NORTH CAROLINA GREEN PARTY 

A NEW YEAR
So much feels different about this one, right? Here, we see inspired new party leadership, supporter and member numbers growing again, social media sites lively as never before, passionate activists now on the ground weekly … still in the fight for People, Planet & Peace. We Greens aren’t just a party preference, we’re here to make an impact – with our voices, with our partner organizations, with our Green candidates, with YOU. All of us are needed in this fight. The year ahead that we face still remains fraught with raging wars and genocide, injustices, environmental degradation, and more. As Greens, we can’t help but to find it within ourselves to remain undaunted, to bravely speak out about our vision and values, to selflessly act to address shared and challenging problems – for our own communities and beyond. May all of us remain hopeful, determined and courageous in this new year!

WEBSITE UPDATES 
Check out and bookmark our website ncgreenparty.org if you haven’t been there in a while. First see our unwavering Home page statement of solidarity on occupied Palestine. Our About section now displays an NCGP Organization graphic, which is meant to bring a better understanding of how we’re organized and working together. The NCGP is not an enigma, it’s a body of real and dedicated folks who would welcome more help at any number of projects. See the Get Involved page for your possible new year’s resolution.

Also at our About section under Contacts & Officers, we provide a link to NCGP Coordinating Committee Profiles, where you can now read about those currently serving on the Coordinating Committee. We’ve revised Become a Member or Renew Dues, and under Resources, we're significantly adding to our list of Partners & Active Alliances. We’ve added a Calendar to show dates of our major meetings and events. And finally, see our updated Candidates section to follow those endorsed by the NCGP running in 2024.

POSITIONS STILL OPEN FOR 2024  
The NCGP is still seeking volunteers for:  Local Growth Chair, Fundraising Chair, and Media Team Chair. These are appointed positions with a one-year term. If you might be interested or wish to know more, please contact [email protected] to arrange for a conversation by phone.

Please continue reading for much more news!

COMING IN JANUARY – NEW MONTHLY GREEN PARTY ORIENTATION

             Every 3rd Sunday at 6pm starting Jan 21st
Answering the need for better understanding and engagement by new supporters and members of the Green Party, the Membership Team will begin to offer an online session beginning in January for a virtual New Member Orientation. Rotating hosts will share NCGP’s powerpoint presentation, followed by time for Q&A. These will be promoted widely and put on our NCGP monthly calendar.

FALL 2023 STATEWIDE GATHERING
Held on Sat Nov 18 as a hybrid meeting (in person and on Zoom), NCGP members loved the new venue of The People’s Solidarity Hub in Durham. This was the single business meeting held in 2023 with a very full agenda. Voting members (with dues current and Green voter registrations) approved a 2024 Budget, elected some new Officers for the Coordinating Committee, and elected Delegates to the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) Presidential Nominating Convention (PNC). The membership considered but voted down two Bylaws changes from past NCGP co-chair Tony Ndege, although possibly those and any other Bylaws/Platform proposals will be main agenda items for discussion at our 2024 Spring Statewide Gathering (date tba). 

Participants heard from Wayne Turner of the Candidate Endorsement Committee about the ongoing process of the PNC and the slowly evolving recognition of Green presidential candidates. At the local/state level, endorsed for 2024 so far are Michael Dublin and Joshua Bradley, both of whom attended to introduce themselves and present their vision and platforms. The Gathering also gave time for presentations by Matthew Skolar of Young Ecosocialists and by invited special guest Shaun Little Horn, Co-Chair of the South Dakota Green Party which gained GPUS Accreditation in October.

ANNOUNCING ENDORSED CANDIDATES FOR 2024 (so far!)
More info on these candidates and their campaigns will be available soon, once their websites are up. These fine gentlemen will be on the November ballot and are looking for all the Green volunteer help they can get in the months ahead.
Please go to NCGP website’s 2024 Candidates page to sign up to be a campaign volunteer and/or to Donate to Our 2024 Candidate Drive to help.

                        
You can also go to a new expanding website just for our 2024 candidates – ncgpcandidates.org – where you can already find Michael Dublin’s platform and links to volunteer or donate.

INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC LAUNCH OF
MICHAEL DUBLIN'S CAMPAIGN FOR US CONGRESS



When:    Saturday, January 20th, from 2:30-4:30pm
Where:   Inside the John Chavis Community Center
                     505 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Raleigh        

We’d like to see all Greens in and around the Triangle area come out to stand with Michael and cheer him on!

In November, Michael will face the winners of the Democratic primary (Incumbent Deborah Ross up for reelection) and of the Republican primary. This is a race for the 2nd Congressional District seat, representing most of Wake County.

WHAT’S WITH THE GREEN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT AND THE PRIMARIES?
The important thing to know – the State of North Carolina does not require parties to participate in the March state-run primaries in order to have their presidential candidate on the ballot for the November 2024 general election. The NC Green party understands the concerns of its members and appreciates your patience. A strong Green candidate will be on the November ballot.

A detailed explanation of the process and candidates’ status has gone out to our Member Actions group from Wayne Turner of the Candidate Endorsement Committee. The NC Green Party communicated with the State Board of Elections prior to its Dec 6 filing deadline to submit candidate names for the primary, and confirmed with them that the Green Party presidential nominating process was still ongoing. Six candidates (Cooke, Davi, Sherman, Stein, Tolar, and Zavala) currently seek the GPUS nomination, but five have not yet met all signature/financial benchmarks required for official recognition. That must happen before the NCGP recognizes one or more of them as well. When recognized, a candidate will then be in the running for the Green Party nomination, with voting to take place at a virtual Presidential Nominating Convention this coming summer. Until then, while individual NCGP members may have a personal preference, the NCGP officially cannot publicly endorse or promote any one of them.

NCGP GAINS NOTICE & FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

                    

The great work by Media Team members Kalia Fitzgerald and Janie Ekere over the last six months is bringing the NCGP lots of attention, highlighting news, issues and actions now almost daily across our many platforms. This presence is critical, especially going into 2024, since more people than ever before are looking outside the two-party duopoly. They need to know where Greens stand and who we stand with. Please check out our social media, post and participate as you can.

      NCGP Official Facebook Page            instagram.com/ncgreenparty
                NCGP Main Facebook Group                             
                                                                           twitter.com/North CarolinaGP

            ARE YOU STILL AN UNAFFILIATED VOTER?

We’re still reminding those who were formerly registered Greens that their state voter registration was changed by the Board of Elections to Unaffiliated while the Green Party did not have ballot access. Please re-register as a Green, if you haven’t done so already. Visit your local Board of Elections or DMV office, or you can complete the needed form online. How to Register | NCSBE 

Growing the number of registered Green voters will help us keep our ballot line!

FALL 2023 ACTIVITIES AROUND NORTH CAROLINA
Greens tabled at annual September Pride events in Hickory and Durham, and some were tabling for the first time at the huge Hispanic Heritage Fiesta in Siler City. We’re still introducing the Green Party to most of the people at all of these events who know little to nothing about the Greens. At least one of our members, the intrepid Maple Osterbrink, went down in solidarity to Georgia to join the Stop Cop City protests, and she’s been keeping tabs on that and the fracked gas pipelines issue for us.

October kicked off with the perennial and crowded Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Pittsboro, where tabling extended over several days. But by the end of that weekend, news from Palestine began to reach us and take precedence over other event plans and party organizing work. The plight of Gaza affected Greens and our allies profoundly, and thus began continuing weekly demonstrations and marches – Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, and Asheville, covered in numerous Facebook posts.

A large group from the NCGP and many partner organizations in NC traveled to the DC capitol on Nov 4 for the National March on Washington. Here in NC, the organizations participating and allied now number over 20, all pledged to continue protesting and putting pressure on elected officials. An anti-war movement revived perhaps, if lessons have been learned from the past – we must all be soberly aware that struggles to end war, genocide, occupation or apartheid and to find a lasting and just peace are long and difficult.

                                                     
           Greens & our friends in front              Wayne Turner, Michael Dublin,
           of the White House on Nov 4             and Rohima Miah at yet another
           trying to wake up the occupant!        rally in Raleigh for Palestine

                                                         
           Matt Hoh (left) at Statewide          Anna Lee Dillon (left) holds banner     
           March for Palestine stands            in a Raleigh march with other Green   
           with Michael Dublin, NCGP         Party members and those from 20       
           candidate for US Congress           other NC organizations in solidarity

Friend and former Green senatorial candidate Matthew Hoh reminded us again at the Statewide March for Palestine on Dec 23 in his stirring speech – those responsible for spreading lies and stoking fears are the ones profiting from the horrors of war, again. We appreciate all who continue to come out to protest non-violently in your area, demanding a Ceasefire Now and a Free Palestine.

