The Freedom Now Party was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

in the United States founded in August 1963 during the

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (commonly known as the March on Washington or the Great March on Washington) was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

. It had a

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

membership. It was indirectly linked to the Socialist Workers Party. It existed from 1963 to 1965. In 1963 elections, the party appeared on the ballot in Connecticut, Michigan, New York and Washington, D.C. Hoping to earn one million votes, the party fell far short of its initial goal. In 1964, the party's efforts were primarily directed toward Michigan. In that year, 39 members ran for office. Most prominent was Rev.

Albert Cleage Albert B. Cleage Jr. (June 1911 – February 20, 2000) was a Black nationalist Christian minister, political candidate, newspaper publisher, political organizer, and author. He founded the prominent Shrine of the Black Madonna Church, as well a ...

, who ran for Governor of Michigan. Cleage, a black pastor at the Central Congregation Church in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, received 4,767 votes (0.15%) and the party soon collapsed.

Membership

One of its most prominent members was

Paul Boutelle Kwame Montsho Ajamu Somburu (born Paul Benjamin Boutelle; October 13, 1934 – May 3, 2016) was an activist, politician, black nationalist, and member of the Socialist Workers Party. In 1979, he changed his name to Kwame Montsho Ajamu Somburu. ...

. Boutelle ran for State Senate in Harlem in 1964 and, following the collapse of the FNP, was the Socialist Workers Party nominee for president in 1968. Prominent black intellectuals and activists were involved in the party's founding, including: * journalist

William Worthy William Worthy, Jr. (July 7, 1921 – May 4, 2014) was an African-American journalist, civil rights activist, and dissident who pressed his right to travel regardless of U.S. State Department regulations. Biography Early life Worthy was born ...

, * Daniel Watts, chairman, Liberation Committee for Africa, * Civil Rights attorney

Conrad Lynn Conrad Joseph Lynn (November 4, 1908 – November 16, 1995) was an African-American civil rights lawyer and activist known for providing legal representation for activists, including many unpopular defendants. Among the causes he supported as a la ...

, * Reverend

, * Reverend Milton Henry

References

{{reflist Political parties established in 1963 Political parties disestablished in 1965 Black political parties in the United States Political parties of minorities in the United States