About us
Welcome to the online home of the Metro DC (DC/MD/Northern VA) Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)!
The DSA is the largest and fastest growing socialist organization in the United States. We believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. DSA's members are building movements for social and economic justice while fighting for change in our communities and workplaces.
Stay connected by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Not a member yet? Join here! DSA is a democratic, grassroots, and member funded organization and we need people power to fight for the future we deserve. Join today!
Inquiries: media@mdcdsa.org
Upcoming events
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Copaganda | Socialist Night School
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC, USIn this session, author Alec Karakatsanis will discuss the machinery of Copaganda, from his 2025 book. In this form of propaganda, media outlets, police, and prosecutors feed us calculated and distorted views of crime, punishment, and safety. They shape who we fear and how we react, distracting us from the material conditions of our society.
Copaganda mystifies why consequential things happen in our society, specifically about how politics and power work. A sprawling and profitable punishment bureaucracy focuses our attention on things like shoplifting by poor people, while ignoring crimes of wage theft, tax evasion, and environmental pollution that harm far more people.
Karakatsanis explores how this punishment bureaucracy spends significant time and money manipulating us to see the world from its point of view. This includes the contrived volume of news we are exposed to, how it stirs moral panics, how particular sources as well as “bad academic work” shape the news, and how the media smuggle political, ideological, and moral judgments into reporting. While copaganda leads us to the conclusion we should increase repression through police, prosecution, and prisons, Karakatsanis speaks to how we can resist current policies like mass incarceration for profit.
Alec Karakatsanis founded the Civil Rights Corps, an organization that challenges systemic injustices in the U.S. legal system. He was named the 2016 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Public Justice for designing and litigating landmark constitutional challenges to cash bail and modern debtors’ prison practices across the United States. He is the author of Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Injustice System and Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News.This event is co-sponsored by the Political Education and Abolition Working Groups.
You may attend virtually at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OKKh6vFDS1e0vZFK7Lf-ng
This event has a room capacity of 50 people. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have accessibility concerns, please reach out to the event coordinator and we'll do our best to accommodate!
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This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.
Not a Member? Please consider becoming a Member. Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.
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NOTE: This event will be recorded and may be shared on MDC DSA’s social media platforms for educational purposes. By participating, you acknowledge that you may be videotaped and livestreamed. If you wish to avoid being recorded, you should take efforts to avoid appearing on camera or speaking.3 attendees
New Magazine Essays Happy Hour
Madam's Organ, 2461 18th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USMetro DC DSA's New Magazine Essays Discussion Club hosts a monthly happy hour as an informal supplement to our regular discussions. Stop by Madam's Organ anytime from 6–8 p.m. to meet other members of the discussion club and chat about what you've been reading.
All are welcome, and most drinks and apps are in the $3–$6 range!
Please RSVP on Action Network to receive further updates on this event.
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This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.
Not a Member? Please consider becoming a Member. Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.
1 attendee
Why You Should Join DSA: New Member Orientation
·OnlineOnlineCurious about DSA? Thinking about joining but want to hear more info first? Attended a few of our events already and ready become a member? Already a member and want to get more involved?
If so, this event is for you!
You'll learn about DSA, what we do, and how you can get involved in the fight for a brighter future. We'll outline our chapter's structure and our campaigns, working groups, and branches. Our chapter covers the DMV area, including the district, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County and Prince George's County in Maryland.
Please RSVP on Action Network to receive further updates on this event.
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This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.
Not a Member? Please consider becoming a Member. Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.
5 attendees
Past events
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