Oral Histories

Jen Kern

   October 11, 2023

   

National Staff, 1993-2008; Director, ACORN Living Wage Resource Center, 1998-2008

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1. October 11, 2023 Interviewed by Matthew Hanson
2. October 11, 2023 Interviewed by Matthew Hanson

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Jen Kern joined the national staff of ACORN shortly after graduating college in 1993. She worked on a variety of campaigns, including against red lining, and she helped launch ACORN’s living wage efforts. In this interview, she speaks about her experiences on the national staff, how they worked with leaders, about the organization’s gender and racial dynamics, and what lessons organizers can draw from them today. She left ACORN in 2008, shortly before the organization was taken down by the Right.