Nathan Henderson-James
Nathan Henderson-James worked for ACORN from 1993-2010 doing research, office management, and developing the organization’s online campaign capacity. In this interview, he speaks about the strengths of ACORN’s organizing model to build power for low and moderate income people. He discusses his somewhat singular role in the organization, building capacity for ACORN organizers by doing background work, like office management and research. He talks about his work doing early online campaign strategy, and why organizations today should reach for a “blended” organizing approach that takes advantage of digital tools as a way to enhance the one-on-one fundamentals necessary for sustained community organizing. He speaks of noticing a diminished capacity for organizing in the community sector since 2008, and the hole left when ACORN fell apart. He also shares his experience of the internal struggles happening at the end of ACORN and his analysis looking back — including critiques of senior leadership and their lack of communication and transparency, which he sees as putting the organization in a weakened position from which to deal with attacks from the Right.