FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, August 16, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Olympia, Washington] – The West/Abdullah campaign announces that the Justice For All Party (JFA) has successfully secured a spot on the Washington State ballot for the 2024 presidential election. This significant achievement comes through the tireless efforts of dedicated volunteers and strong community support.

"Securing a place on the ballot in Washington is not just a victory for this campaign but a victory for democracy," stated Dr. Cornel West, independent presidential candidate nominated by the Justice For All Party. "This enables the campaign to address critical issues facing Washington—from environmental challenges and economic disparities to championing social justice."

Lead volunteers CJ Tonnes, Ashton Beavers, and Laura Fielding led the signature collection efforts, demonstrating the community’s enthusiasm for significant political change and empowerment. "The conversations on the ground show a profound commitment to our collective future," remarked CJ Tonnes.

This victory for JFA not only impacts this election but also establishes a lasting legacy, ensuring ballot access in future election cycles - including local and state elections - thus contributing to a more diverse and representative political discourse in Washington and beyond.

Laura Fielding discussed the impact of ballot access on the party's ability to support the community: "Furthermore, ballot access enhances the JFA’s capacity for fundraising for mutual aid efforts and community support initiatives. With this achievement, the campaign can amplify efforts to provide tangible aid and support to local communities, reinforcing the commitment to serve and uplift every citizen." As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the West/Abdullah campaign is more motivated than ever to promote a platform of justice, equity, and community support.

The West/Abdullah campaign has the signatures and minor party nominations it needs to get on the ballot in 17 states. This includes 7 of the battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, Wisconsin and North Carolina. For more info, see our ballot access map.

About the Justice for All Party

In an effort to directly confront the suppression of voter choice and participation by legacy political parties, Independent candidate for President of the United States, Dr. Cornel West, announced the establishment of the Justice For All Party (JFA). The party will primarily be utilized as a grassroots, people-powered vehicle to secure ballot access in specific states. Additionally, JFA will grow into a larger formation that galvanizes people-powered initiatives to promote transformational change beyond the 2024 election cycle. JFA provides a mechanism for our grassroots campaign to travel a path of least resistance that will require the fewest number of signatures to attain ballot access in states like California, North Carolina, Washington and the District of Columbia.

About Dr. Cornel West

Dr. West, affectionately known to many as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary.

Dr. West is the former University Professor at Harvard University, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University and the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. In Philosophy from Princeton University. He has written 20 books and he is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He delivered the historic Gifford lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in Spring 2024.

Dr. West enters the 2024 Presidential contest at a time in which he describes a national crisis of moral bankruptcy and spiritual obscenity driven by a derelict duopoly of both major parties that equally places profits over people and the planet. West asserts that running as an Independent candidate affords him the opportunity and duty to deliver policy prescriptions incorporated by and for the people, instead of political parties beholden to corporations and special interest groups who feel no solidarity with poor and working-class people of all races, gender identities, and age groups.

The Cornel West Campaign to empower poor and working people everywhere stands at a pivotal moment in history, committed to being a true campaign for people around the globe. Our aim is and will always be to unite in solidarity with movements of truth and justice, who seek a choice beyond empire, white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, and the confines of the corporate-dominated two-party system.

About Dr. Melina Abdullah

Melina Abdullah is Professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA’s College of Ethnic Studies, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter - Los Ángeles and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, where she is also Director. She is a leader in the California Faculty Association (the faculty union), both locally and statewide, and mama of three. Dr. Abdullah earned her Ph.D. from University of Southern California in Political Science and her B.A. from Howard University in African American Studies. Abdullah has authored numerous articles and book chapters. Known by the moniker, Doc Melly Mel, she is creator, host, and producer of the radio programs Move the Crowd on KPFK 90.7 FM and This Is Not a Drill! on KBLA Talk 1580, and is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. In April 2024, Abdullah was announced as vice-presidential pick for Dr. Cornel West in his run for president of the United States on a platform of “Truth, Justice, and Love.” She is the first Muslim to run for the vice-presidency.

Learn more about Cornel West at CornelWest2024.com. 

Learn more about Dr. West’s Policy Pillars at CornelWest2024.com/Platform.

For more details and press inquiries, please contact [email protected].