For Immediate Release: Friday, September 4, 2020
Media Contact: media@colorofchange.org
Color Of Change, Nation’s Largest Online Racial Justice Organization, Celebrates 15 Years of Groundbreaking Advocacy, Reimagines Possibilities for the World Ahead of November Elections
Founded in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina, COC’s Strategies and Impact are More Crucial In the Face of Police Brutality, COVID-19, National Disasters and Racist, Corrupt Government
New York, NY — This week, Color Of Change (COC), the largest online civil rights organization in the country, is celebrating 15 years of building winning strategies to dismantle systemic inequality and oppression and empower Black people. Following its founding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Color Of Change’s membership has grown to over 7 million. Over the years, the organization has enabled Black people to tackle racial injustice in a multitude of industries and avenues by working to change culture, behavior and policy simultaneously.
Color Of Change was born out of the loss and devastation of Black lives following Hurricane Katrina. Since 2005, Color Of Change has developed and implemented innovative strategies to bring about systemic change in the industries that affect Black people’s lives: Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Hollywood, Washington, corporate board rooms, local prosecutor offices, state capitol buildings and city halls around the country. Through activating and leveraging online communities, Color Of Change has pioneered a unique approach to identify injustices in real time, command immediate attention, and mobilize Black people to swift action. Since its founding, Color Of Change has been successful in getting corporations to stop supporting Trump policies and white nationalists; forcing over 100 corporations to abandon ALEC; holding prosecutors accountable to end mass incarceration, police violence and financial exploitation in the justice system and framing net neutrality as a civil rights issue to name a few.
“For nearly two decades, Color Of Change has worked tirelessly to not only imagine a new world but make it possible in our present day,” said Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change. “As we saw with Hurricane Katrina, no one cared about not showing up or disappointing Black people. However, Color Of Change has been instrumental in showing that America can only do well when the lives and well-being of Black people are centered and prioritized, but there is still more work to be done. This year is one that will not only define this new decade we find ourselves in, but the entire future of this country. Color Of Change is prepared to harness all that we’ve learned over the past fifteen years to tackle the incredible obstacles facing us and the country not only on November 3rd but to generate sustained momentum and build real power.”
“The road to this moment has been difficult, but we remain optimistic that we can build real, sustained power for our communities and are determined to keep fighting to make this a reality,” said Arisha Hatch, Color Of Change’s Vice President, Chief of Campaigns. “The fight for progressive change isn’t one to just correct the wrongs of the past, it is also a fight to leave this country better than how we have inherited it. We are committed to telling our stories, holding leaders accountable and mobilizing everyday people to abolish the inequities that have stymied the growth of Black communities across the country for generations.”
Over the past fifteen years, Color Of ChangeColor of Change has gained incredible momentum in the fight for racial justice and civil rights in many ways centralizing itself in the country’s cultural and political reckoning. Some recent campaigns and wins:
- Rashad Robinson has gone toe-to-toe with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, getting companies like Coca Cola, Adidas and Ford to halt advertisements in protest of how the social network is fueling hate group recruitment.
- 7.2 million people took action to support Color Of Change’s work to hold police and prosecutors accountable for the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery.
- Color Of Change demanded that the TV show Cops be canceled and they won after releasing a groundbreaking report, Normalizing Injustice, that reveals how the crime tv genre perpetuates and encorages racism.
- Color Of Change is providing Black creatives with a platform to #TellBlackStories with the organization’s podcast and live series.
- Color Of Change has partnered with hundreds of influencers and creatives like Ava DuVernay, Michael B. Jordan and others in Hollywood to create narratives that productively portray Black people and a roadmap to stop racism in the entertainment industry.
Color Of Change will host a virtual benefit concert today at 6 PM ET.
####
About Color Of Change:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.