Mark Charles
Mark Charles in 2019
Born
Gallup, New Mexico, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Political partyIndependent
WebsiteOfficial website

Mark R. Charles is a Native American activist, public speaker, consultant, and author[1] on Native American issues, as well as a journalist, blogger, Reformed pastor, and computer programmer.[2][3] He was an independent candidate for President of the United States in the 2020 United States presidential election.[4]

Early life

Charles, the son of a Navajo father and a Dutch-American mother, grew up in Gallup, New Mexico.[3][5] He is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[3]

Activism and career

As an activist, Charles is known for denouncing the doctrine of discovery and for his opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.[6][7][8][9]

Charles is a former pastor at the Christian Indian Center in Denver, Colorado.[5] He is a consultant for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, as well as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Native News Online.[10] Since 2008, he has written the blog Wirelesshogan: Reflections from the Hogan.[4][10]

2020 presidential campaign

On May 28 2019, Charles announced via a YouTube video that he was running for President of the United States as an independent in the 2020 election.[4][5][11] On August 20, he spoke at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum, alongside major candidates including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris.[12]

On July 25, 2020, Charles announced his choice of former Green Party Presidential candidate Sedinam Moyowasifza-Curry as his running mate.[13] Less than three weeks later, On August 14, his campaign released a statement saying that Sedinam Moyowasifza-Curry had been dropped as Charles' running mate.[14] On August 26, Charles announced that Adrian Wallace, Vice President of the Lexington NAACP and Chairman of the Kentucky State Conference of the NAACP, had been chosen as his running mate.[15]

Charles had ballot access in Colorado[16] with write-in access in several states. He received a total of 3,098 reported votes in the 2020 election, including 2,011 votes from ballot access and 1,087 reported votes from write-in access.[17]

Personal life

Charles is a Christian. He was a pastor for a Christian Reformed Church for two years.[18][2]

References

  1. ^ Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah (2019). Unsettling Truths The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. InterVarsity Press.
  2. ^ a b Silliman, Daniel (22 June 2020). "For Third-Party Christians, Some Things Are More Important Than Winning". Christianity Today.
  3. ^ a b c ABQJournal News Staff (April 13, 2009). "10:25am -- Navajo Speaker Calls for '51st Virtual State'". Albuquerque Journal.
  4. ^ a b c Bennett-Begaye, (May 30, 2019). Jourdan "'Yá'át'tééh ... I am running for president'". IndianCountryToday.com.
  5. ^ a b c Heinsius, Ryan (May 31, 2019). "Member of Navajo Nation Announces U.S. Presidential Campaign". KNAU.
  6. ^ "Navajo man calls attention to U.S. apology". UPI. December 19, 2012.
  7. ^ Merritt, Carol Howard (April 20, 2015). "Doctrine of Discovery". The Christian Century.
  8. ^ Nuckols, Ben (March 10, 2017). "Opponents of Dakota Pipeline Bring Their Message to Trump". NBC4 Washington.
  9. ^ "Denominations repent for Native American land grabs". Religion News Service. August 22, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Horlyk, Earl (November 11, 2018). "Navajo Christian leader to speak at Northwestern College". Sioux City Journal.
  11. ^ MC2020 |Campaign Announcement Video (Full) on YouTube
  12. ^ Martin, Nick (August 19, 2019). "Indian Country Is Finally Getting the Political Attention It Deserves". The New Republic.
  13. ^ "Mark Charles chooses Sedinam Moyowasifza-Curry as running mate". Independent Political Report. 25 July 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "Dario Hunter and Mark Charles announce Running Mate Changes". Independent Political Report. 14 August 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  15. ^ markcharles2020.com/vp2020
  16. ^ Winger, Richard (August 9, 2020). "Thirteen Presidential Candidates Qualify for Colorado Ballot by Paying $1,000". Ballot Access News. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "OFFICIAL 2020 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS" (PDF). fec.gov. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  18. ^ Jenkins, Jack (September 11, 2019). "Presidential candidate and former pastor Mark Charles confronts American history". Religion News Service.

External links

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