Class Action Network is an advocacy group that promotes left-of-center economic ideologies to counter perceived “classism” through trainings centered on class, wealth redistribution, and racial issues. The organization was formed in 2004 and has operated several programs catered to nonprofits, college students, and other groups. The organization’s website was not active as of early 2026. 1 2
Background
Class Action Network was formed in 2004 as a “national nonprofit organization that raises awareness about class and inspires action to end classism.” The group has offered trainings and toolkits centered around promoting left-of-center ideologies on wealth redistribution, race, and other issues. The group’s programs have included a training for nonprofits called Staffing the Mission, a program called Cross-Class Dialogues, and a First Gen College Student Summit. 1 3 The group also promotes materials around wealth disparities in the United States. 4
As of early 2026, the organization’s website was no longer active, and the group’s activity and operational status were unclear. 4
Betsy Leondar-Wright
Betsy Leondar-Wright, a left-of-center economic activist, was Class Action’s Program Director from 2010 to 2015 and was on the board of the group as of 2024. The group has promoted Leondar-Wright’s books, including her book titled Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups by Seeing Class Cultures. Her other books include Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists and The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Wealth Divide. Leondar-Wright teaches classes on social movement strategy and race, class, and gender inequality at Lasell College. 2
Class Action Network organized a national book tour for Leondar-Wright in 2014 following the publication of her book Missing Class, which also “developed workshops for activists on understanding and bridging class culture differences and trained 11 other Class Action trainers to lead them.” Leondar-Wright stated that “we did more than 30 workshops in every region of the US, hosted by community foundations, grassroots groups, colleges, religious congregations, activist conferences, etc. We created a Cross-Class Bridge Builder award, and before I went to a major city, we would solicit nominations of local organizations … The last stage of the process was to create the website www.activistclasscultures.org, which had 14,000 separate visitors in its first three months.” 5
References
- “What We Do.” Classism.org. Archived January 18, 2021. Accessed January 13, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118142450/https://classism.org/about/what-we-do/.
- “Ideas.” Activist Class Cultures. Accessed January 13, 2026. https://www.activistclasscultures.org/#ideas.
- “Activist Class Cultures.” Classism.org. Archived February 28, 2021. Accessed January 13, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228123235/https://classism.org/programs/activist-class-cultures/.
- “Classism.org.” Classism.org. Archived January 18, 2021. Accessed January 13, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118103027/https://classism.org/.
- “Sociology in Action: Betsy Leondar-Wright.:” American Sociological Association. Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.asanet.org/sociology_in_action/sociology-action-betsy-leondar-wright/