My name is Nicole Castor. Coming from the “#demexit” wave, I joined the Green Party in July 2016. Having been registered Democrat for over seventeen years, my dissatisfaction and disappointment with the supposedly-progressive Democratic Party led me to finally realize that the needs of common people, the planet and future generations will neither be addressed nor met from within the corrupt and corporately-run two-party 'system'.

 

I was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, a culturally-diverse community which helped to shape my perspective and worldview. I had moved to California as a teen, spent a few years on each coast, and eventually settled down in California because of its affordable public colleges.  I attended a community college and transferred to California State University Sacramento, earning my BA in Sociology in 2008. My studies helped me recognize and address key issues affecting the marginalized in our society. Throughout college, I was active in my community, and often participated in various demonstrations and protests. Once I started a family, after college, my involvement toned down a bit as I dedicated my time as a stay-at-home-mom, focusing my activism on raising a couple of little radicals who will shape the system in their time!

 

As my children are growing, I am now afforded more time to come back to the community involvement I’ve missed so much. After registering Green last year, I have been fortunate to meet others with a common deep concern for society. I quickly became involved in re-activating the Green Party of Sacramento County. Because of our hard work, we became a recognized County Council and are establishing a Green presence and visibility in the Sacramento area by joining committees, coalitions, and participating in events, actions and demonstrations.  We have been vocal about Homeless Rights issues when attending City Council meetings, had been mentioned in the local news for our participation in a recent “Reclaim MLK Day” march.  As an individual, I had also had the opportunity to speak in support of the Green Party on the local Fox News and in an online Bloomberg View article [https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-09-23/two-parties-aren-t-enough-for-all-u-s-voters]. 

 

I currently hold a seat on the steering committee of the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights, am on Student Career Options Committee (countering military recruiters in high schools), an adjunct of Sacramento Area Peace Action.  I had given marginal help on the organizing committee for the Sacramento May Day March and provided supplemental support on the organizing committee for March on Monsanto Sacramento.  As well as my own involvement, I strongly urge others in the County Council to collaborate with other coalitions.

 

In addition to the policy side, I was chosen as our County Council Co-Coordinator by the other Sacramento County Council members. That has helped me to gain an appreciation of how the party itself needs to be run, which was then further expanded when I attended the March 2017 GPCA General Assembly in Bakersfield, where I met similarly-committed Greens from around the state – contacts I hope to work with in the years to come.

 

Most recently, I was honored to host, with my county, the most recent GPCA General Assembly in Sacramento.  The tremendous amount of work involved was worth every minute to see such a large turn-out of our state Greens.  It had been expressed by some that it was an incredibly productive and positive meeting.  The council and I were incredibly proud of the results of our work, and to see everyone attend, working in harmony.  Maybe it was too hot to argue, or maybe it was a great mix of people who felt the love and care which went into making that meeting possible.   

 

What do I wish to accomplish on the Coordinating Committee?

The single-most important thing to me, in my work with my county Green Party, always comes down to integrity: integrity of the party and integrity of principles.  I want to make it clear, my intention to serve at the state level is not based on petty factional politics, but rather to a commitment, which is bigger than Green Party, but of course, Green Party is part of this.  This commitment is to make the world a better and more equitable place for future generations.  This will only happen through social movements, having political diversity in Congress, engaging disenchanted voters and non-voters, strategic growth of the party with substance, rather than bolting growth which favors quantity over quality.  I possess a strong ideological theoretical framework, from which I base my decisions, a mind of my own which does not take sides.  I feel that this is crucial to our party’s survival- to value what is right over what is popular, and to refer to our key values and the pillars which support our platform, to guide our decisions.  I did not come to GPCA for recognition, personal gain or to be commissioned as an activist.  I came to do my part in facilitating the changes necessary for social justice, by deepening my involvement with the party.

 

The Green Party can be a truly transformative political party -- if and only if it remains true to its principles.   I strongly believe in the Green Party's Ten Key Values and see those as the most important basis of how we should operate.

 

I also understand the necessity of the basic administrative work that the Coordinating Committee is responsible for, work that empowers the rest of the party – from ensuring our state meetings happen in a timely manner and are well-run, to appointing people to important committees, to recognizing new county parties and more. I am ready to attend the monthly Coordinating Committee teleconferences and do my share of those administrative tasks.