LVDSA – The Las Vegas Democratic Socialists of America
Uplifting the Las Vegas community in many ways, LVDSA advocates and organizes a nationwide, worldwide working-class movement that puts people and the planet over profit.
Shaun Navarro, recently elected as one of 11 steering committee members, has been with Vegas DSA for four years. He joined shortly after moving here in 2017 when the chapter was still new. As the former co-chair of the chapter, he shared that they’re trying something new regarding organizational leadership and community priorities.
“I like the structure; there’s more perspective, it’s more democratic, and more people get plugged in,” he said. “We’re all in charge of running our own portfolio.”
Navarro personally focuses on community organizing, coalition building, and other work. This includes conducting Zoom meetings and finding ways to work with different groups and connect with the community.
“We’re always finding and recruiting new members,” he said. “There’s also a community side to things, where we do social events, book clubs, and more.”
Their next social event is “Comrade Cookout,” on November 7th, while the organization also continues to plan its annual Holiday Solidarity food drive.
LVDSA’s Priorities
Navarro shared the three main priorities that LVDSA focuses on – housing justice, mutual aid, and electoral work.
Housing Justice
DSA holds a firm belief that housing is a human right.
With housing justice, this priority involves addressing issues such as homelessness and stopping evictions. It also includes building tenant power through providing resources to renters, helping people find legal aid, and raising funds to protect people from eviction.
According to LVDSA’s website, some of their tactics include:
- Reaching out to tenants facing eviction through monthly canvassing and courtroom outreach;
- Building a foundation for tenant organizing by conducting research on landlords/developers in Las Vegas and identifying large landlords who own multiple properties;
- Help organize formal complaints, petitions, and direct action to pressure management to address concerns of habitability and housing equity.
With the Supreme Court recently lifting the ban on evictions, this priority is more important to focus on than ever.
Mutual & Community Aid
According to LVDSA’s page on this priority campaign, they aim to “address some of the damages that capitalism has inflicted on all of us by reinforcing the value of solidarity, selflessness, and comradery, especially among those with shared struggle.”
In terms of mutual aid, LVDSA provides many resources to the community. One such resource is their Solidarity Sunday events. Every last Sunday of the month, LVDSA sets up at 721 W McWilliams Ave from 2 – 4 PM to collect and distribute hygiene products and other needed items to the houseless community.
Visit this page to view a list of the items needed the most or make a donation specific to Sunday Solidarity.
At the start of the fall school year, LVDSA did a Back-to-School solidarity drive collecting backpacks and school supplies. They distributed these donations to kids in need within the community.
The chapter also holds regular forums with the community to discuss ongoing issues and how to address them.
LVDSA Electoral Work
LVDSA is very busy in the realm of politics, approaching from multiple angles on various issues.
In particular, LVDSA currently pushes for legislation in Nevada to abolish the death penalty and tax the mines. During the recent legislative session, the bill that Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty (NVCADP) pushed for abolishing the death penalty almost passed. Unfortunately, Governor Sisolak and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro ultimately killed it before the vote.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “But, we at least saw a watered-down bill passed with the mining tax.”
Navarro added that the chapter also conducts campaign research and focuses on abolition, incarceration, and increasing union power. “Nationally, we’re pushing to pass legislation like the PRO Act and the Green New Deal,” he said.
LVDSA’s Challenges
Navarro shared that one of the biggest challenges LVDSA faced in the beginning was establishing itself as a legitimate organization.
“Originally, it was just seven or eight of us in a coffee shop. We had to work at being viewed as legit in the community,” he said. “Not many people knew about us before 2016, and many still don’t know we’re out here in the community. After campaigning for Bernie for the 2020 election, though, membership grew tremendously.”
Now that the organization has established itself in the community, the next most significant obstacle to overcome is the misconceptions and preconceived notions people have about DSA or the idea of socialism, in general, to become even more visible.
“With the Bernie campaign, that was a lot of people’s first brush with or introduction to socialism,” Navarro said. We worked well together, so we introduced a lot of people through it.”
What is Democratic Socialism?
According to the national DSA’s website on this topic, they state the following:
“Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society. We believe that many avenues feed into the democratic road to socialism. Our vision pushes further than historic social democracy and leaves behind authoritarian visions of socialism in the dustbin of history.” – The Democratic Socialists of America.
When you ask someone what socialism is, the definition varies widely depending on their understanding of the word and what the system represented under the word entails.
“The thing with the word ‘socialism’ is that it means many different things to different people. A broad definition used is that it involves having the main institutions in society running for the benefit of people instead of profit, like health care, education, energy, and so on,” Navarro shared. “For me, it’s believing that a better world is possible; that there’s more to life than creating capital for people.”
