MEMPHIS, TN - The founder of the controversial group ACORN spoke at the University of Memphis Monday night, explaining the history of his agency and reacting to its' recent troubles.
ACORN's mission, as the largest community organization in America, is to help poor families improve their lot in life. But critics, including protesters on the U of M campus, say ACORN's mission has gone way off track. And the man who created the group in 1970 admits there are serious problems.
"You know, I'm not going to comment on the current management," says ACORN founder Wade Rathke, "because I think that's inappropriate for me to do."
Rathke stepped down from ACORN in 2008. Since his departure, ACORN's been accused of voter registration fraud, embezzlement and worker misconduct. Hidden camera video made public earlier this year shows ACORN employees telling a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute how to get around tax laws to make money.
"It's very worrisome to me," says Rathke, "having spent 38 years there. The notion that within one and a half years since I left, the organization could almost evaporate is just stunning and startling to me."
Equally stunning to some Mid-Southerners is the University of Memphis inviting Rathke to speak at the school. A handful of protestors stood outside the Fogelman Center waving signs and shouting through a bullhorn.
"That organization is under a lot of felony investigations," says protestor David Conner from Collierville. "And we feel like there probably ought to be more. The fact that he's the founder and the ring leader, it's disappointing the college would bring him to town."
Dr. Kenneth Reardon, director of the U of M's graduate program in city and regional planning, extended the invitation to Rathke. The department is hosting a series of public lectures to mark the 100th anniversary of the American city planning profession.
Reardon says he's received maybe half a dozen calls and complaints about the visit. He encourages Rathke's critics to look at what he's accomplished.
"I think you'll find that this is a serious guy," says Dr. Reardon, "who spent four decades of his life working on behalf of the poorest people in America. He successfully helped shape policy on the Community Reinvestment Act, Workers Right-to-Know, the Family Leave Act, and living wage ordinances."
But ACORN's ability to continue to fight for better housing, wages and education for low-income families took a hit when Congress pulled its' funding this year. A decision that protesters like David Conner support.
"That's my belief," he says, "that they don't deserve taxpayer funds."
ACORN's founder is left to wonder, if his beloved organization, one that has helped hundreds of thousands of people, will make it through this controversy.
"Whether or not the organization as a national structure can survive," says Rathke, "I think that's in the balance right now. And I'd hate to speculate."
The New York Times reported last year that Wade Rathke's brother embezzled nearly a million dollars from the group. ACORN execs handled it internally instead of notifying the police. The Rathke family repaid about $200,000 while a private donor reportedly paid the rest.
Wade Rathke told The Times the embezzlement was kept secret not to protect his brother, but to prevent ACORN's enemies from gaining a "weapon" to use against the group.
Rathke now heads up ACORN International. The group works to bring running water, schools and jobs to areas known as "mega slums" in countries like Kenya, India, Mexico and Peru. He also has a new book out titled "Citizen Wealth: Winning the Campaign to Save Working Families."
