ELAINE BROWN WITHDRAWS
FROM GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Renounces Green Party Membership
_____________________________

OPEN STATEMENT TO THE GREEN PARTY

As of today, I am no longer a candidate for the Green Party nomination for president of the United States, and I hereby resign from all affiliation with the Green Party. I believe the leadership of the Green Party of the United States has been seized by neo-liberal men who entrench the Party in internecine antagonisms so as to compromise its stated principles and frustrate its electoral and other goals. They have made it impossible to advance any truly progressive ideals or objectives under the umbrella of the Green Party, and, thus, rendered it counterproductive for me to go forward as a Green Party candidate or member.

I believe this small clique that has captured control of the Party has transformed it into a repository for erstwhile, disgruntled Democrats, who would violate the Party�s own vision and sabotage the good will and genuine commitment of the general membership. Indeed, these usurpers foster a reactionary agenda, supporting partisans in and backers of the Bush wars and disavowing the Party�s more progressive tenets in favor of promoting high-profile participation in the politics of the establishment.

This became clear to me almost from the moment I announced my candidacy in February of 2007. I intended using my campaign to bring large numbers of blacks and browns into the Party, particularly from the hood and the barrio�as would come to be reflected in the lists of supporters and delegates I�ve submitted in connection with my candidacy. As I asserted
I would use the respect I enjoyed as a former leader of the Black Panther Party to do so, some in the hierarchy seemed utterly fearful of the prospect of a massive influx of blacks and browns into the Green Party. Soon, there was wide circulation of false rumors that I was a one-time �government agent,� which was intended to discredit my history in the Black Panther Party so as to undermine my potential influence.�And, since then, I have had to devote significant time and energy to addressing these lies.�What this effort revealed, though, was how the Green Party, while advocating �diversity,� remains dominated by whites. Indeed, the Party is able to count less blacks, browns and natives in its membership than our national population percentages and certainly less than the Democrats themselves.

In effect, the present Green Party leadership promotes a kinder, gentler capitalism, a moderated racism, an environmentally-sustainable globalism, which I cannot support. They are dedicated to the underside of the Party�s platform, which falls short of repudiating the capitalist state,
source of all the social ills the Party would address. They equivocate by promoting �an economic alternative to corporate capitalism and a socialist state,� advocate a �re-formulation� of the IMF, NAFTA, so forth, and advance the institution of �stakeholder capitalism.�

On the other hand, they demonstrate a willingness to override the best of the Party�s platform. My sharp criticism of high-profile Party members� support for the �three-strikes� crime laws, the sole basis for the inhumane mass incarceration of people in the United States, particularly blacks�the repeal of which the Party�s platform advocates�has been met with outright enmity. And, to divert attention from this and other critical issues, the leadership has employed chicanery in their promulgation of defamatory lies about me�which they finally extended to character assaults on my supporters and critics of their unscrupulousness.

It is my sincere belief that the Green Party as it now exists has no intention of using the ballot to actualize real social progress, and will aggressively repel attempts to do so. To remain in the fray or in the Party, then, would require a betrayal of my lifelong and ongoing commitment to serving the interests of black and other oppressed people by advancing revolutionary change in America.

We will be meeting in the Brown Beret office this Sunday Dec. 23rd to distribute the toys we gather to some needy kids in local barrios. Please drop all toys, wrapped or unwrapped off at our meeting this Thursday or bring them to our actual distribution, pre-wrapped, Sunday at noon. To arrange pick up or drop off of toy please call 951 880 3941. Revolutionary love for your support…. La Lucha Sigue

California voters will go to the polls on February 5, 2008!!!

The California Presidential Primaries are just over two months away!

How can you help ELAINE BROWN win the GREEN PARTY nomination in California?

#1) If you are not already registered as a Green…do it now. You have until January 22, 2008 to register to vote or change your party affiliation.

#2) Sign up to be a delegate for Elaine Brown at the July 2008 National Convention in Chicago. WE NEED 100 FOLKS TO SIGN ON AS DELEGATES BY DECEMBER 5. Let us know: vote4elainebrown@gmail.com

#2) Get every one you know to register as a Green! Register members of your clubs, groups, churches, Educate folks about the Primary election and voter registration.

#3) Tell people about Elaine Brown and her platform, which includes ending the “Three Strikes” Law and free tuition for higher education! Remind them to vote in the Primary Election on February 5 and to VOTE BROWN!

#4) Write to us at: vote4elainebrown@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering, fundraising, or organizing an event in your community for Elaine in late January.

#5) Regularly check the website: www.elainebrown.org

Please hit us up with any questions. Get on our mailing list for updates.

With Love For The People,
California Campaign to Elect Elaine Brown

On Sunday November 4th the Watsonville Peace and Unity coalition made up of the Berets, the YWCA, the Resource Center for Nonviolence, EA Hall Middle School Mecha, Viernes Cultural and many more organizations held the 14th Annual Peace and Unity March in the barrios of Watsonville. The day started at 11 AM with a vigil and some short words from invited guests and the presentation of the Barrio Warrior Awards to Luis Alejo and Lilliana Barrios. Then the March was led as always by the White Hawk Indigenous Danzantes and was followed by some of the family members of victims of violence. Following them was the Low Vintage Bike Club which led almost 300 people with some smooth cruisers and other tricked out bicicletas. The march went off without a hitch and we just want to thank everyone who made it happen.

