Independent Politics
In the 1980s, Hawkins decided to prioritize his political activity on building an independent progressive political party. He believed that progressive issue campaigns would be more effective if there was an independent "people’s party."
Hawkins has been active in many non-sectarian efforts to build independent politics. These include local independent parties where he lived:
- Peace and Freedom Party of California, 1968–1971;
- Liberty Union Party of Vermont, 1972–1978;
- Granite State Alliance of New Hampshire, 1974–1978
He was also involved in national independent parties:
- People's Party, 1971–1976;
- Socialist Party, 1973–present;
- Citizens Party, 1979–1984;
- Green Party, 1984–present;
- Labor Party, 1996–present;
Furthermore, he was active in a series of national coalitions committed to independent politics:
- People’s Coalition for Peace and Justice, 1971–1974;
- Mass Party Organizing Committee, 1974–1978;
- Peoples Alliance, 1978–1981;
- National Committee for Independent Political Action, 1981–1995;
- Independent Progressive Politics Network, 1995–present.
Read more about this topic: Howie Hawkins
Famous quotes containing the words independent and/or politics:
“Milton’s the prince of poets—so we say;
A little heavy, but no less divine:
An independent being in his day—”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“The average educated man in America has about as much knowledge of what a political idea is as he has of the principles of counterpoint. Each is a thing used in politics or music which those fellows who practise politics or music manipulate somehow. Show him one and he will deny that it is politics at all. It must be corrupt or he will not recognize it. He has only seen dried figs. He has only thought dried thoughts. A live thought or a real idea is against the rules of his mind.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933)