Aaron Dixon

Aaron Dixon (born January 2, 1949) is an American activist and former captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party. He is currently running for the United States Senate in Washington state on the Green Party ticket.

As an adolescent, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to end housing discrimination in Seattle, and was one of the first volunteers to participate in the busing program to integrate schools.

Through the Black Panthers, Dixon served his community for ten years in numerous ways. He started the Free Breakfast for School Children program that fed thousands of hungry African American children; and he helped to open a free community medical and legal clinic. The clinic continues to this day as the Carolyn Downs Clinic, now part of Country Doctor Community Health Center. Aaron also became involved in electoral politics when he worked on the mayoral campaign of Lionel Wilson, who was elected as the first black mayor of Oakland, California in 1977.

Since his years with the Black Panthers, Aaron Dixon has been working for non-profit organizations that serve the public in different ways — from preventing drug and gang violence to providing shelter for youth on the streets. In 2002, he founded his own non-profit organization, Central House, providing transitional housing for homeless young adults. Central House also has a Youth Leadership Project that operates at four Seattle public high schools. It teaches youth to think positively, graduate high school, and control their own destinies. It also teaches them the importance of serving their community.

Dixon is the father of six. He recently married Farah Nousheen, a media activist and founder/director of Tasveer, a grassroots organization committed to independent South Asian film. They live in Beacon Hill with their combined large family.

2006 United States Senate race

File:Aaronsign.jpg

Aaron Dixon for U.S. Senate yard sign

On March 9, 2006, Dixon announced his decision to seek the Green Party's nomination for U.S. Senate, challenging Maria Cantwell on her continued support for the U.S. presence in Iraq and the USA PATRIOT Act.

His platform included a call for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, the repeal of the PATRIOT Act, support of same-sex marriage to implement a system of univeral, single-payer health care and a war on poverty.

Dixon's entrance into what many speculate will be a tightly contested race captured immediate media attention and was quickly endorsed by Brita Butler-Wall, the President of the Seattle School Board and Sally Soriano, a fellow Board director, Amy Hagopian, the President of the Garfield High School PTSA, as well as Ralph Nader's 2004 running mate, Peter Miguel Camejo, former chairperson of the Black Panther Party Elaine Brown, Malik Rahim, founder of the Common Ground Collective and Todd Chretien, organizer of the San Francisco College Not Combat initiative and 2006 Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in California.

Reaction to Dixon's candidacy was largely positive among many local progressives, peace activists, gay rights activists and community leaders, though the reaction among Democratic bloggers was almost universally negative, citing the "spoiler effect".

Dixon denies this, pointing to Senator Cantwell's record, including votes in support of the war in Iraq, the USA PATRIOT Act and her vote to end the filibuster of Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court, and saying of her, Cantwell "votes like a Republican."

On April 8, 2006, the Dixon campaign officially kicked off its campaign with an event at the Garfield Community Center, drawing 350 supporters and raising over 4000 dollars, an impressive amount for a third party campaign. Speakers included Amy Hagopian and Elaine Brown.

On May 13th, 2006, Dixon was overwhelmingly nominated as the Green Party of Washington State's nominee for the U.S. Senate by the present membership of the party's state convention.

So far, Dixon has held to a campaign promise to campaign statewide, having campaigned so far in Seattle, Olympia, Spokane, Bellingham and on Vashon Island.

On June 25, 2006, Dixon joined fellow Green candidates Alison Duncan, candidate for New York Lieutenant Governor, Julia Willebrand, candidate for New York Comptroller, Malachy McCourt, candidate for Governor of New York, Howie Hawkins, New York candidate for U.S. Senate and Peter Camejo, candidate for Governor of California for a "March for the Fight for Love and Life" in support gay and lesbian rights.

On July, 10, 2006, the Secretary of State's office announced that the Dixon campaign had gathered the approporiate nomination signatures and that Aaron Dixon would, indeed, appear on the November ballot. Also appearing on the ballot will be Libertarian nominee Bruce Guthrie, independent candidate Robin Adair and after their likely primary victories, incumbent Democrat, Maria Cantwell and Republican challenger, Mike McGavick.

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