Jill Stein Picks Long-Time CounterPuncher Ajamu Baraka as Her VP Running Mate
Green Party presumptive Presidential nominee Jill Stein has
offered her vice-presidential bid to international human rights scholar
and activist Ajamu Baraka.
“I am honored and excited to announce that my running mate
in the 2016 presidential election will be Ajamu Baraka, activist,
writer, intellectual and organizer with a powerful voice, vision, and
lifelong commitment to building true political revolution,” Stein
announced.
“Ajamu Baraka is a powerful, eloquent spokesperson for the
transformative, radical agenda whose time has come – an agenda of
economic, social, racial, gender, climate, indigenous and immigrant
justice. Ajamu’s life’s work has embodied the immortal words of Dr.
Martin Luther King: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere,” Stein continued. “In this hour of unprecedented crisis, we
are honored to lift up a unified movement for justice in the only
national political party that is not held hostage by corporate money,
lobbyists and super-PACs. We look forward to bringing this agenda for
justice to the American people in the exciting race ahead.”
Ajamu Baraka is an internationally recognized human rights
activist, organizer and geo-political analyst. Founding Executive
Director of the US Human Rights Network (until 2011) and Coordinator of
the U.S. based “Black Left Unity Network’s” Committee on International
Affairs, Baraka has served on the boards of various national and
international human rights organizations, including Amnesty
International (USA) and the National Center for Human Rights Education.
He has served on the boards of the Center for Constitutional Rights;
Africa Action; Latin American Caribbean Community Center; Diaspora
Afrique; and the Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights.
Baraka is a member of the Green Shadow Cabinet and an
Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) in
Washington, D.C. An editor and contributing columnist for Black Agenda
Report, Baraka has appeared on and been covered in a wide-range of
print, broadcast, and digital media outlets such as CNN, BBC, the Tavis
Smiley Show, ABC’s World News Tonight, the Washington Post, the New York
Times, and Telemundo.
There had been earlier speculation that Stein would offer
the spot to ex-Sanders surrogate and former Ohio State Senator Nina
Turner, who had been unfairly spurned at last week’s Democratic National
Convention for her principled criticism of the DNC and Hillary Clinton.
Stein confirmed that talks had taken place between her and Turner, but
that the conditions were not right for a combined run.
“In the process of vetting and selecting a VP, I was
honored to talk with several inspired activists,” Stein said. “Among
them, I especially appreciate Senator Turner’s willingness to have
discussed the VP position. The fit just wasn’t right, as Senator Turner
is still committed to try to save the soul of the Democratic Party.
While we may not agree on whether that is possible, I respect her
passion to fight for the people and wish her the best in her effort.”
Stein said she also discussed the position with author
Chris Hedges, single payer activist and US Senate candidate Dr. Margaret
Flowers (Green – Maryland), economic justice advocate and TPP opponent
Kevin Zeese of PopularResistance.org, and Green Party activist and former Black Panther Party leader, Aaron Dixon.
Stein added that: “Our campaign is fully committed to the
fight for a political revolution in a party with a demonstrated,
unwavering commitment to that political revolution. We welcome the 60%
of Americans who want a principled alternative to the Democrats and
Republicans. We are also happy to continue serving as a “plan B” safety
net for discouraged reformers as they tire of the disempowering, uphill
battle inside the Democratic Party that was so painfully on display at
the Democratic National Convention.”
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