ColorOfChange.org exists to strengthen Black America’s political voice. Our goal is to empower our members—Black Americans and our allies—to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone.
We were heart-broken and outraged by the catastrophe that followed Hurricane Katrina. And we were devastated to realize that no African-American organization or coalition had the capacity to respond on the necessary scale.
Hurricane Katrina made it clear that our lack of a political voice has life-and-death consequences. With no one to speak for them, hundreds of thousands of people—largely Black, poor, and elderly—were left behind to die. But it wasn’t just Black folks. Poor, sick, and elderly people of every color were abandoned too. We are not alone, and when we work to protect Black lives and interests, we do the same for all who have been left behind in political silence.
ColorOfChange.org is comprised of Black folks from every economic class, as well as those of every color who seek to help our voices be heard. Our members are united behind a simple, powerful pledge: we will do all we can to make sure all Americans are represented, served, and protected—regardless of race or class.
What We Do
Using the Internet, we will enable our members to speak in unison, with an amplified political voice. We will keep them informed about the most pressing issues for Black people in America and give them ways to act. We will lobby elected representatives using email, the telephone, and face-to-face meetings. We’ll bring attention to the needs and concerns of Black folks by holding coordinated events in different parts of the country, running TV and print advertisements, and demanding that the news media cover our issues. We will also work with other groups—online efforts and other organizations that are doing related work—to magnify our impact.
When we come together and speak with one voice, we cannot be ignored.
ColorOfChange Staff
James Rucker
James Rucker is co-founder of ColorOfChange.org and serves as its executive director. Prior, James served as Director of Grassroots Mobilization for MoveOn.org Political Action and Moveon.org Civic Action and was instrumental in developing and executing on fundraising, technology, and campaign strategies. Prior to joining MoveOn, James worked in various roles in the software industry in the San Francisco and has provided coaching and technology consulting for other start-up ventures.
Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte
Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte joined ColorOfChange.org two weeks after the effort started and has played a lead role in campaign definition and execution. He serves as Campaign Director. Prior to joining ColorOfChange.org, Gabriel was a student at Bard College in New York.
William Winters
William Winters joined the ColorOfChange campaign staff in the fall of 2008, after having run political and advocacy campaigns in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. William played a key role in regional campaign work aimed at supporting justice in the case of the Jena 6, in Central Louisiana.
Dani McClain
Dani McClain joined the ColorOfChange campaign staff in the winter of 2008. Dani is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and before ColorOfChange worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covering education.
Former Staff
Van Jones (Co-founder, inactive)
While Van hasn’t been active in the work of ColorOfChange in recent years, we are proud of where his work las led him. After helping ColorOfChange get started in 2005, Van moved on to other pursuits. In 2007, he founded and served as the executive director of Green For All, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for low-income communities connected to the greater effort of addressing climate change. Most recently, Van served as Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
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