In Case You Missed It...

The Maryland Green Party Annual Assembly was a great success, bringing together members of our Party from the far reaches of the state to join together, learn from each other, and make plans for the future.

In the morning session, the state Party elected new leaders: co-chairs Virginia Rodino and Ian Schlakman, treasurer Joan Pontius, membership coordinator Bill Barry, and secretary Mark McCulloch. Margaret Flowers and Tim Willard were elected as Maryland delegates to the Green Party USA National Committee, while Ryan Sullivan and Hunt Hobbs were elected as alternate delegates.

Kevin Zeese announced he is strongly considering seeking the Green Party nomination for Governor of Maryland in 2018. In advance of a final decision, he would like to see if he can build a strong team to support him in what will be an intense and challenging campaign, so if you are interested in assisting, please contact us.

In the afternoon session, we had a series of panels and speakers educating our party members on important strategies and issues. Keep an eye out on Baltimore/Maryland Green Party media sources as video of those talks will be appearing in the near future. Annie Chambers spoke about her successful campaign for Resident Advisory Board where she overcame corruption and obstruction from the downtown political machine to become Baltimore's first elected Green official. A panel discussed canvassing tactics and techniques, and how we should take different approaches to "activating" our fellow Greens and reaching out to new voters. Kevin Zeese spoke on the importance of the campaign for single-payer healthcare, and what we can do at the state level to advance the cause. Glen Ross gave a harrowing presentation on the legacy of environmental racism in Baltimore, and the way that a closed, anti-democratic political apparatus conspires to allow the decay of neighborhoods in advance of development for corporate and institutional proft. Finally, a panel of Andy Ellis, Margaret Flowers, Joshua Harris, and Annie Chambers spoke on four different aspects of building Green Party power, how to expand the reach and depth of our message, and above all why our work is necessary.

What Is Coming Up and How Can I Get Involved?

As mentioned above, please contact us if you are interested in working on a potential gubernatorial campaign for Kevin Zeese.

BaltCo Green Party Dundalk Outreach and Educational Event.  The Baltimore County chapter is hosting an event to increase engagement with people in Dundalk and southeastern portions of the County. Baltimore City members, especially those with connections over the east side of the county line are encouraged to help spread the message. Thursday June 29th 6:30-8:300pm at North Point Branch Library, 1716 Merritt Blvd, Dundalk MD

Check Out the “Get Involved” Section of our Website. Here you can find details and contact info for many of our different activities and ways that you can contribute.

Our summer Canvassing and Phone Banking Drive continues. If you are interested in reaching out to your fellow Greens, especially ones who may live in your neighborhood, please contact Ty Alston at [email protected]

Further Down the Line...

MGP Potluck Picnic Sunday July 16th 12-7pm at Double Rock Park, Parkville MD

BGP July General Meeting Saturday July 22nd at BGP office, 100 E 23rd St.,  Baltimore MD

Shared Events

These are non-BGP events submitted by members that you may find of interest.

Lawyer Up: BPD Consent Decree Monitor Selection Community Education Workshop: "Under the terms of the City of Baltimore Consent Decree, an Independent Monitor is selected to assess and report on whether the requirements of this Agreement have been implemented. Between June 16th and July 17th residents are able to review and comment on the monitor applications. BALT is hosting a community education workshop to discuss how residents can be involved in selecting the monitor." Tuesday June 27th 5:30-7:30pm at the Ruth M. Kirk Education and Learning Center, 122 N Vincent St, Baltimore MD.

20 Years of Forgotten History: Why Organizing Is Our Only Chance: "An analysis by Corey Gaber--a Baltimore City teacher--of how Maryland has systematically ignored court decrees calling for significant increases in funding for districts with concentrated poverty. Corey’s presentation will be followed by an introduction by David Hornbeck (a retired state superintendent and education activist) to an emerging statewide movement to support full funding of the Kirwan Commission recommendations (a statewide group currently studying adequacy of funding for education). This workshop is designed to bring teachers and community members up to speed on the historical context and practical ways we can help influence future funding." Tuesday June 27th 6-8pm, at Impact Hub, 10 E North Ave, Baltimore MD

Malcolm X Talks: The Danger of Black Suffering as Spectacle: "Join Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle for our June Malcolm X Talk. Our Director of Public Policy, Dayvon Love, will lead a conversation centering around the Politics of Representation of Black Suffering. This discussion will chiefly explore the impact that those representations have on the effectiveness of Social Movements. This topic is also explored in the The Black Book: Reflections From the Baltimore Grassroots written by Dayvon Love and Lawrence Grandpre on their reflections on Grassroots Activism in Baltimore." Wednesday June 28th 6-9pm at the Real News Network, 231 Holliday St, Baltimore MD

From Rajasthan to Maryland: Land, Workers' Rights, and Poor People's Power with Suchi Pande: "Activist and scholar, Suchi Pande will share the work of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), one of India’s most powerful peasant and worker organizations in recent decades. Founded in the rural western state of Rajasthan, this grassroots organization went on to successfully build a national social movement to demand work with dignity and the Right to Information. Access to information became a key tool in exposing rampant wage theft and exploitation of rural workers. As an active participant with MKSS, Pande will discuss the group’s organizing philosophy, campaign strategy, and current challenges during this period of political backlash. We will end this session with a collective discussion that brings MKSS’s work in conversation with the local and national organizing context in Baltimore and the U.S. We will explore the differences in context, connections, and possible lessons for our own organizing work. Join us as we continue learning about the practice and history of poor people’s organizing locally and globally. Because as MKSS so astutely articulated with the fight for information, knowledge is power." Thursday June 29th 7-9pm at the Oak Hill Centre for Education and Culture, 2239 Kirk Ave, Baltimore MD.