Red Star Newsletter - June 2025
Hello from Red Star! Curious about what we’ve been up to? Read on to find out!
Red Star Convention Amendments!
Red Star has authored and co-authored the following amendments to bring to the 2025 national DSA convention! We ask that readers sign on to these amendments through DSA’s national forums so they can be heard and debated at convention come August. The deadline to sign amendments is this Sunday 6/29.
For a Member-Guided Budgeting Process - Authored by Red Star members John L. and Shane K.
This amendment more effectively centers chapters and members by aligning the base resolution more closely with best and realistic practices for managing organization funds. It defines key terms, prioritizes chapter funding, replaces rigid convention budgeting with a flexible spending framework, and improves communication between the NPC and staff union through CBA-guided collaboration.
For a Member-Led Grievance Response - Co-Authored by Red Star member Matt N. and Communist Caucus member Sarah M.
This amendment, written by two National Grievance Panelists, would:
- Move the responsibilities of the “National Grievance Coordinator” position to the NGP chairs.
- Put the responsibility for providing review and recommended revisions to the grievance process with the NGP, as the front-line responders to grievance issues and challenges.
- Develop the NGP chair roles and responsibilities.
DSA for Palestinian Self-Determination - Co-Authored by Red Star members Nayef A. and Hazel F., and Springs of Revolution (SoR) slate member Ethan E.
This amendment reframes DSA’s commitment to a single Palestinian state as part of a commitment to al-Thawabit, the red lines of the Palestinian people adopted by the Palestinian National Council in 1977, and clarifies that our support for a Palestinian state is the result of our unwavering commitment to their right to self-determination.
For a Strike Ready Labor for an Arms Embargo - Co-Authored by Red Star members Andrew D. and Hazel W., and SoR slate members Martina M. and John H.
This amendment brings the resolution further in line with other supply chain-based pressure campaigns already underway in the US and worldwide, by increasing the emphasis of the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign on workers’ self-organization to form International Solidarity organs in their unions and to become strike ready to directly stop the flow of arms. The amendment removes the mandate to run congressional candidates in the next two years.
Other Amendments Red Star is supporting/bringing to convention
Stipend the NPC - Authored by Libertarian Socialist Caucus (LSC) member Tom J.
Rural Organizing Under the GDC - Co-Authored by Red Star members John L. and Evelyn B., and LSC member Richard S.
Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements: Amendment to NEC Consensus Resolution #2 - Authored by Seattle DSA member Chanpreet S.
Leave Hiring to the NPC - Co-Authored by Pittsburgh DSA member Matt M. and Austin DSA member Quinn M.
We hope to see all of these amendments at convention in August!
Red Star NPC Candidates!
Back in May, Red Star announced our five candidates for the National Political Committee (NPC) in August. Our candidates consist of leaders throughout DSA who are dedicated to the organization and have proven their experience through and through. Come August we hope those of you who are delegates rank Red Star 1 through 5 on your NPC ballots!
Congratulations Zohran!
On Tuesday, DSA member Zohran Mamdani upset former New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary. Zohran’s victory shows the widespread support for a real alternative to the Democratic and Republican consensus, and DSA is closer than ever to seizing the opportunity to turn that support into a new socialist party.
Upcoming Cross-Caucus Forum hosted by Reform and Revolution!
This Sunday, 6/29, DSA’s Reform and Revolution caucus is hosting another cross-caucus forum. This time the forum is centered on DSA & the Struggle for Palestinian Liberation. Red Star will be sending our NPC candidate Hazel W. to speak on the panel about her experience organizing student encampments, working on the No Appetite for Apartheid campaign, and her help building a revolutionary organization.
Recipe Korner
Extremely Authentic Traditional Gochujang Miso Butter on Grilled Eggplants (and Such) by DSA Co-Chair Megan R.
It’s too hot to cook anything inside, so I’m in full grill mom mode, and one of my favorite grill mom go-to recipe additions is miso butter. I got it from David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook originally, I think, but because I can’t leave anything alone, I’ve tweaked it 100000x – honestly, you can do anything with a compound butter, but this is a go-to. This doesn’t seem that exciting on paper but I swear you’ll eat so much salty umami eggplant that you’ll give yourself a nightshade allergy and acute hypertension, but it’s worth it. Shout out to long-time recipe korner fan Elena G. from Chicago DSA who requested something vegetarian! This can easily be vegan or kosher non-dairy, too – any plant-based butter substitute works fine.
Half a stick/4tbsp of softened butter/butter-like substance (I use unsalted bc the miso is plenty salty)
2 tbsp miso (I like to use white miso for this bc it’s a little less salty but still plenty salty)
1 tbsp gochujang (this also has salt)
2 big eggplants, sliced in ¼-½-inch slices (I like them the long way bc less grate accidents)
Salt (we gotta salt the eggplants, that’s why I’m being weird about the rest of the salt)
Olive oil
1. Slice your eggplants and lay them in a big casserole dish of some sort and sprinkle them generously with salt. Leave them alone for at least 15 minutes; you’re trying to suck some moisture out of them.
2. In the summer, leaving the butter on the counter in my un-air-conditioned kitchen is plenty to get it real soft, but you can also just put it in the microwave for like 20 seconds and it’ll become mashable. Whatever gets you there, do it, soft is fine, even a little melty is fine.
3. Mash the miso and gochujang and the butter together with a fork. There is one fork in your drawer that will do a better job of this than the others, identify it and protect it with your life. I cannot identify this for you, this is a quest you must take up yourself.
4. Back to the eggplants! Dump a bunch of olive oil on them and try to spread it around with a little brush real quick because the eggplants are going to try to suck it all up instantaneously but they need it so they don’t stick to the grill.
5. Now we’re grillin’! On medium-ish, about 4-5 minutes per side, flipped just once, let ‘em char up and get soft.
6. The exciting part: take a little pastry brush (I like the silicone ones that you can put in the dishwasher) or just use a long handled spoon of some sort (grill is hot, so be careful) and give each eggplant a generous schmear, just enough to coat the side. Flip! Do the same on the other side, leave it on the grill just for a minute or so.
7. Miso gochujang butter is also really great spread on sweet corn on the cob, and can work for other grilled veggies too – I like it on zucchini a lot, I did it a few weeks ago on halved baby bok choy and it got all in the crevices which was great, you can also use it for meats or tofu if you want, it’s kind of a miracle condiment.