More to come soon but check this Indymedia article for some cool photos!

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/11/04/18458230.php

Mexika Tiahui

First let’s talk about the good news. Congratulations are in order to Adisa Banjoko of the newly formed Hip Hop Chess Federation and the 1st Annual Chess Kings Kings Invitational Tournament, which was off the hook this past weekend. Special props are in order to the Rza of the famed Wu-Tang Clan as he repped to the fullest. Now, if you ever attended a Wu-Tang concert you will hear the crowd chanting loudly ‘Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothing to fuck with!‘. In those scenarios the chant is around the incredible music the group puts out. Hands down, there simply isn’t a lot of groups who can get with them. However, that chant can now be applied to the world of chess.

Rza, Gza and Rugged Monk of the Wu-Tang Affiliate the Black Knights were among the Hip Hop stars along with chess masters and UFC fighters who stomped through San Francisco this weekend to go head to head on the 64 squares we call chess. It was a who’s who of people who showed up thus dispelling whatever myth people may have held about the hood or Hip Hop not wanting to sit patiently and play the thinking man’s game of chess.

In the building was Rakaa of Dilated Peoples, Paris, DJ Disk, T-Kash, Balance, Zion I, Amir Sulaiman, Big Rich, Chairman Fred Hampton jr, Minister of Information JR of the POCC, Casual of Hieroglyphics, Sunspot Jonz of Living Legends, Prince Ali, Shamako Noble and D’labarie of Hip Hop Congress, DJ Malcolm Marshall of Street Soldiers, The Brown Berets of Watsonville, Hip Hop pioneer Popmaster Fable of the Rocksteady Crew, long time Bay Area B-Boy Bas-1 are just a few of the people I ran into. I won’t even begin to run down the list of fighters and chess masters who came from as far away as Miami and the UK. Also on hand were scores of youth from various youth programs from around the Bay. The Galleria, where this event was held has 5 floors and 4 of those 5 floors were in full use as intense chess battles took place……….

From www.Daveyd.com

Thursday, August 16
7pm True to My Pledge (w/ english subtitles)
Watsonville Brown Berets office
* WBB meeting to follow

We will be projecting True to My Pledge, a new film by Mal de Ojo TV.

“Compromiso Cumplido” (True to My Pledge) is the first of a two-part documentary about the human rights violations during the current conflict in Oaxaca. The film documents some of the horrors committed against the civil society of Oaxaca, and shows the strategy of state terrorism employed by the local governor. Numerous deaths have been reported, and yet there have been no criminal accusations or investigations for these murders.

More information on Oaxaca solidarity at
http://elenemigocomun.net

Mal de Ojo TV surfaced in Oaxaca City after June 14, 2006 as a coalition of independent, indigenous and community media workers, including Indymedia Oaxaca and Ojo de Agua Comunicación, dedicated to covering the rising social movement and its repression in Oaxaca. The organization has been targeted by the Oaxacan police. Mal de Ojo TV has been a vital source of coverage for most of the major events involving police repression in the city, but they have also been covering the building of a popular movement, documenting assemblies, peaceful marches, press conferences and proclamations.

http://www.maldeojotv.net

original image ( 1006×1382)

Please join us for the Migrawatch Block Party kick-off!

We will be building community and bringing immigration awareness to our different barrios around Watsonville. The main purpose is to identify and recruit precinct leaders in different neighborhoods to sign them up to the Migrawatch text messaging service and organize the people for the next time the migra terrorizes our community. There will be music, games and
jumping houses for kids, information tables, speakers and immigration experts to answer any question the people might have.

It is a potluck so please bring a dish to accompany the barbeque.

Join us in our efforts to empower the community.

All power to the people!

The Watsonville Brown Berets present the 6th annual

YOUTH & POWER CONFERENCE

Music, activism, art, dance, culture, speakers, free food…COME JOIN US!

All the way from Harlem, New York…

IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE!

From L.A.:

Guerrilla Queenz w/ Cihuatl Ce
Olmeca

From Canada:

Redención

From Watsonville/Seaside:

Doba Doza & Para La Gente

Speakers:

Karina García (from the Chicano Caucus at Columbia University who kicked out the Minuteman Jim Gilchrist!)

Adisa Banjoko (the Bishop of Hip-Hop from the Bay Area)

UCSC Students Informing Now (SIN) immigration monologues!

Come check out the Hip-Hop Chess Federation all the way from da bay! Lowrider bike show! Graffiti walls! Activist tabling so you can get involved!

WHEN?: August 14th, 2007

WHERE?: Vet’s Hall - 215 East Beach St., Watsonville, Califas, 95076

TIME?: Bike Show & Hip-Hop Chess session from 2-5PM (come play a game of chess w/ Immortal Technique or T-KASH from the bay area!)
Music & speakers from 5-10PM

DON’T SLEEP!

2ND ANNUAL CESAR E. CHAVEZ YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
May 26, 2007 From 11:00am-5:00pm
Gilroy High School
750 W. 10th Street

A free event open to the entire community, especially youth. Reynaldo Berrios, author of Mi Vida Loca Magazine and a new book titled “Cholo Style” documenting the lives and perspectives of many different homies around the country, will be speaking and doing a book signing. Don’t miss this event!