Ezola Foster

[2] In 1960, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she was employed as a public high school teacher for thirty-three years—teaching typing, business courses, and sometimes English classes.

[5] 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.

[5] 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.

[6] Pat Buchanan, noting Foster's conservative media credentials and public speaking ability, asked her to be his running mate after Jim Traficant of Ohio, Teamsters Union president James P. Hoffa, and others declined his request.

His critics claimed Foster, who had never held political office, was chosen because she was African American; they likened it to affirmative action, a diversity-increasing policy that Buchanan had always opposed.

[5] Foster ran for Congress in the June 5, 2001, special election in California's 32nd district to replace deceased representative Julian Dixon as the Reform Party candidate and garnered 1.5% of the vote.