Profile in Protest: ColorOfChange.org Takes on ALEC

ColorOfChange.org, by its own account, exists “to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone.” In the last year, the Oakland-based non-profit with a staff of eight has taken on one of the major players in current U.S. politics, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC is a powerful lobbying group that also drafts model legislation. This legislation is favorable to corporate and politically conservative interests, and ALEC pursues these interests behind closed doors, without the scrutiny of the voting public. ALEC charges those who want its advocacy and collaboration a minimum fee of $25,000. In large part ALEC is funded by major corporations, including Walmart, UPS, ExxonMobil, and AT&T.

Much on ALEC’s legislative agenda represents a serious attack on the civil rights of minorities and the impoverished. Lately, the lobbying group has come under increasing scrutiny for its support of prison privatization, voter identification laws, anti-union laws, and “stand-your-ground” laws, all which threaten to have a highly negative impact on minority, working-class populations, especially African-Americans.

In the face of growing criticism, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Wendy’s, McDonalds, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Intuit have all withdrawn membership and financial support from ALEC. In April 2012 these companies decided not to renew their annual membership, thanks in part to the pressure brought by ColorOfChange.org.