A discussion with Willie Marshall: racism in the Green Party.

• Author: Fitz, Don
• Position: Black Struggles for Justice - Interview

In his 2005 campaign for Mayor of St. Louis, Willie Marshall, a retired black postal worker, received 21% of the vote. That was the highest any Green Party candidate, including Ralph Nader, has ever attained. But not all Missouri Greens advocate black leadership of the Party.

When Nader ran for President in 2000, many blacks and whites urged Zaki Baruti, a well-known black organizer in St. Louis, to run for Missouri Governor as a Green. Baruti suggested that Evaline Taylor, a black activist in Kansas City, should run for the US Senate. During the statewide Green Party nominating meeting, several Kansas City Greens demanded that the Party limit itself to a single candidate for Lt. Governor. After an intense debate, the motion to run for all statewide offices with a Green Party headed by Zaki and Evaline received 80% support. A few years later, the conflict over blacks running for high profile offices resurfaced in St. Louis. In an interview with Don Fitz [DF], Willie Marshall [WM] compares his life in the military to his experiences in the Green Party.

DF: Tell me about racism you saw when you were in the military.

WM: I joined the military in May 1959. I was on my way to paratrooper training and I left St. Louis Union Station with 5 white guys and 1 Hispanic guy. At the first stop we got off the train and went into a restaurant. We were all in Class A uniform. The lady behind the counter told me that I would have to go around to the back of the station to eat.

I didn't protest, but I asked her why? She said, "Those are the rules, I just work here." I didn't argue with her but the rest of the guys put up a protest. The majority were from Texas, so I'm pretty sure they were familiar with white and colored signs. I told them to not worry about it. The guys followed me outside. No one ate anything.

Once we got back on the train the conductor came up to check our tickets and told me I would have to go back to the black coach. I asked, "What black coach?"

He pointed to the back and said, "Those are the rules, I just work here." The guys protested but I told them to chill. I went to the black coach. A black woman saw me and asked me what was wrong. She had a basket of food and fixed me a plate. Black people used to travel with a basket back then to avoid what I experienced at the restaurant. I still wanted to get off and go back home but she talked me out of it. She said I would be going down South and just go by the rules and don't make any waves.

We got to Fayetteville, North Carolina which is just outside Fort Bragg. I went through paratrooper training and was assigned to an engineering company. I specialized in operating light equipment. My company was responsible for building roads and airstrips.

We finally got a pass and went to downtown Fayetteville. Two or three of the guys went ahead to a club. The bouncer stopped me and said, "Hold up. You can't come in here." The other guys heard that and came out. We went to the USO. We left there because we couldn't get a drink. So, we went to the black side of town and got some drinks.

Later on, my wife and I were traveling, going up to her home. We saw a vacancy sign on the highway. The guy at the desk saw us coming in and yelled back to his wife, "You know we don't have any vacancies. Why didn't you turn the light off?" Then he told me, "I'm sorry, young man."

This was around the same time that students at Shaw University were having civil rights demonstrations. I took part in some and got arrested. I was always sent to a black NCO who would tell me not to be out there raising hell or else I was going to jail. So, I stopped...