Baltimore Activist Alert – May 24 – 25, 2026

Baltimore Activist Alert – May 24 – 25, 2026

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. 

If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to Max Obuszewski, BNC, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Max can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Contact the White House

3] Need help in archiving activist material

4] Get the book A Bag of Snakes

5] Get the book Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois

6] Labor History Project

7] Friends meeting – May 24

8] Remembrance Day – May 24

9] Canvass for Aparna Raj – May 24

10] Meet the CAIR Team – May 24

11] Music against Genocide -- May 24

12] Canvass for Raaheela Ahmed and Imara Crooms – May 24

13] Canvass for Gabe Acevero & Zola Shaw - May 24

14] Canvass for Josie Caballero – May 24

15] May Political Discussion Forum – May 24

16] Weekly PDA Town Hall – May 24

17] PG County DSA meeting – May 24

18] Vigil at the Pentagon – May 25

-----

1] – Buttons, bumper stickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

2] –The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] –  Janice Sevre-Duszynska needs some assistance in archiving her activist material.  If you are interested in this project, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

4] – Barry Lee Burnside, a gaggle of great writers and copy editors are making available “A Bag of Snakes: Selected Writings on Prisons and the Death Penalty by Murphy Davis and Eduard Loring. Edited by Barry Lee Burnside.” Your donation will provide a needed financial boost for the printing costs. The suggested donation is $20 for one copy; and $30 for your copy and an additional copy for a prisoner or someone in need. Any donation is appreciated. More or less you will receive the book.  Barry and the team have spent over two years putting this book together. It begins with outlines and notes found in the boxes of materials Murphy left when she ascended. The work is a work of love, and all involved are proud of the fruit borne by seeds nourished in good soil.

To order by postal mail, make your check to Open Door Community.  Send it to Open Door Community, PO Box 10980, Baltimore 21234.  For any questions, contact David Payne at 404-290-2047 or davidpayne@opendoorcommunity.org.

5] – Another book to consider purchasing is Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois. His new book is both memoir and position-paper, and it makes the case that the Roman Catholic Church is a corrupt system that spits out truth-tellers. The crime he was excommunicated for was attending the ordination ceremony of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, Kentucky, in August 2008. The ordination was under the auspices of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.  The Vatican’s response has been to excommunicate any woman who has the audacity to see herself as a priest equal to a male priest. You can purchase a copy from Amazon or by Kindle.

Here are two quotes to contemplate: “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men. She is to keep silent.” – Timothy 1, 2:12-13.  “If the patriarchy that dominates the church is not dismantled and women are not treated as equals, the church will continue to diminish and, eventually, die.” – Roy Bourgeois.

6] – William Barry [billbarry21214@gmail.com] has a request. As the country begins to celebrate our 250th anniversary, our history is complicated but one thing is certain--labor history is always deleted. So he created the MD250 Labor History Project, and hopes you will participate by sending in labor history materials, and by sharing it with your friends, as part of creating a union movement. Go to https://www.md250laborhistory.org/

"We are either part of the solution or part of the problem." "The only reason an organization has dead wood is that management either hired dead wood or it hired live wood and killed it."   - W. Edwards Deming

7] – Homewood Friends Meeting [homewoodfriends@gmail.com] gathers for worship on Sundays at 10:30 AM at 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218 and on Zoom.  A simple lunch will take place after the 10:30 AM worship. Call 410-235-4438. To join by Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/255867065?pwd=UDNxVnlVSkZQOHlXWlc3NHpHeHdhZz09#success

8] – On Sun., May 24 from 10:30 AM to noon, the Baltimore Ethical Society is hosting an online event "Remembrance Day" with Karen Elliott. In the traditional Remembrance Day celebration together, it is a time to think and share about those who are no longer with us but whose lives made a difference in ours. You may choose to remember someone you knew personally or someone whose words, art, or other work made a difference in your life. Many are also feeling the loss of institutions that have closed in recent years or beliefs that have been shown to be more aspirational or optimistic rather than reality based. Sharing our losses may not make them less painful, but the caring support of the community can remind us that we are not alone in dealing with loss. Elliott is a long time member of the Baltimore Ethical Society. RSVP at https://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/314486596/?eventOrigin=group_events_listhttps://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/314486596/?eventOrigin=group_events_listhttps://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/314486596/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

