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It's Official! We Are the Green-Rainbow Party!
The Green-Rainbow Party has become an official political party in Massachusetts! This is a huge step in increasing our political power and being able to work for progressive changes in the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts Green Party and the Massachusetts Rainbow Coalition Party each gave the final go ahead to join forces at their respective 2002 state conventions to give a united front for progressive politics in Massachusetts. The final step in the process was changing the name of the Massachusetts Green Party to the Green-Rainbow Party.
The Nashua River Green-Rainbow Local
The Nashua River Green-Rainbow local is your local connection to the state and national parties. Please join us at our next meeting or local event. We invite you to email one of our officers to find out more.
Green-Rainbow Party History
A Short History of the Green Party in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Green party was founded in 1996. Based on the Ten Key Values, it's mission is to promote the Ten Key Values, encourage development of green locals, serve as a networking struture, and nominate green candidates for elected office.
The Massachusetts Green Party ran its first candidate for US Senate in 1996, Charles Laws from Martha's Vineyard. They also worked on a write in campaign for Nader in 1996 and established an office in Lawrence, MA. In 1998 a green candidate Stephen Elliot received 12% of the vote for State Senate. In 1998 the MA Green party worked to expand democracy through its work on the campaign for clean elections in MA.
This past year has been quite historic for the Massachusetts Green party, having established the first paid position and having gathered over 20,000 signatures (more than twice what was needed) to put Nader/LaDuke on the ballot. Having received the 3rd highest percent in the US for Nader/LaDuke votes is no small feat, and Massachusetts did it. Getting 6% of the vote, well over the 3% needed for ballot status; we achieved political party status! The Massachusetts Green Party is proud to be emerging from the 2000 campaign with 2 paid staff, a state-wide steering committee and three dozen local green groups.
A Brief History of the Rainbow Coalition in Massachusetts
By M. K. MereliceWhen one of the Party's cofounders, Mel King (the other being Bill Strickland of Amherst), served five terms in the State Legislature, he was a Democrat. When he ran for Mayor of Boston (being the only Black ever to make the final run-off), he was still a Democrat, but the Rainbow Coalition became the campaign's banner. When he ran for Congress the following year (the same year Jesse Jackson ran for President), the Rainbow Coalition became known nationally. But both Mel and Jesse ran as Democrats. (Jesse still is a Democrat.) Both also founded Rainbow movements; the list of accomplishments of the Rainbow Coalition here in Massachusetts was significant during the next 10 years or so.
It was not until 1996-1997 that the Rainbow's fledgling efforts AS A POLITICAL DESIGNATION began. In 1999, Chuck Turner was elected to the Boston City Council. It is a nonpartisan race, but he was billed as a member of the by-then Rainbow Coalition PARTY. In 2000, the Rainbow met several times with members of the Green Party, endorsed Nader/LaDuke, and worked in that campaign. Until then, the Greens (which had existed slightly longer than the Rainbow as a political designation) was no more of a political player (one could argue less) than the Rainbow.
The Nader campaign changed all that. With the Greens achieving ballot status, efforts between the two parties to work together shifted into high gear. The FIRST THING both parties did was a mailing to their respective memberships about the possibility of 1) working together and 2) possibly merging. We both got the go-ahead (with, of course, reservations expressed on both sides). Communications with our respective memberships continued to be frequent and thorough.
While on paper the Greens might have a broad agenda, in the public's perception, it is an environmental party. Adding the Rainbow's strong credibility in Massachusetts to the Party's name gives it instant breadth and shows that the Greens mean business when they claim to represent social justice as well as the environment. The Rainbow lives up to its name, and we have worked very hard to make sure it represents a range of constituencies, with strong leadership from communities of color and women.