The nation’s largest grassroots community organization made up of low- and moderate-income people across the country is set to close at the end of the month. In an organizational statement released today, ACORN said their Board met on Sunday March 21 and approved a set of steps to "responsibly manage the process of bringing its operations to a close over the coming months."
Since 2004, ACORN has helped more than 1.7 million low-income and citizens of color to register to vote. In a news release issued Saturday, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said the group had faced "a series of well-orchestrated, relentless, well-funded, right-wing attacks that are unprecedented since the McCarthy era. Our effective work empowering African-American and low-income voters made us a target. The videos were a manufactured, sensational story that led to rush to judgment and an unconstitutional act by Congress. The majority of ACORN members are Black and Latino and a big part of the racial justice infrastructure to lose. ACORN will close state affiliates and field offices by April 1st.