In 1963, a group of brave mothers — Black, white, Asian, Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish — traveled across Arkansas to speak in churches and civic groups about racial discrimination and the importance of school integration; in their first 18 months, these mothers made over 150 appearances and reached more than 28,000 Arkansans. Known as the Panel of American Women, this radical multiracial and interfaith group eventually grew into the Arkansas Public Policy Panel (APPP, Norman grantee 2001–2008), broadening its mission to include women’s rights, environmental justice, and fair economic policies. Education organizing became APPP’s central focus in the early 2000s, spurred by a landmark Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that declared the state’s public school funding system unconstitutionally inequitable. They established six new community groups in Delta counties and formed Arkansans for Excellence in Education, a statewide coalition that convened residents, researchers, and advocacy organizations to push for reform. Local community members monitored school board meetings, testified at legislative hearings, and held elected officials accountable in ways many had never experienced from their own constituents. In 2005, that organizing paid off: APPP and its allies won $20 million in new pre-school funding, enough to provide free pre-school for every low-income child in the state. The victory also produced higher teacher salaries and targeted funding for high-poverty school districts that had been effectively ignored for generations.

Media:

• Video by Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation: APPP’s Executive Director speaks about the Panel of American Women, APPP’s predecessor
• APPP’s videos about canvassing: Canvassing in Arkansas – Step by Step Guidelines