Overall, a large part of working towards a more democratic socialist society ties into addressing how capitalism connects to all of the issues in our country and the world. Ultimately, this involves dismantling the system of capitalism in its current form that allows for the exploitation of labor, resources, and the environment.
Impacts of COVID-19 on LVDSA
When the pandemic hit and much of the state shut down, LVDSA was hard at work ensuring they took care of the community by setting up extensive mutual aid programs and resources.
“COVID definitely impacted the mutual aid aspect of our work,” Navarro said. “A lot of folks got involved for the first time during the pandemic because they had more time to volunteer or otherwise get involved.”
He also shared an opposite effect: while the pandemic inspired many people to action, it also put a lot of stress on people and gravely impacted their mental health.
“The organization functions in two ways,” he said. “Through the use of poolside chats, LVDSA helped create a social space for the community to be seen and heard during the lockdown. Everyone reacted differently.”
In general, though, Navarro reported that the Las Vegas chapter actually grew during COVID. “We were one of the few DSA chapters in the country that grew,” he added.
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Democratic Socialists of America
DSA – The National Organization
Navarro shared that the national DSA has nearly 100 thousand members, spanning all 50 states with at least one chapter in each state, determined by zip code. For instance, there are two chapters in Nevada, divided into the Southern and Northern parts of the state.
“We’re the second biggest socialist organization in the history of the country,” Navarro said. “Currently, it’s the biggest, but not the biggest ever.”
DSA’s History
According to the national DSA’s website, the organization was founded out of a merger from two predecessor organizations that started in the early 19702 – the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and the New American Movement (NAM). Their roots began out of the rightward shift that U.S. politics took at that time and global politics in general.
The elections of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s were a significant turning point that ultimately led to the two organizations combining their efforts. While there were disagreements in ideologies and stances between the two groups, they ultimately shared many values and merged together successfully.
Over the decades, the newly formed DSA addressed many issues, including social justice at home and abroad, through the support of movements like the women’s, civil rights, and labor movements of the 80s.
In the 90s, DSA primarily focused on organizing for Medicare for All and against the welfare reform born out of the Clinton administration that ultimately led to increased child poverty.
From 2000 to 2015, DSA’s priorities involved opposing the war on terror and supporting the Economic Justice Agenda, the Occupy Wallstreet Movement, and the fight for racial and gender justice.
After the 2016 election, DSA’s membership increased significantly as thousands of new members felt inspired by the likes of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. As a self-described Democratic-Socialist, Sanders campaigned on many ideals that lined up with those held by DSA.
To learn more about the history of DSA and its founding organizations, visit this page.
DSA’s Work
According to Navarro, the work that DSA does nationally varies by charter and location. This variance is based on the positions held by members that resemble the places they represent and the people who live there.
Nationally, DSA currently prioritizes the following issues:
- Medicare For All
- Democratic Socialist Labor Commission
- Green New Deal
- National Electoral Committee
“It’s a big tent organization,” he said. “We have people from all over the political spectrum.”
To clarify, DSA is not a political party, despite the common misconception that it is. Instead, Navarro explained that the organization builds power among people while meeting them where they’re at.
“We’re building a multigenerational, multiracial working-class movement. And if we’re to accomplish or change anything, we have to continue that movement,” he said. “While the priorities differ across the board on the local levels, the organization all works together on common goals. It’s interesting seeing the character of the chapters based on their location.”
As mentioned, the Las Vegas chapter of DSA is big on electoral work and mutual aid here in the community.
Political Activity
In general, DSA has been hard at work since the 2020 election and President Biden taking office this past January. With much to accomplish, the organization continues to pressure the president and all other politicians to follow through on campaign promises and enact policies the country desperately needs.
“We use the theory of power in response to what those in power do or don’t do. It’s similar to how we could build our power and affect change,” Navarro said. “Holding them accountable is part of it.”
In terms of how different branches of DSA respond to things politically, Navarro said that it varies by issue and chapter. For LVDSA, this is directly a part of their electoral work priority.
“We address this by continuously working on becoming big enough to continue putting pressure on candidates or even running our own candidates,” he said.
LVDSA Community Collaborations
As a big tent organization, DSA has a broad range of coalition partners and community partners. The Las Vegas chapter is no exception, with strong ties to many groups in the community working to create positive change.
“We work with groups like PLAN NV, Fifth Sun Project, Mi Familia Vota, Left Caucus, (Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition (NEJC), Sunrise Movement, NVCADP, Mass Liberation, and more,” Navarro said.
LVDSA works with many of its partners to hold numerous events to help the community, from food shares to cleanups throughout the year.
“Our holiday solidarity events in November and December are our biggest events, where we give away 1,000 meals to our neighbors in the community,” Navarro said. “Partnering with these organizations helps us address more issues and affect more change.”
