National Action Network

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The National Action Network (NAN) is a charitable organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton and a group of political and human rights activists in New York City, New York in early 1991.

In the spirit of the civil rights movement, which began in the Southern United States 1950s, the National Action Network attempts to address social and economic injustice around the country. The National Action Network (or "NAN"), is headquartered in Harlem, New York, but currently has over 30 active chapters nationwide.

The organization's Board of Directors was first chaired by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, Pastor Emeritus of Canaan Baptist Church, New York, and former Executive Director to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The organization has been steeped in the rich history of the civil rights movement. In addition to Dr. Walker, the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. King, and her son, Martin Luther King, III, participated in the organization's annual Keepers of the Dream Convention weekend for several years. Similarly, Reverend Jesse Jackson, former Democratic presidential candidate and founder of Rainbow/PUSH; Reverend Joseph L. Lowery, Chairman emeritus, Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and several other prominent figures have supported the efforts of NAN.

The National Action Network is widely credited with drawing national attention to such critical issues as racial profiling, police brutality and the US Naval bombing exercises on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Notably, the organization was prominently involved with the police brutality cases of Amadou Diallo (New York), Abner Louima (New York) and Patrick Dorismond (New York).

In 1999, the organization launched The Madison Avenue Initiative or "MAI", a program designed to address the inequities in the advertising industry. MAI was created after a racially charged memorandum, infamously dubbed, "The Katz Memo", was circulated among certain radio stations, stating that advertisers wanted "prospects, not suspects". The recognition of this memorandum set off an investigation into the spending practices of corporations, specifically examining whether their advertising budgets with African-American and Latino publications and advertising agencies was commensurate with their consumer bases.

In 2000, the organization launched the Truth Hamer Voter Registration and Education Initiative, a program founded by the organization's Executive Director, Marjorie Fields Harris. The Truth Hamer Initiative set out to register one million women to vote, targeting populations in traditionally overlooked areas, such as public housing developments, transitional housing communities and rural areas.