California Green Archives

The California Green Archives and special collections was formally established in 2000 to identify, collect, preserve, and make available records of the Green movement and Green party of enduring value to green activists, scholars, writers, historians, and journalists, and for posterity. The collection began in 1991 when the volunteer archivist, Hank Chapot, accepted the task of collecting pertinent information from party activities. It has since been expanded to collect any and all products relating to the global Green movement.

The archives hold any documentary materials relating to the founding and establishment of the Green Committees of Correspondence, the Green Party of California and the wider Green political movement in the USA and beyond.

The archives survey available collections and contact current and former Green Party activists and campaigns. Transfers and acquisitions will be made in accordance with a written policy statement, supported by adequate resources and only when consistent with the mission of the archives.

History
A few hundred American political and environmental activists motivated by the success of Die Grünen, the German Green Party, founded the Green Committees of Correspondence in 1984. After a few years of meeting, publishing and corresponding, green activists chose to create a national membership organization called the Green Committees of Correspondence. There followed the establishment of state green parties and finally, the national Green Party of the USA. During this era, a volunteer archivist began the California Green Archives.

Scope
The collection is composed of numerous Series, beginning with foreign platforms, early debate, founding documents, party and candidate literature, minutes of the CoCs, state party meetings, San Francisco and East Bay Green Parties, Green Politics Network, campaign signs, publications, campaigns, video, audio, and miscellaneous ephemera.