Sunil K. Freeman, January 28, 1955 (Raleigh, N.C.) -
VP candidate for Party for Socialism and Liberation (aka Peace and Freedom Party aka Independent aka Unaffiliated aka Liberty Union Party) (2020)
Running mate with nominee: Gloria Estela La Riva (b. 1954)
Popular vote: 76,733 (0.05%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
2020 was the 4th national election for the young party, and in three of those the standard bearer was Gloria La Riva. Her running-mate was Leonard Peltier.
La Riva ran on a platform of 10 points, as she did in 2016--
The PSL’s 2020 Ten Point
Socialist Campaign Program
★ 1 | Make the essentials of life into constitutional rights
The U.S. has more than enough so that all the essentials of life — food, housing, water, education, health care and a job or basic income can be guaranteed rights — rather than distributed only for profit. Create a completely free and public healthcare system. Make education free—cancel all student debt. Fully fund rebuilding of the infrastructure in transport, water and utility systems. Stop all foreclosures and evictions. End all discrimination based on ability/disability.
★ 2 | For the Earth to live, capitalism must be replaced by a socialist system
Global warming, pollution, acidified and depleted oceans, fracking, critical drought, plastics choking the seas, nuclear weapons and waste — it is clear that capitalism and production for profit are destroying the planet and threatening all life. The crisis is already here, with the most vulnerable and oppressed areas of the U.S. and Global South bearing the brunt. Using truly sustainable energy and seizing the oil and coal companies to stop fossil fuel pollution, are urgent steps needed to reverse climate change. Ultimately, only the socialist reorganization of society can assure the future of the people and the planet.
★ 3 | End racism, police brutality and mass incarceration-Pay reparations to the African American community
Mass incarceration and racist policing are symptomatic of the 400 years of brutal repression meted out to African-descended peoples in the U.S. and the genocide committed against the Native nations. Reparations must be paid to the African American and Native communities! More than 2.2 million people are behind bars in the largest prison complex in the world. End mass incarceration of oppressed and all working class people. Fully prosecute all acts of police brutality and violence. Free Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu-Jamal and all political prisoners!
★ 4 | Full rights for all immigrants
Abolish all anti-immigrant laws. Stop the raids and deportations and demonization of immigrants. Shut down ICE and the concentration camps and reunite families. The government’s war on immigrants must end. The border wall must be dismantled. Amnesty and citizenship for those without documents. Full rights for all!
★ 5 | Shut down all U.S. military bases around the world—bring all the troops, planes & ships home
U.S. foreign policy uses the pretext of national security to enforce the imperialist interests of the biggest banks and corporations. That is what is behind the endless wars and occupations. Use the $1 trillion military budget instead to provide for people’s needs here and worldwide. Abolish nuclear weapons. Stop U.S. aid to Israel. Self-determination for the Palestinian people, including the right of return. End the U.S. blockade of Cuba and sanctions against Venezuela, Iran and all countries. Independence for Puerto Rico and cancel its debt!
★ 6 | Honor Native treaties. Free Leonard Peltier now
Both major parties have continued to allow the destruction of Native lands by mining and corporate agricultural interests in blatant disregard of indigenous sovereign rights. 33% of Native children live in poverty and many of America's poorest counties are reservations. The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the over-incarceration of Native peoples shows the bankruptcy of capitalism from its earliest inception in the Americas until today.
★ 7 | Full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people
Fight back against anti-LGBTQ discrimination and violence. Defend marriage equality. Full equality in all matters governed by civil law, including employment, housing, healthcare and education. No to “religious exemption” laws that allow discrimination against LGBTQ people!
★ 8 | Equality for women and free, safe, legal abortion on demand
Stop the attack on women’s reproductive rights and defend Roe v. Wade. Women must have the fundamental right to choose & control their own bodies. Women still earn 22 percent less than men, and the gap is even more severe for Black and Latina women. Close the wage gap and end the gender division of labor.
★ 9 | Defend and expand our unions
Support the right of all workers to have a union. Fight back against the attacks on collective bargaining. Require employers to recognize card check union votes. Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act. Focusing on low-wage worker organizing, rebuild a fighting labor movement.
★ 10 | Takeover the stolen wealth of the giant banks and corporations – Jail Wall St. criminals
The vast wealth of the giant banks and corporations is created by workers labor and the exploitation of the world’s diminishing natural resources. The billionaires looted and destroyed the economy. It is time to seize their assets and use those resources in the interests of the vast majority. Power must be taken out of the hands of the super rich, and Wall Street criminals must be jailed.
In May 2020 the ticket was also nominated by the Liberty Union Party in Vermont. LU had also selected La Riva in 2016. On the negative side one can find chatter from other Leftist groups who consider PSL to be "tankies" (i.e. Stalinists) in love with despotic regimes as well as being an undemocratic, nontransparent political party to the point of being a cult. There have been allegations for years that PSL has harbored and protected sexual predators and abusers within their ranks.
Peltier withdrew from the ticket on July 20, 2020 citing ill health. He was replaced by Sunil Freeman. Freeman's biography was provided on the campaign website--
Sunil Freeman is a lifelong activist and cultural worker. He is the child of parents who met as workers at the refugee camp in Kurukshetra during the time of India's independence and partition. Growing up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C., Sunil, along with his family, were active participants in the mass anti-Vietnam War movement, formative experiences that brought Sunil into solidarity with all the movements of the oppressed sweeping the world during that time.
Sunil, a poet and essayist, has contributed to and edited major literary journals. He joined the PSL in 2005 after becoming an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition in the anti-Iraq War movement. Sunil has participated in and organized dozens of events in opposition to US wars abroad, against the US blockade of Cuba, and against criminal sanctions levied by the US against a range of countries.
Sunil is also a disability rights activist working to make all aspects of society accessible to all. Sunil currently resides in Maryland and continues to be active in social justice issues of all kinds.
For the second time in a row the Peace and Freedom Party in California nominated La Riva for President, soundly defeating Howie Hawkins' bid.
Ever since the 2008 election the Party's popular vote result has been steadily rising. Their combined 2020 vote was 86,239, finishing in 6th place after the Libertarian, Green, and Alliance parties. 9,506 of those votes were for the La Riva/Peltier ticket in Illinois (0.13%) and Minnesota (0.04%) where his name remained in the ballot, and in Texas (0.00%) as the official write-in VP.
The La Riva/Freeman ticket saw their strongest percentages in California (0.29%), District of Columbia (0.25%), New Mexico (0.18%), Rhode Island (0.16%), Washington (0.12%), and Arkansas (0.11%).
Election history: none
Other occupations: poet, author, Assistant Director of the Writer's Center
Notes:
Freeman's father was an American Quaker, his mother born a citizen of India.
