For immediate release: Nov. 7, 2018

Contact: Marisol Bello, [email protected]

 Dorian Warren Steps into Role as President of Newly- Renamed Community Change

The grassroots activist, political scientist and media personality will help bring the organization’s new brand to life

Washington, D.C. – Effective today, Dorian Warren is the new president of Community Change, formerly named the Center for Community Change. This transition comes as the organization launches its new name, logo and tagline: Power from the ground up. The new brand and president reflect Community Change’s 50-year mission: To build the power and capacity of low-income people, especially communities of color, to change the policies and institutions that impact their lives.

“Each one of us has a responsibility to live out our mission through our words and actions,” says Warren. “It is an incredible honor and distinct privilege to lead one of the country’s most storied and valuable organizations after one of the most important midterms in our lifetime.”

The 2018 midterm elections are a sign of what’s to come as Community Change and Community Change Action upends politics from the ground up. The organizations and their partners engaged 2.5 million new and infrequent voters made up of people of color, women and young voters.

As president, Warren will build on the 16-year legacy of outgoing president Deepak Bhargava, who has been a major force in the social justice landscape – from defending the social safety net to nurturing the immigrant rights movement and winning proactive policies that redefine what’s possible on jobs, housing and child care. Community Change and its sister organization, Community Change Action, are on a powerful and sustainable path for our future with a strong and diverse staff and executive leadership team and strong financial positioning.

“I have never been more proud of the work of Community Change and Community Change Action and our extended family of allies and grassroots partners, who have risen to meet the historic challenges we face,” said Quinn Delaney, president of the Board of Directors. “I have total confidence that Community Change will thrive under the extraordinary leadership of Dorian Warren.”

For the past two years, Dorian has served as Community Change Action’s president and as vice president of Community Change. Prior to that, he was Community Change’s board chair. During his tenure at both Community Change and Community Change Action, Warren has led teams and moved initiatives seeking to advance racial, gender and economic justice – developing game-changing big ideas, innovating across sectors and empowering the voices of people of color and low-income communities.

He is also a commentator on television and radio, including MSNBC, NBC News, and CNN. Dorian co-hosts Freedom on Tap, a live event series with Melissa Harris-Perry, which draws on his decades of experience in politics, activism and academia. He has also written articles that have been published in the Nation and Salon, and has been quoted in several publications including The New York Times and the Washington Post.

“There are no shortcuts to advancing racial, gender and economic justice in this country,” Warren says. “This demands we adopt a multi-faceted agenda and set of strategies that are rooted in communities of color, fusing the power of organizing, ideas and politics to fuel bold and enduring movements for change.”

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Community Change is a national organization founded in 1968 by leaders of the civil rights, labor, and anti-poverty movements as a living memorial to Senator Robert F. Kennedy. We are a national organization that builds the power of low-income people of color to fight for a society where everyone can thrive.