, we’re remembering Bayard Rustin. He was a Black, gay, pacifist, and lifelong socialist who spent his life fighting for racial and economic justice. He trained Dr. King in nonviolence and organized most details of the 1963 March on Washington. With the cameras focused on the podium, Bayard was busy in the background making it all happen.
Because of his sexuality, he was pushed to the margins of the movement he helped lead. But he kept going. Quietly, strategically, and with unwavering commitment to collective liberation.
That’s the kind of patriotism we believe in. Not the fireworks, but the fire. The people behind the scenes who never stop fighting for something better.
In this issue: convention planning, upcoming events, working group wins, and how you can help us organize to create 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.
Learn more about Bayard Rustin
Proud Socialists
Pride was hot, rainy, and really lovely.
We tabled in the heat all weekend, talking with plenty of new folks, handing out zines, and helping people make their own buttons! When the parade rolled around on Sunday, we hung out in the rain waiting for our turn and build some strong solidarity together. Then we all warmed up darting around to get as much candy and literature to the crowd’s waiting hands as possible.
Big thanks to everyone who helped out, especially Denver and Kleckner for all the organizing and behind-the-scenes work. A big welcome and thank you to everyone who stopped by, held down the booth, or walked with us. We’re building this community together. 
July General Meeting- Sunday July 13th at 4:00 pm
Join us for our Annual Convention, the most important meeting of the year! As outlined in our bylaws, the Annual Convention serves as the highest legislative body of our chapter. During this meeting, we’ll celebrate the results of our officer elections and announce the newly elected leadership team, including: two co-chairs, secretary, treasurer, and chairs of all working groups and committees.
RSVP For The General Meeting Now
Upcoming National Events
Enjoy the June National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected 18-person body (including two YDSA members who share a vote) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. This month, standing against ICE, celebrating Pride and Juneteenth, preparing for Convention, and more!
Come Learn With the Political Education Committee
Whether you’re deep into theory or just curious about what socialism actually means, we’ve got space for you. Our political education groups are open to everyone! There is no expertise needed, just good conversation and community.
Reading Groups
All are welcome, whether you finished the book or just read the title!
- July: The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
- August: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
- September: Bad Samaritans by Ha-Joon Chang
Study Group
Curious about the roots of radical thought? Join our Study Group for a deeper dive into foundational texts that still shape the way we organize, resist, and dream. We meet every other month to explore big ideas and learn together.
Next meeting: July 26 at 11am
What’s ahead:
July: Selections from the Prison Notebooks by Antonio Gramsci (reading list below)
September: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
November: The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State by Friedrich Engels
July Reading Selections – Gramsci
- The Formation of the Intellectuals (p. 5)
- Machiavelli and Marx (p. 133)
- The Collective Worker (p. 201)
- Americanism and Fordism (p. 277)
- Problems of Marxism (p. 248)
We’ll be digging into themes like hegemony, political and ideological struggle, theory and practice, and how language shapes class consciousness. Read whatever speaks to you, and come ready to share your thoughts!
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 Electoral Working Group
The Electoral Working Group organizes around local and national elections with a focus on building power from the bottom up. From endorsing candidates, hosting forums, or making sense of ballots and resolutions, we’re here. We aim to connect electoral politics to our broader movement goals,not just every two years, but every day.
Right now, we’re focused on the DSA National Convention, where delegates will vote on resolutions that will shape our organization’s future.
Want to know what’s on the table? Curious how our local delegation is preparing to vote?
Join us for a convention resolutions round-up where we’ll review proposals, break down what they mean, and make sure our chapter’s values are front and center.
Thursday, July 25 at 6:30 PM -Location TBA
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!
Updates From the International Working Group
The International Working Group hit the ground running (literally) on June 29 at the World Refugee Day 5K, where several members showed up in solidarity with refugee communities across Iowa. Thanks to everyone who walked, ran, volunteered, or cheered them on.
Earlier in the month, on June 22, they hosted a deeply moving teach-in at Plymouth Church about the Chevron boycott and Palestinian solidarity. Over 50 people showed up to listen, learn, and share. The Q&A was vibrant and thoughtful, and many stayed well after the event ended to continue the conversation. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen. These moments of shared reflection and learning are powerful reminders of why we organize.
Take action: Help us pressure the Iowa State Fair Board to cut ties with Chevron. Sign our petition and send a letter. We’ll deliver them at the board’s July meeting.
What are we enjoying?
Building an Abolitionist Trans Queer Movement With Everything We’ve Got
Written by Morgan Bassichis, Alexander Lee, Dean Spade
On the “Hero Mindset” as a Tactic of Counter-Revolution
The idea that civil rights icons were just lone figures doing “brave things” in a vacuum isn’t just inaccurate, it’s convenient for fascists. When mass movements are rewritten as stories of individual heroism, like “a single person overcoming impossible odds,” it erases the organizing, strategy, and collective action that actually made those moments possible (p. 26).
This mythmaking plays right into far-right conspiracy theories. We’ve all heard them: “The student encampments have matching tents, so they must be funded by George Soros,” or “These protesters have the same signs—they must be paid actors.” But of course movements have shared materials and messages. That’s organizing. That’s solidarity. Every person we celebrate as a brave figure was also someone learning how to build power, communicate clearly, and stick to shared goals.
The idolization of individuals also reinforces the idea that regular people will just rise to the occasion when things get bad enough. But we can’t count on instinct or inspiration to carry us, we need preparation, training, and political education. We need it now, before the crisis.
This connects directly to our refusal to sort people into “deserving” and “undeserving” victims. Focusing on whether someone was “sympathetic” enough has always been a tactic to stall systemic change. We see it in the way police brutality gets framed: people argue over whether a victim was a criminal, instead of addressing the real question: should the state be allowed to exercise that kind of violence against anyone?
It’s the same with court cases meant to challenge unconstitutional laws: we’re told to wait for the “perfect plaintiff,” the most sympathetic face. But that delays justice. We don’t need better protagonists. We need more people ready to speak out, stay grounded under pressure, and act in community. That’s how movements win.
Kleckner
DSA in the News
Zohran Mamdani
At 33 years old, Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim democratic socialist and former housing counselor, just won the Democratic primary for NYC mayor. His campaign is rooted in rent control, fare-free transit, public groceries, and a $30 minimum wage. He energized working-class voters across the vast city of New York with messages like:
“This campaign is for every person who believes in the dignity of their neighbors and that the government’s job is to actually make our lives better.”
Now, he faces the general election and a political establishment that’s not exactly thrilled about redistributing wealth. His win is a reminder that our movements can shift what’s possible. And if he takes office, it’ll be up to organizers, not just politicians, to keep that vision alive.
What we do together matters. Let’s keep building the kind of future we all deserve. See you soon.