9] – On Sun., May 24 from 11 AM to 6 PM at the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza, 1400 Park Road NW, WDC 20010, canvass with the Aparna Raj campaign. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/524-aparna-raj-canvassing?link_id=5&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-15-2026&email_referrer=email_3250452&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-22-2026&&

Join Metro DC DSA to knock on doors for Aparna Raj, followed by a social. If you can't make it at 11 AM, there will also be a launch at 1 PM. Training will be provided, and you should bring a charged phone, water, and good walking shoes.

10] – The CAIR Team [info@cair.com] on Sun., May 24  starting at 11 AM is inviting you to come to the ICNA Convention on Sun., May 25 at the Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St., Baltimore 21201. You can meet the CAIR staff in booths C54 and C56, learn more about its work, and pick up your legislative scorecard as this is an important election year.  Check out the booths from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.

11] – Doctors against Genocide [leadership@doctorsagainstgenocide.org] on Sun., May 24 at noon ET hope you will attend a webinar - Music against Genocide. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aUUzycRDSwaem750Nc6iFg?link_id=2&can_id=97d9dcde7f1139b53dab0dda926a48f2&source=email-reminder-join-us-sunday-at-12pm-for-urgent-updates&email_referrer=&email_subject=genocide-is-a-cancer-left-untreated-it-metastasizes&&&link_id=1&can_id=97d9dcde7f1139b53dab0dda926a48f2&email_referrer=email_3177710&&&email_subject=medicine-and-lives-under-attack#/registration

This week’s webinar brings together two urgent and deeply human conversations. Hear from Ahmed Muin Abu Amsha, founder and coordinator of Gaza Birds Singing, a musical ensemble created with displaced children and dedicated educators in Gaza. In makeshift tents, amid drones, bombs, rubble, and destruction, children are learning to sing and play instruments together. Their music is not an escape from reality. It is a form of survival. It is a refusal to surrender beauty, dignity, and joy. It is music against genocide.

You will also hear from Dr. Mansoor Malik, who was given an award by the American Psychiatric Association for work that “perfectly embodies the spirit of Dr. Chester Pierce’s legacy,” yet was not allowed to deliver his scheduled lecture.  Dr. Malik’s lecture asks one of the most important questions facing the healing professions today: What happens when institutions built to recognize psychological harm learn to look away from the largest concentration of psychological injury on earth?

12] – Join a canvass for PG candidates Raaheela Ahmed and Imara Crooms on Sun., May 24 from 1 to 4 PM at Rosaryville Elementary School, 9925 Rosaryville Road, Upper Marlboro 20772. Email alexarevalo179@gmail.com. RSVP at  https://actionnetwork.org/events/joint-canvass-for-pg-candidates-imara-and-raaheela/?link_id=9&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-15-2026&email_referrer=email_3250452&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-22-2026&&

Longtime chapter member Imara Crooms is running for Prince George's County Council District 9, and Raaheela Ahmed for Maryland State Senate District 23! Imara is running to fight for people centric development, increased police accountability, and increased transit infrastructure in South County. Raaheela is a lifelong PG County resident and former member of the PG Board of Education, and running on a platform of fully-funding county public schools, dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, safeguarding our immigrant neighbors, affordable housing, and universal healthcare.

