AJ Reed | Q & A Responses
Pronouns: They/Them/Ellos
ILGP
In 2007 I joined the Green Party, where I began my journey doing electoral politics that aligned more with the issues close to me. My involvement in the party has been at the local to international levels that have ranged from serving as an officer for committees, state parties, and a caucus; I have also worked with fellow Greens to form, if not revitalize, entities in the party; such as the Youth Caucus, now Young Ecosocialists, along with the Campaign Coordinated Committee. Not only have I worked with many Greens on various projects, but I have also held long conversations that have led me to understand each person in our organization personally. For me, this is crucial. To learn about fellow Greens as a way to build trust, understanding, and develop dynamics to build a strong organization. Without this building block, we cannot piece together the kind of sustainable organization that we ought to be.
Outside the Green Party, I have worked as an organizer and community political educator for over two decades, which has led to working alongside and forging networks with many organizations and sharpening my skills. Organizations that I have labored with have been Angela Davis' National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, System Change Not Climate Change, and Industrial Workers of the World as examples. The networks have comprised working-class folx, faith leaders, academics, activists, community journalists, youth, and the historically marginalized. These networks have developed many events, drafted local and state policies, made media events, trained community members, raised funds, and implemented community programs. I have also conducted training sessions to elevate the effectiveness of many organizers that want to build up their community and make another world possible. An extension of this is through the classroom, where I have educated youth and young adults to examine problems with a critical lens, provide research tools to explore issues and show the connections of complex subjects. This is another crucial element of the work of the Green Party. By folding in the networks we have, training people to organize in their respective communities, and carrying out functions in the party.
As a Steering Committee member, I will utilize my skillset and experience among a team of dedicated Greens with a vision to make our organization what it needs to be—providing resources for organizing efforts for state parties, operating an efficient and sustainable organization, and displaying success no matter the size. As previously mentioned, I have worked with many Greens, including current Steering Committee members, and I feel being an addition is a good mesh, and my experience will articulate well. I encourage National Committee members to rank me one (1) during voting. Thank you for reading this and for your consideration.
