History
The party began in 1971, when Julius Hobson announced his candidacy for the District's non-voting Congressional Delegate position as a member of the D.C. Statehood Party. Though he lost that race to Walter E. Fauntroy, he would later serve on the D.C. Council. In 1973, the Party was a strong proponent of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which gave limited self-government to the city. From the creation of the city council in 1975 until 1999, the party always had one of the at-large seats, first occupied by Hobson and then by Hilda Mason.
Throughout the 1970s, the party and its members on the council sponsored several initiatives aimed at giving the District more autonomy from the federal government. The high point was the passage of the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment by Congress in 1978, which would have given the District the rights of a state; the amendment failed to receive approval from the necessary 37 states by 1985, and thus did not become part of the United States Constitution.
The statehood movement lost much of its momentum after this and other defeats, though the party continued to field candidates for local offices. It merged with the Green Party prior to the 2000 elections, and endorsed Ralph Nader's campaign for president. Since the merger the D.C. Statehood Green Party has once more found its footing and has experienced a period of growth.
Read more about this topic: D.C. Statehood Green Party
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