The One Percent Are Planning to Re-Write the Constitution
Map from “Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention” on the Common Cause website.
States in red have joined one or more calls for an Article V Convention. If your state is indicated, visit the interactive map in the article “Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention” on the Common Cause website to see which campaigns have succeeded – and to demand that the call is rescinded.
We who believe that racism needs to end are working hard to overcome our own biases and working with others to identify both conscious and unconscious biases. Many are also addressing institutional racism in the communities and organizations we relate to. But a very well-funded project is working at odds with our projects and seeking to stop progress on tearing down barriers that non-white people experience, end privileges experienced by whites, and empower all identity groups to have full participation in the cultural, economic, and political life of America.
The organization funding this right-wing project is the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). On their website, you can see their goals, strategies, and how dangerously close they are to achieving their goal of requiring Congress to call a Constitutional convention. As of April of 2023, they only need six more states to request a convention.
The response of organizations who support progressive causes of all kinds is being led by Common Cause. In April 2023, more than 225 organizations, such as NAACP, National Council of La Raza Action Fund, National Education Association (NEA), Sierra Club, and the League of Women Voters are partnering to attempt to stop ALEC.
However, there are no coordinated efforts to develop counter proposals to changing the Constitution so that it does not support and preserve racism. Ending Racism USA partnered with Grace and Race Ministries, Inc. and Polarity Partners to present a workshop at the Alliance of Baptists Annual Gathering on April 22, 2023, where Ken Bedell described the danger, the response from the left, and encouraged a more inclusive response. In the workshop, Barry Johnson introduced polarity maps as a process that helps us identify strategies and plan activism so that the best of the Constitution is retained as a foundation and improvements in support of equity are added.
You can view the 15-minute presentation by Ken Bedell and the 11-minute presentation by Barry Johnson below.
Ken Bedell: Realizing the Civil Rights Dream workshop
Ending Racism USA
Ken Bedell leading his section of the Realizing the Civil Rights Dream workshop at the Alliance of Baptists gathering in April 2023.
Barry Johnson: Realizing the Civil Rights Dream workshop
Ending Racism USA
Barry Johnson leading his section of the Realizing the Civil Rights Dream workshop at the Alliance of Baptists gathering in April 2023.