Vote No on Amendment 1
This Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Kansans will have the opportunity to vote on Amendment 1.
A “Yes” Vote: would completely overhaul the Kansas Supreme Court. The amendment would empower billionaire political donors to influence who sits on our Supreme Court, turning impartial justices into politicians for sale.
A “No” Vote: would maintain the impartial, merit-based system that Kansas has used for generations to select qualified, fair justices who rule based on the constitution.
Kansas AFROSOC Caucus
Membership and Outreach Coordinator, Matt is working with a National AFROSOC Executive Committee member, as well as other Kansas DSA chapters to discuss the creation of a state-wide AFROSOC Caucus. This would allow Black, Indigenous, and Kansans of Color to work together on issues impacting BIPOC Kansans, as well as in supporting the growth of BIPOC members in Kansas DSA chapters.
Matt is meeting with the AFROSOC exec on Friday, August 7, 2026 around 5:30 pm. If you are a Black, Indigenous, or comrade of color who would like to attend this discussion, reach out to Matt at membership@fhdsa.org.
Everybody Counts
This past Saturday, members of the chapter had the opportunity to volunteer and table at Everybody Counts, an annual community event held at the 900 block of Yuma Street at the Douglass Center Complex. We met members of the community as well as non-profit organizations and individuals who contribute to the health and wellness of the Manhattan and surrounding community, trying to meet the material needs of those most vulnerable.
Happening over the Next Two Weeks
Comrade club will meet tomorrow at 6pm at the Manhattan Public Library in the Collaboration Space. Come join us! This is a very lowkey and chill way to come meet some of the local socialists. Bring your reading, your homework, or latest craft!
Every Wednesday, comrades come together at the City Park in Manhattan to run. While some folks are training for a 5k, we welcome all comrades at all levels. Your running speed can actually be walking, that is fine!
Chapter General Body meeting
Our next chapter general body meeting will take place on August 10 at 6pm. If you would like to join us and do not know the location of the meetings, please reach out to admin@fhdsa.org. This is the first meeting under the new steering committee and we welcome any and all business to be considered. Please see the meeting agenda to suggest business or to see what we will be discussing.
Call for Volunteers
Chapter Socials and Drives
The Membership and Outreach Coordinators are working on two upcoming events for the end of August and beginning of September and need volunteers to help plan and coordinate.
The first event is a Community Potluck and End-of-Summer Food Drive on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
The second event is a Community Drive for K-State students and is in partnership with the YDSA, slated for Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Reach out to Matt and/or Nhic if you are interested in volunteering to help with either or both events!
Common Table
Common Table serves dinner every night, 365 days of the year. They are always looking for volunteers to help in providing this service.
Comrade Derron has signed up to volunteer as head cook on Sunday, August 23, 2026 and to be a cook’s helper on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Consider signing up to volunteer with Derron. We would love to see if we can’t get a group together each month to volunteer.
The opportunity to volunteer opens up in batches by month, so be on the look out for when volunteer opportunities for November and beyond open up!
Flint Hills Socialist Book Club
We Make the Rode by Walking
For the August Flint Hills Socialist Book Club, we will be reading We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Chang, which is a book that was produced by the conversations between the activists and educators, Myles Horton and Paulo Freire. If you are not unfamiliar with these two gentleman, do a little research. They are extraordinary. We will be meeting on August 30, 2026 at 5pm, location TBD, to discuss the book. If you need help finding the book or accessing it, do not hesitate to reach out to Derron.
We have moved from Bookclubs.com to Fable, which is app-based. Join us on Fable. We will be reading Robin D. G. Kelley’s Hammer and Hoe for September, in case you wanted to get a head start on procuring it.
Committees and Working Group Updates
CIVIC
The last time CIVIC met in June, before the July break, we were tasked with brining our ideas for engaging with the community that first, would improve upon the materially lives of our neighbors, and second, would provide an opportunity to recruit (if possible) new members to the chapter. If you were not able to attend the last meeting, begin thinking about these things. Information about regular meeting times will be forthcoming.
Housing Working Group
The Flint Hills Tenants United have been working over the last month to gather information and resources to provide to the public. In June, the group worked through a presentation on the housing crisis and how tenant organizing could address it. We are currently determining on a regular time to meet for the rest of the year, which was on the last Sunday of each month. If you would like to be involved in tenant organizing, reach out to the steering committee to be added to the Flint Hills Tenants United Discord server.
Political Education
Besides the book club, some members are interested in trying out The People’s Free School. Please fill out the this form if you would like to be part of the group convening for The People’s Free School and to provide your availability
Political Action
Amendment 1
The political action committee has been working to educate the Kansas public on the upcoming vote on amendment 1, which could change how Kansas Supreme Court judges are selected.
BIDEN Grant
Besides that, members also attended a Riley County Law Board meeting to voice concerns about the Riley County Police Department’s application for a $31 grant through the FY 2026 Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program, which would require the RCPD to house undocumented immigrants for HSI and ICE.
So far, an application has been submitted, and it would be up to the Riley County Commissioners to approve accepting the grant if it is awarded. The PAC will keep members up-to-date on this.
Data Center
No new movement has been made on the data center, though signatures are being collected in Pottawatomie, by one of our members to get a five-year moratorium on the county considering the construction of the data center. Any updates about the data center will be shared with the chapter in future newsletters.