CHAPTER & WORKING GROUP NEWS
Four chapters once affiliated with NCGP – Charlotte, Triad, Western NC, and Eastern NC/Cape Fear – are currently considered inactive, that is, members are not meeting and organizing regularly, although their Facebook pages are still alive. The Coordinating Committee (CC) is receiving requests from many individuals interested in these chapters, and it’s hoped they can be revitalized in 2024. That will likely take some former chapter members to step back up. The CC will be reaching out soon to folks in these regions to see what might be possible, even if formal affiliation is not an immediate goal. Much comes from a group simply meeting regularly for a time and safe space to talk with Green comrades.

Triangle Chapter – Traditionally the largest and most active group, folks across this region have continued to be involved in events and actions organized by NCGP leadership, the many of whom live in that area. However, former chapter members have expressed the desire to reactivate and came together on Sat Dec 2 to begin that discussion. NCGP’s former Interim Vice-Chair Rohima Miah of Raleigh has stepped forward to help with leadership in reactivating the Triangle Chapter. Rohima is a long-time and experienced activist, previously involved with labor and anti-racist movements. She’d like to work towards making NCGP part of a growing movement and expanding its mission by growing the party particularly in the working poor, black, brown and indigenous communities. Triangle Greens can expect to hear soon about future meetings. 

               Rohima Miah                  Keenen Altic

Labor Actions Working Group – At various events over the last several years, the NCGP has long collected names of dozens of people across the state who’d like to take part in such a group. Recently, we’ve had a volunteer to help get things going – Keenen Altic of Winston-Salem, who previously ran as a Green party candidate for the Forsyth County Commission. Keenen has a long and passionate involvement in labor issues and unions. Those who have signed up or who do so soon may expect to hear about plans for this much needed Working Group whose focus will be state-wide.

WRITINGS FROM OUR MEMBER VOLUNTEERS …

    WHY I’M A GREEN – by Vivian Lembo 

The year 2016 was pivotal for me. After giving up hope that either Democrats or Republicans would do anything to alleviate the growing social injustices, I felt that things would never get better. But then Bernie Sanders brought a message to the American people, and we responded. Yes, there is a growing inequality of wealth, very little tolerance for minority groups, a chipping away of basic rights, a need to lift the poor and for a healthcare system for all of us, and so on. At that moment, I became hopeful, but not because I believed that the message would change anything in Washington, but because it showed me that I was not alone.

Why the Green Party? Because I am imagining a better future. We live in a world on fire, and I believe that despite the uncertainty, inequality and global suffering, this moment presents an opportunity for our movement to bring a new vision where everyone matters, is equally valued and everyone is connected.

ROOTS, QUOTES & INSPIRATION

   
“The Green Party is no longer the alternative, it is the imperative.”
-- Rosa Clemente

This was Rosa speaking in 2008 as the Green Vice-Presidential running mate with Cynthia McKinney, and it continues to be a main message of the Green Party. Rosa, a ‘98 Cornell grad, identifies herself today as Black Puerto Rican. In 2024, she remains a Green, a community organizer, independent journalist, speaker, and scholar/activist for social justice and Black liberation. At 51, Rosa is working on her doctoral dissertation and hosts the video series Disrupt the Chaos which can be found on Rosa Clemente's YouTube channel.

IN THE NEXT NCGP NEWSLETTER …

• Updates on CC activity and a date for our 2024 Spring Gathering 
  
• Information on submitting any proposals for changes to our Platform or Bylaws
• Latest news on Green candidates – local, state and national
• Troubling legislation passed by the NC Legislature that needs pushback
• Labor actions around the state that need our support
• Environmental hotspots and issues getting overlooked 

                                      

Please share this newsletter with friends who might be interested in supporting or joining the Green Party. Send comments or submission of news items for possible inclusion in our next quarterly newsletter to the Newsletter Editor at [email protected]