13] – In Montgomery County: Metro DC DSA endorsed candidates Gabe Acevero and Zola Shaw are holding a joint canvass to reach critical voting precincts. Gabe and Zola have the support of unions, immigrant rights groups, and progressive advocacy groups; both candidates are facing developer-funded slates aimed at keeping progressives out of office. The joint canvass will be launched on Sun., May 24 at 1 PM and at 3 PM at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, 12260 McDonald Chapel Drive, Gaithersburg 20878. Come out to canvas for the MoCo DSA endorsed candidates Gabe Acevero and Zola Shaw! Knock on doors to tell all about Gabe, Zola and their tireless support for the community!  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/gabezola-joint-canvas/?link_id=14&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-15-2026&email_referrer=email_3250452&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-22-2026&&

14] – In Montgomery County, canvass for Josie Caballero on Sun., May 24 from 2 to 6 PM at the Sligo-Bennington Neighborhood Park, 599 Bennington Dr., Silver Spring 20910. Get a brief training before the canvass. RSVP at the Sligo-Bennington Neighborhood Park, 599 Bennington Dr., Silver Spring 20910. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/sun-524-josie-caballero-canvass-in-silver-spring/?link_id=18&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-15-2026&email_referrer=email_3250452&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-22-2026&&

Knock on doors in Silver Spring. It is around a 20 minute walk and bus ride from the Silver Spring Metro stop.

15] – Join a May Political Discussion Forum on Sun., May 24 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM ET at Friends Meeting of Washington, 2111 Decatur Place NW, WDC 20008. You can attend the forum in person or on Zoom.  A link will be communicated before the event. These forums are a new, recurring discussion space intended to deepen chapter-wide political discussion and facilitate engagement around important questions facing our chapter as well as the broader socialist movement. The first topic will be: What are our values as socialists, and how do we apply them in building chapter politics and culture? RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/may-political-discussion-forum?link_id=65&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-15-2026&email_referrer=email_3250452&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-may-22-2026&&

16] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] on Sun., May 24 at 4 PM will hold its weekly Town Hall with a theme Help End the Trump Era. The next stop: the June 2nd primaries in New Jersey, New Mexico, California, Iowa, South Dakota, and Montana. RSVP at https://pdamerica.org/

The featured guests will be PDA-endorsed candidates for Congress from New Jersey and Montana - both of whom have a great chance of prevailing in their primaries and triumphing in the fall. Now, it seems we're in the midst of the most successful era for progressive candidates in half a century. Dr. Adam Hamawy is running for Congress in New Jersey's 12th District. A combat trauma surgeon, Army veteran, 9/11 responder, and humanitarian physician. He is campaigning on healthcare, affordability, and standing up to special interests, and has earned support from progressive leaders and organizations for his commitment to working families and bold reform. Sam Forstag, running in Montana’s 1st district—will be part of another round of PDA-endorsed candidates with primaries on June 2nd. Sam was working as a firefighter in the federal government when DOGE put him out of work.

Mayor Mamdani's victory in New York City inspired millions across the country and the world to embrace unapologetically progressive policies as the best solutions to the myriad crises afflicting working- and middle-class Americans.  Both Adelita Grijalva in Arizona and Analilia Mejia in New Jersey campaigned as no-holds-barred progressives, and both won resounding victories in special elections to fill vacant seats in Congress. Then, just this Tuesday, all four of PDA's endorsed candidates won in Pennsylvania, including a spectacular victory by Democratic Socialist Chris Rabb in Philadelphia.

17] – On Sun., May 24 at 8 PM, there will be a PG County DSA Abolition Working Group meeting. Email stancil.marcus@gmail.com. RSVP and a link will be sent: https://actionnetwork.org/events/pgcdsa-abolition-working-group-meeting-4?referrer=marcus-stancil&source=direct_link&link_id=0&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&email_referrer=email_3250457&&&email_subject=pgcdsa-abolition-working-group-meeting-5242026.

18] – There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  However, the Pentagon police, presumably on the orders of President Trump, have made it impossible to protest on the reservation. Now it will take place on the corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr. in Arlington, VA.  The next vigil is May 25, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 

By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begins at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. The restrooms are located inside Marriot Providence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs