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Coffee Party USA

Coffee Party USA
CoffeeParty.jpg
Motto Wake Up and Stand Up
Formation January 26, 2010; 7 years ago (2010-01-26)
27-2504746
Legal status 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Region served
United States
Debilyn Mollneaux
Revenue (2015)
$30,468
Expenses (2015) $27,176
Mission To fight the cycle of corruption and to restore self-governance to the people.
Website www.coffeepartyusa.com

The Coffee Party USA is an American political movement that was initially formed in January 2010, as an alternative to the Tea Party movement. Co-founder Annabel Park said that the group initially had significant appeal among those opposed to the Tea Party. It has since grown into an increasingly diverse organization with members from across the political spectrum.

The Coffee Party USA identifies itself as a 501(c)(4) social benefit organization. The organization's mission states that it is based on the underlying principle that the government is "not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges we face as Americans." Its slogan is "Wake Up and Stand Up". Its stated goals include getting cooperation in government and removing corporate influence from politics.

The organization's first National Coffee Party Day was held on March 13, 2010.

The Coffee Party USA was established on January 26, 2010, on the social networking site Facebook. It was founded by documentary filmmakers and political activists Annabel Park and Eric Byler. After becoming increasingly frustrated with the incivility and obstructionism in political discourse, and the media narrative that the Tea Party represented America, Park posted a rant on her Facebook page. Numerous positive responses from friends prompted her to start a "Join the Coffee Party Movement" fan page.

The group rapidly grew to over 155,000 Facebook fans in size from word of mouth and social networking in under six weeks. Newsweek noted the Facebook membership had surpassed 200,000 by April 2010, and every status update was receiving about a million views. Contrasting the Coffee Party with the Tea Party, Park noted:

A key difference is in our emphasis on the democratic process, on respectful and civil engagement with one another and with our elected officials. In the current climate, too many Americans are afraid to participate, and find the process itself too alienating, because it is dominated by people with extreme opinions and extreme tactics. It's hard to speak up when others in the room are screaming. So in the end, we may want some of the same things, but we [are] hoping our journey getting there will be very different.

After collecting input from the first round of national gatherings, the Coffee Party outlined three initial steps to promote participatory democracy. "The first step is creating a public space for open and civil dialogue. The second step is collective deliberation, considering facts and values to arrive at a decision. The third step is working toward implementing the decision." Local Coffee Party groups are not yet legally affiliated or authorized to raise funds under the Coffee Party USA name.


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