OUR COMMITTEES
COMMUNICATIONS
The Communications Committee works with other divisions of BGDSA to distribute information both internally and externally, spread our message consistently, and engage with the wider community. It’s responsible for BGDSA’s website, social media accounts, and weekly newsletter. It also coordinates the design, creation, and distribution of various other materials, including flyers, buttons, zines, and artwork.
COMMUNITY DEFENSE
The Community Defense Committee works to protect local marginalized groups at the community level, including reducing the efforts of anti-minority legislation and campaigning for protective legislation. It also helps prepare for events that demand a high level of safety organization by hosting workshops for both our members and for the community at large.
ELECTORAL
A crucial part of DSA’s platform is to push for structural change, not just direct action. The Electoral Committee is how BGDSA works toward this on a policy level. Whether through candidate selection, campaign training, canvassing and research, or official Chapter endorsements, this committee works to run strong, socialist campaigns to improve material conditions for the working class.
GROWTH & OUTREACH
The Growth & Outreach Committee coordinates recruitment and tabling efforts for the chapter and supports efforts to start and sustain other DSA chapters, as well as YDSA chapters, in our region. It also acts as a liaison between other regional DSA chapters, YDSA chapters, and BGDSA.
LABOR
Organized labor is the cornerstone of our movement. To that end, the Labor Committee works to support both potential and existing local unions and organizes and trains future labor organizers. It maintains relationships with many regional unions, including, but not limited to, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), Third Street Staff Union (TSSU), and United Campus Workers (UCW).
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT
The Membership Engagement Committee oversees initiatives concerning membership retention, engagement, participation, and leadership development by coordinating social events and events for development, reaching out to inactive members, and polling membership for areas of improvement. Its goal is for activities to be inclusive, culturally competent, and non-oppressive to marginalized groups.
MUTUAL AID
All individuals deserve support for their well-being. The Mutual Aid Committee strives to provide that support through inclusive resources that honor individuals’ unique experiences and needs. It facilitates a voluntary mutual exchange of support, solutions, and sustaining resources to the area of the Bluegrass as a whole, and particularly its marginalized populations, including working towards harm reduction efforts for those struggling with addiction.
POLITICAL EDUCATION
To achieve class consciousness, we need political education. The Political Education Committee leads these efforts for both Chapter members and the general public by organizing educational training and events, including reading discussion groups and film screenings.
PRIORITY CAMPAIGNS
DEFLOCK
Do you ever feel like you’re being watched?
Since 2022, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) has been in a contract with Flock Safety, a for-profit corporation. Our public funds currently pay for more than 125 Flock cameras throughout Fayette County; these cameras create a “fingerprint” for every single vehicle that drives past them and put that record in a searchable database. It is currently all but impossible to drive from one part of Lexington to another without this company and the government knowing where you went and when.
Police departments across the country say they need this technology to stop car thefts and catch criminals, but the vast majority of people tracked by this system are law-abiding citizens. To make matters worse, Lexington police don’t even own this information about you; Flock does. We have no control over this, and they can do whatever they want with it, including hand it over to ICE or other federal agencies.
We think this is a bad deal for our city and our democracy, and not one that most Lexingtonians would ever agree to if they knew the facts. Deflock the Bluegrass is a new campaign by the Bluegrass Democratic Socialists of America to fight back against this overreach and protect everyone’s right to privacy.