Ezola B. Foster
Encyclopedia
Ezola Broussard Foster (born August 9, 1938) is an American
activist, writer, and politician. She is president of Black Americans for Family Values, authored the book What's Right for All Americans, and was the Reform Party
candidate for Vice President
in the U.S. presidential election of 2000. In April 2002, Foster left the Reform Party to join the Constitution Party.
and earned a master's degree from Texas Southern University
. In 1960, she moved to Los Angeles
, where she was a public high school
teacher for 33 years - teaching typing, business courses and sometimes English classes.
She had sought public office prior to 2000 - as a Democrat in the 1970s and as a Republican candidate for California State Assembly
in 1984. In the 1980s, she became an outspoken opponent of pornography
, the civil rights movement
, sex education
, AIDS
education and gay rights and founded "Black Americans for Family Values." She was arrested in 1987 with several other women while disrupting the state Republican convention to protest its recognition of the Log Cabin Club
, an organization of gay Republicans. In 1992, she was a staunch defender of the police officers in the Rodney King
beating case and organized a testimonial dinner for Laurence Powell
, one of the convicted officers, in 1995.
In 1994, while teaching at Bell High School
in Bell
, California, Foster was a public advocate of Proposition 187
, a California
ballot initiative to deny government programs of social services, health care
, and public education
to illegal immigrants. Her position was extremely unpopular at the school where she taught, which was 90 percent Hispanic
. In 1996, after she argued on PBS
's MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
that illegal immigration was responsible for the low quality of Los Angeles schools, some of her colleagues at the school condemned her in an open letter. Two days later, she attended an anti-illegal-immigration rally where several of her supporters were attacked by members of the Progressive Labor Party
, who allegedly wanted to harm Foster herself. Shortly thereafter, she left her job, which she calls a necessity resulting from her treatment at work. She went on speaking tours for the John Birch Society
and took workers' compensation for an undisclosed mental disorder — which she describes as "stress" and "anxiety" — until her official retirement
as a teacher in 1998.
Foster has appeared on The Political Cesspool
, a white nationalist radio talk show based in Memphis, Tennessee. She has also been a guest on Larry King Live
, CBS This Morning, CNN & CO., Nightline, NewsTalk Television, CNN Live
, MSNBC
, Politically Incorrect
, and various CBS
, NBC
, and ABC
newscasts.
selected Foster as his running-mate after several other candidates such as Jim Traficant and James P. Hoffa
declined his offer. Foster, who had supported Buchanan's campaigns in 1992 and 1996, quit her speaking tour to join the race. While Buchanan was hospitalized during part of the campaign, Foster was the ticket's mouthpiece, campaigning through television and radio appearances. This was the first time in history that an African-American had been nominated for Vice-President by an Federal Election Commission
-recognized and federally-funding political party, and the second time a woman had accomplished this (Democrat Geraldine Ferraro
being the first).
. Her first marriage, by which she has a son, ended in annulment
, she says, when she found out that her husband was a convicted felon
. Later, in 1977, she married Chuck Foster, a truck driver. They have two adult children. Foster is a grandmother. She lives in Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist, writer, and politician. She is president of Black Americans for Family Values, authored the book What's Right for All Americans, and was the Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
candidate for Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in the U.S. presidential election of 2000. In April 2002, Foster left the Reform Party to join the Constitution Party.
Career and political activism
Foster was born and raised in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and earned a master's degree from Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
. In 1960, she moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where she was a public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
teacher for 33 years - teaching typing, business courses and sometimes English classes.
She had sought public office prior to 2000 - as a Democrat in the 1970s and as a Republican candidate for California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1984. In the 1980s, she became an outspoken opponent of pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
education and gay rights and founded "Black Americans for Family Values." She was arrested in 1987 with several other women while disrupting the state Republican convention to protest its recognition of the Log Cabin Club
Log Cabin Republicans
The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
, an organization of gay Republicans. In 1992, she was a staunch defender of the police officers in the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
beating case and organized a testimonial dinner for Laurence Powell
Laurence Powell
Laurence Michael Powell is a former Los Angeles Police officer. He was one of the four officers involved in the beating of Rodney King on March 3, 1991.-Background:...
, one of the convicted officers, in 1995.
In 1994, while teaching at Bell High School
Bell High School (Bell, California)
Bell High School is a public high school in Bell, California, United States.The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of District 6 of the Los Angeles Unified School District....
in Bell
Bell, California
Bell is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles...
, California, Foster was a public advocate of Proposition 187
California Proposition 187 (1994)
California Proposition 187 was a 1994 ballot initiative to establish a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit illegal aliens from using health care, public education, and other social services in the U.S. State of California...
, a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
ballot initiative to deny government programs of social services, health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, and public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
to illegal immigrants. Her position was extremely unpopular at the school where she taught, which was 90 percent Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
. In 1996, after she argued on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
that illegal immigration was responsible for the low quality of Los Angeles schools, some of her colleagues at the school condemned her in an open letter. Two days later, she attended an anti-illegal-immigration rally where several of her supporters were attacked by members of the Progressive Labor Party
Progressive Labor Party (USA)
The Progressive Labor Party is a transnational communist party based primarily in the United States. It was formed in the fall of 1961 by members of the Communist Party USA who felt that the Soviet Union had betrayed communism and become revisionist and state capitalist...
, who allegedly wanted to harm Foster herself. Shortly thereafter, she left her job, which she calls a necessity resulting from her treatment at work. She went on speaking tours for the John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
and took workers' compensation for an undisclosed mental disorder — which she describes as "stress" and "anxiety" — until her official retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
as a teacher in 1998.
Foster has appeared on The Political Cesspool
The Political Cesspool
The Political Cesspool is a weekly talk radio show founded by James Edwards, and syndicated by Liberty News Radio Network and Accent Radio Network in the United States...
, a white nationalist radio talk show based in Memphis, Tennessee. She has also been a guest on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, CBS This Morning, CNN & CO., Nightline, NewsTalk Television, CNN Live
CNN Live Today
CNN Live Today is an American television news program on CNN. It aired weekdays from 10:00 a.m. ET to 12:00 p.m., and also during Your World Today from 12:20 p.m. ET to 12:32 p.m. It was last anchored by Daryn Kagan...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
, and various CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
newscasts.
Election of 2000
Pat BuchananPat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
selected Foster as his running-mate after several other candidates such as Jim Traficant and James P. Hoffa
James P. Hoffa
James Phillip Hoffa is an attorney and labor leader and the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Hoffa was first elected during December 1998 and took office on March 19, 1999...
declined his offer. Foster, who had supported Buchanan's campaigns in 1992 and 1996, quit her speaking tour to join the race. While Buchanan was hospitalized during part of the campaign, Foster was the ticket's mouthpiece, campaigning through television and radio appearances. This was the first time in history that an African-American had been nominated for Vice-President by an Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
-recognized and federally-funding political party, and the second time a woman had accomplished this (Democrat Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
being the first).
Personal life
Foster is CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Her first marriage, by which she has a son, ended in annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
, she says, when she found out that her husband was a convicted felon
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
. Later, in 1977, she married Chuck Foster, a truck driver. They have two adult children. Foster is a grandmother. She lives in Los Angeles.
Further reading
- Carlson, Peter. "Ezola Foster: Pat Buchanan's Far Right Hand." The Washington Post (Sept. 13, 2000)
- Issues2000.org - Some of Foster's campaign positions and quotations
- Foster, Ezola. "Let the Children be Children." National Minority Politics (August 31, 1995)