Donna Massey
Donna Massey was an ACORN member/leader in Little Rock, Arkansas from the early 90s until the end, after which she continued organizing with the successor organization Arkansas Community Organization (ACO). She is currently the Chair of the State Board for ACO. In this interview, Massey talks about housing campaigns, including a successful campaign to prevent a corporate technology park from moving into her neighborhood, which would have resulted in the buying up and subsequent demolition of residential homes. She also discusses winning elections, both those of their own candidates and those of candidates ACORN endorsed. She mentions how political candidates would often turn to ACORN for support when running for campaigns. She brings up ways that ACORN in Little Rock was perceived both positively and negatively from the outside. She talks about meeting people from different backgrounds at national conventions, as well as the role of lasting relationships forged in Little Rock. One memorable action for Massey was disrupting a legislative conference where Newt Gingrich was speaking to protest the defunding of school lunches. She talks about the end of ACORN, its legacy, and the differences between ACORN and ACO.