Advancement Project

Advancement Project
Name	Advancement Project
Founded	1999
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Founders	Constance Curry; Christopher Kang
Type	Nonprofit civil rights organization
Focus	Racial justice; voting rights; education equity; criminal justice reform

Advancement Project Advancement Project is a civil rights advocacy organization established in 1999 that works on voting rights, school equity, and criminal justice reform in the United States. The organization has been engaged in litigation, community organizing, and policy campaigns across federal, state, and local levels, interacting with entities such as the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Justice, and numerous state courts. Its activities intersect with national movements and institutions including Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union, and various municipal school districts.

History

The organization was founded in 1999 amid debates following the 1997 decision in City of Boerne v. Flores and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 era litigation environment. Early involvement included suits influenced by precedents from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and case law from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In the 2000s Advancement Project engaged with redistricting battles linked to the decennial United States Census, contested matters stemming from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, and litigation related to decisions by the United States District Court for the Central District of California. During the 2010s the group reacted to the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder ruling and joined coalitions that included the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Brennan Center for Justice. Prominent moments included collaboration during protests after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and policy responses to events in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray.

Mission and Programs

The mission emphasizes racial equity, voter protection, and public education advocacy, aligning with campaigns associated with Campaign Legal Center, Demos, and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Programmatically, efforts span litigation strategies similar to those used by the Public Counsel law firm, community engagement reminiscent of Community Change, research outputs comparable to The Sentencing Project, and digital tools used by organizations like Code for America. Work on school discipline and school funding has connected to reform debates involving the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and policy frameworks referenced by systems such as the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Chicago Public Schools system. Voter protection initiatives have operated alongside the League of Women Voters, Vote.org, and state election administrators in places like Georgia, Florida, and Texas.

Organizational Structure

The nonprofit is organized with a headquarters office, regional staff, legal teams, and community organizing divisions, interacting with municipal bodies such as the Los Angeles City Council and state legislatures including the California State Legislature. Leadership has included executive directors and senior counsel who have experience in institutions like the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and major law firms. Governance features a board of directors and advisory councils with members drawn from universities such as Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Howard University, and partnerships with philanthropic entities similar to the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation-supported initiatives.

Major Campaigns and Advocacy

Campaigns have targeted voter suppression litigation after elections involving figures such as Donald Trump and disputes arising from state laws in North Carolina and Ohio. School equity campaigns addressed policies impacted by court rulings like those in Brown v. Board of Education desegregation legacies and funding cases that engaged state supreme courts such as the California Supreme Court. Criminal justice advocacy linked the group to protests and policy debates following incidents involving Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, and to reform dialogues with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police departments including the Los Angeles Police Department. Coalition work has connected Advancement Project to national voter mobilization efforts coordinated with Organizing for Action, MoveOn.org, and labor partners including the AFL–CIO.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have included private foundations, donor-advised funds, and philanthropic partnerships paralleling grants from institutions like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. Strategic partnerships span national nonprofits including the National Urban League, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and legal allies like the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund on related environmental justice intersections. The organization has also collaborated with academic research centers such as the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution for policy analyses.

Impact and Criticism

Impact claims cite influence on litigation outcomes, voter registration protections, and policy changes in school discipline practices observed in districts like New York City and Los Angeles. Critics, including some conservative legal scholars and think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, have argued that the organization’s strategies reflect partisan priorities and have challenged standing in particular lawsuits heard before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and other federal tribunals. Supporters point to coalition successes with groups like the NAACP and the Southern Poverty Law Center and policy shifts in municipalities from Seattle to Atlanta as evidence of substantive effects.

Category:Civil rights organizations in the United States