Upcoming Events
Depending on what groups the organization is working with within a given month, events and volunteer opportunities vary in occurrence. The events that they host themselves are more frequent and scheduled, though. In addition, many are open to the public through RSVP to learn more about what LVDSA is doing that month.
Stop by LVDSA’s Sunday Solidarity event every last Sunday of the month to drop off donations or help volunteer with donation distribution. The next event will be on October 31st.
This event initially started as the ‘Love to the Streetz’ event put on by the Stretch for a Change Foundation and New Era Las Vegas. After Minister Stretch Sanders could no longer host the event, LVDSA stepped up to support the community every month.
LVDSA also holds its New Member Orientation event on the last Thursday of every month, providing new members with more information about the organization and discussing priorities.
With them just having their annual convention and going through a significant structural change, there’s a lot of new and exciting things going on with the organization as they figure out how to coordinate their priorities.
The organization also hosts a monthly leadership skills training and “Worker Power Wednesday,” a monthly event featuring labor-focused conversations. Lastly, LVDSA’s general meetings are on the first Thursday of the month, with the next one being November 4th.
Navarro’s Personal Experiences with LVDSA
Navarro shared that even though he had family living in Vegas when he first moved here, he didn’t know anyone outside of that circle. Joining LVDSA helped him gain a great sense of community and appreciate Vegas and Nevada more.
“It gave me a sense of purpose,” he said. “It’s nice to know that there are like-minded people out there working to make a difference.”
He added that the work he’s done also helps his mental health, with going out and working on something that you see that makes a visible impact on the community.
Sharing his favorite part about working with DSA, he said it was the community they help create.
“The work we’re doing is vital; it’s the main reason we’re all here,” he said. “The community keeps us going. And DSA helped create that sense of community for me.”
Navarro concluded by saying that he thinks many people might be intimidated, either by the idea of socialism or by the weight of all the issues to address. In particular, they may feel they don’t know enough theory or think they need to know something in the first place to participate.
“Anyone who’d like to get involved, hit us up, join us in the community!” he said. “We try to make it as welcoming as possible for new folks.”
#GetinMotion with LVDSA
There are several ways to get involved with LVDSA, whether directly or indirectly.
“Join a meeting, join the coalition, come out to the Sunday Solidarity events, volunteer, help us organize, and learn to organize,” Navarro said. “One thing that being with LVDSA taught me was that anyone can organize and can create change.”
Visit LVDSA’s website to learn more about the local chapter and check out their LinkTree for additional resources. Visit the national DSA’s website to learn more about getting involved on a larger scale.
Follow and Share
LVDSA is very active on all of its social media platforms. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news, events, and volunteer opportunities. LVDSA is also starting to create content on TikTok as well.
“The response on there has been exciting,” said Navarro. He also runs his own successful TikTok loosely related to his work with DSA with his brand of comedy intertwined.
Help break the algorithms on social media by liking and sharing their posts so they reach more people. You can also follow the national DSA’s pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well.
Donate
Another great way to help DSA’s efforts is by donating items needed for their Sunday Solidarity events.
Navarro said that the organization collects gently used household items, hats, sunglasses, sunblock, water, and food. Camping gears for the houseless community is also always appreciated.
To donate, stop by the Sunday Solidarity event every last Sunday of the month at 721 West McWilliams Avenue from 2 – 4 PM. You can also contact the organization for the location to drop off on a different day.
Make a monetary donation to LVDSA’s general fund here.
Join LVDSA
With more than 600 members in the Vegas chapter, the DSA is always looking to expand and recruit new members.
Becoming a member of LVDSA comes with many perks, including helping the organization make decisions. They can also run for leadership, hold positions on committees, and vote to address the issues they care about.
“Anyone can join any committee,” Navarro said. To join, visit the main DSA website to register and select your membership option.
Members choose to pay dues monthly or annually. Monthly dues are the amount that a member can afford, as low as $5 to $50 or a custom amount. Annual dues vary from $20 a year for students and Young DSA members up to $175 a year for ‘Sustainer’ members.
“Most people pay $10 a month,” Navarro said. “We try to help students and families on fixed incomes by providing them with different rates and dues waivers as needed.”
According to the DSA registration page, dues help support chapter training, new chapter start-up, member support, and YDSA. In addition, a portion of dues payments are shared with the chapter a member is registered with to help their specific priorities.
Take Action in Your Own Community
For those not ready to become a DSA member, there are still many ways to Get in Motion in your community that ultimately align with LVDSA’s efforts.
“Take action where you live and work,” Navarro said. This kind of action includes getting to know your neighbors and community better and organizing your workplace. Anything that puts the power back into the community and the hands of the people in it helps.
