Check out some highlights of what the D.C. Communist Party has been up to in 2023, as well as our continued work in the new year!

Building the movement for a ceasefire

Members of the D.C. Communist Party have been helping to lead efforts to get the D.C. city council to pass a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine. To increase pressure on the council, party activists joined with others in December in crashing Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chairperson Phil Mendelson’s holiday party going into the new year.

In addition, we have been involved in mobilizing community members to get their local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) to sign onto a letter calling for a ceasefire resolution from the city’s elected officials.

To help build community support for these efforts, we helped organize a cultural night for Palestine in November where we raised $2,200 for Pal Legal and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. We have also been involved in efforts to help develop and support cultural artists who will use their voices to strengthen the Palestine solidarity movement, and for the international solidarity more generally in D.C.

In a similar vein, our members also helped organize a drag show fundraiser for the Middle East Children’s Alliance and the Palestinian Youth Movement. That event also raised over $2000!

Also in November, we were part of an initiative honoring the memory of Fidel on the anniversary of his death. At that event, we heard from a variety of speakers, including Alejandro Gracía del Toro from the Cuban Embassy, and local Cuba solidarity activists representing eight different organizations.

Saturday School Is Back!

This year also saw the return of Saturday classes with Claudia Jones School for Political Education, a popular Marxist school with which we work closely. The school dealt with issues such as the socialist moment, as well as militarism and forced displacement.

These were augmented by the presence of representatives from the Palestinian Youth Movement, CISPES, and CPUSA co-chair Joe Sims. The Saturday School continues in 2024 with more speakers participating to share their knowledge on a range of exciting topics!

Hot Labor Summer (and fall)!

This year, local party members assisted the Claudia Jones School in holding an amazing labor organizing school, alongside D.C. Jobs with Justice and the Association of Flight Attendants.

We also joined with others in supporting Starbucks Workers United actions and walking the picket line with WGA members.

For pride month, we celebrated by participating in a Claudia Jones School panel discussion on drag, queer culture, and its connections with labor issues.

(Even More) International Solidarity Work

A massive victory was achieved in D.C. this year with the passage of The Sense of the Council Resolution to Restore Cuba American Relations Act of 2023! The D.C. club played an important role in organizing for its passage.

Supporting efforts to combat Cold War 2.0 narratives, our members were involved in organizing an event on China’s poverty alleviation programs. There, participants heard from CPUSA co-chair Rossana Cambron, who gave a report back from her recent trip to the country.

Members of the D.C. Communist Party and Young Communist League also participated in a rally for Latin American and Caribbean sovereignty.

This is but a snippet of the activities of the party and YCL in D.C. For more, make sure to follow us on Instagram @dccommunists to see what we’re up to in 2024!

Images: Photos 1–2, 4 by Brandon Ellis; All others courtesy of Claudia Jones School for Political Education

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