The Jena 6 protests, which were some of the largest protests around civil rights in years, were organized by ColorOfChange.org. Because of its success, the group has been attacked by DJ Michael Baisden, who accused the group of taking money meant for the Jena 6. Baisden has been forced to apologize, as Howard Witt reported.
Only one national civil rights group, Color of Change, has fully disclosed how the $212,000 it collected for the Jena 6 via a massive Internet campaign has been distributed. The grassroots group, which has nearly 400,000 members, has posted images of cancelled checks and other signed documents on its website showing that all but $1,230 was paid out in October in roughly equal amounts to attorneys for the Jena youths.
You can see all this information here. What I find fascinating is how the group outdid the NAACP. Here's Jill Tubman:
NAACP: 500,000 members, almost $20,000 raised for Jena 6, 0% of funds disbursed to families and lawyers to date
Color of Change: 400,000 members, over $200,000 raised for Jena 6, 100% of funds disbursed to date
Color of Change raised about $10k of the money that went to Donna Edwards last week, and began working on the CBC with the fight against the Fox News/CBC Institute debate. This is a very important group, because it is serving as a bridge for African-American activists who have not had a way to involve themselves in the political process. It serves as a Moveon-style organization, working among black radio, black blogs, and political elites.
ColorofChange and its dynamic director James Rucker has arrived as a serious force in progressive politics.
STATE BLOGS
