GreenLine: The E-Newsletter of the Green Party

As part of African-American Heritage Month, the Green Party wishes to honor the memory of Shirley Chisholm, a brave and articulate soul who died in January at age 80. Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American woman to serve in Congress and the first woman to run for president, in 1972. Chisholm had been elected against all odds to Brooklyn's 12th Congressional District in 1968, and she soon made it clear that she was "unbought and unbossed." She became an acerbic critic of the Washington establishment and the first in a distinguished line of African-American congressional representatives who have stood up to the oppressors. She wanted her presidential campaign to be a catalyst for change and to "make the other candidates start addressing the real issues."

During her years in Congress, Chisholm was an ardent proponent of civil and human rights, including women's rights, and she delivered an eloquent speech when she introduced the proposal for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1969. Chisholm felt she had been even more discriminated against for her gender than for her race.

By 1982 Washington's political climate had changed, and Chisholm ended the political career she'd begun in 1964 with her election to the New York State Assembly, retiring after seven terms in Congress to return to teaching. On leaving public service Chisholm said that she did not want to go down in history as the first African-American congresswoman. "I'd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts. That's how I'd like to be remembered."

In southern Oregon's conservative Douglas County, Pacific Green Party activist Stuart Leibowitz is educating his community about the potential effects of global warming. In 2003, in conjunction with other community activists and diverse groups, he organized the Global Warming Coalition, whose mission is to act as a catalyst for "promoting a healthy climate for our community and for future generations; identifying and sharing solutions through awareness, advocacy, and collaboration."

The Coalition has held forums with films and discussions sponsored by the Hybrid Car Rallies, the Energy and Climate Trusts, the Oregon Department of Energy, Pacific Power; and the Roseburg Chamber of Commerce. They are currently engaged in an ongoing survey of local businesses regarding energy efficiency practices, sharing this information at business lunches and through a website directory. They publish a monthly feature in the local newspaper, ?The Energy Efficiency Spotlight,? focusing on one of the business survey respondents, and they are working with a social service non-profit agency to design a demonstration low-energy usage facility.

Plans include advocacy for upgrading the mileage efficiency of city and county fleets, discussion of the impact of global warming on local wineries, and publishing regular features in the C of C newsletter.

This is just one of the many ways Greens are working to make positive changes in our communities.
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Black Caucus Update

This first year of activity as a fully accredited caucus has been a whirlwind of activities as we continue to progress on a number of fronts.

We are proud of our terrific website, www.gpblackcaucus.us built by our new webmaster Preston Holston (South Carolina). It is easy to navigate, has many articles of interest, news of activities, chat service, email and forums for members, and many other features. The Black Caucus continues to navigate a number of challenges within its own ranks, while focusing and moving forward in its goal of growing the Black Caucus and the Green Party.

We responded to a call for help from Gullageecheeland University in Brunswick Georgia, and Black Caucus Co-Chair Michele Tingling-Clemmons traveled there to develop an outreach plan to build the Black Caucus in Georgia.

BC Co-Chair Tingling-Clemmons also spoke on DC statehood at the national rally on the recount as did member Asa Gordon on his pro se suit against Bush & Gore. Attention to Gordon's suit and campaign to enforce the 14th Amendment Section 2, continues to grow, with BC and Cobb-LaMarche campaign support. It has also attracted Re-defeat Bush.org, which intends to make it a center point of activity after its retooling period.

Consistent with one of our earliest priorities, the BC supported the successful GPUS resolution in support of Haiti. BC co-chair Sundiata Xian Tellem has joined the newly formed GPUS Haitian Task Force. For more info, contact Logan Martinez at loganmartinez@hotmail.com.

In Washington, DC, as part of our national program to convene public programs on educational issues to attract, introduce and recruit brothers and sisters to the Green Party, our members locally are in the midst of organizing a program in honor of Black History Month. Call Rick, 202.397.2277 for details.

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