LIUNA AA Caucus board member, NROC Market Representative and APRI APRI Seattle Chapter Vice President, Brother Paul Thompson worked with other compatible Labor and community groups to facilitate the 17th Annual Charles Rolland AA Legislative Day to be held via zoom on February 21, 2022. The event will include open discussion panels with WA state officials to give Labor and community groups an opportunity to get key issues heard with legislators who can make a difference in the communities they live in.
Charles Rolland III was the first African American chair of a major political party in Washington State. Roland served as chair of the Washington State Democratic Party during the years 1993-1995. Previously, in 1989, Rolland served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Norman Rice, the first African American mayor of Seattle. Rolland is also known for founding the Washington State Rainbow Coalition and leading the A. Phillip Randolph Institute in Seattle, an organization dedicated to securing economic, social, and political justice for all working Americans. He also served as executive director of the Black Builders, where he identified and helped owners of small construction companies find the working capital they need to participate in public sector construction projects. He also worked to ensure quality public-school education for all children in Seattle. He died in 2012 at the age of 60.
LIUNA AA Caucus members are invited to attend to experience the effectiveness of the event and possibly use as a model to be replicated in their LIUNA Locals and communities.
Charles Rolland, III
