{{Short description|American political movement}} {{Infobox organization | name = Coffee Party USA | image = | formation = {{start date and age|2010|01|26}} | logo = | region_served = United States | founder = Annabel Park | dissolved = 2021 | tax_id = | headquarters = | revenue = | revenue_year = | expenses = | expenses_year = | leader_name = | leader_title = | status = | website = {{URL|http://www.coffeepartyusa.com}} }} The '''Coffee Party USA''' was an American political movement that was formed in January 2010 in reaction to the conservative Tea Party movement.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121009013742/http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2010/sep/25/grab-a-coffee-mug-this-is-no-tea-party-convention-ar-28511/ Grab a Coffee Mug, This is no Tea Party] ''Associated Press''; September 24, 2010</ref><ref name="csmonitor.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0313/Coffee-party-movement-Not-far-from-the-tea-party-message |title='Coffee party' movement: Not far from the 'tea party' message? |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |date=2010-03-13 |access-date=2010-11-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Tacopino|first=Joe|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/03/13/2010-03-13_new_coffee_party_movement_takes_the_tea_party.html |title=The Coffee Party kicks off movement to take on the Tea Party |newspaper=NY Daily News |date=2010-03-13 |access-date=2010-11-02 |location=New York}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-13/politics/coffee.party_1_tea-party-health-care-political-process?_s=PM:POLITICS |title=Coffee vs. Tea: A political movement is brewing |publisher=CNN |date=2010-03-13 |access-date=2010-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006193430/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-13/politics/coffee.party_1_tea-party-health-care-political-process?_s=PM:POLITICS |archive-date=2012-10-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Condon |first=Stephanie |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-coffee-party-the-next-big-thing/ |title=Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing? |work=CBS News |date=2010-03-12 |access-date=2010-11-02}}</ref> Co-founder Annabel Park said that the group initially had significant appeal among those opposed to the Tea Party.<ref>[http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/15/1393049/tom-eblen-coffee-party-prepares.html Tom Eblen: Coffee Party prepares for national convention in Louisville] ''Lexington Herald-Leader''; August 15, 2010</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |date=2010-03-02 |title=Coffee Party wakes up US radicals |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/02/tea-party-coffee-party |access-date=2023-07-07 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why I started Coffee Party USA - CNN.com |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/18/park.coffee.party/index.html |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=www.cnn.com |language=en}}</ref>
The Coffee Party USA as a formal organization closed in 2021 and assigned assets to Bridge Alliance Education Fund, continuing their social media activity. <ref>{{Cite web |title=History - Bridge Alliance Education Fund |url=https://www.bridgealliance.us/our-story |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=www.bridgealliance.us |language=en}}</ref>
The organization's first National Coffee Party Day was held on March 13, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6500/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=117 |title=Saturday, March 13th is National Coffee Party Day |publisher=Coffee Party USA |access-date=2010-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305081444/http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6500/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=117 |archive-date=2010-03-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2010 |title=Coffee Party Founder Wants Common Grounds |website=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124648089 |access-date=10 July 2023}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Coffee vs. Tea: A political movement is brewing - CNN.com |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/13/coffee.party/index.html |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.cnn.com |language=en}}</ref>
==History== ===Origins and development=== 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.<ref name=AP-chat>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/02/26/DI2010022602928.html|title=Coffee Party movement: Alternative to tea|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 26, 2010|first=Annabel|last=Park|access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.9500liberty.com/filmmakers.html 9500 Liberty] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316191254/http://www.9500liberty.com/filmmakers.html |date=2016-03-16 }} The Filmmakers.</ref> 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.<ref name="C-J Coffee Party convention">[http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100923/NEWS0106/309230066/1008/NEWS01/Coffee+Party++a+Tea+Party+alternative++to+meet+in+Louisville Coffee Party: a Tea Party Alternative to Meet in Louisville] Courier-Journal; August 25, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022505517.html|title=Coffee Party activists say their civic brew's a tastier choice than Tea Party's|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 25, 2010|first=Dan|last=Zak|access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
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.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/13/coffee.party/index.html Coffee vs Tea: A political movement is brewing] ''CNN''.</ref><ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/236856 The Coffee Party Heats Up] Newsweek; May 3, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/04/tea-party-coffee-party Tea Party, Meet Coffee Party] ''Mother Jones'' April 16, 2010.</ref>
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."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/02/26/DI2010022602928.html Coffee Party movement: Alternative to Tea] ''The Washington Post''; February 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/12/coffee.party.people/index.html Meet the people who are percolating in the Coffee Party] ''CNN''; March 13, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/18/park.coffee.party/ Why I Started Coffee Party USA] ''CNN''; March 18, 2010.</ref> Local Coffee Party groups are not yet legally affiliated or authorized to raise funds under the Coffee Party USA name.<ref>[http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/donate Donations]; Coffee Party USA</ref>
In March 2011, the organization announced the dissolution of its interim board, and the establishment of a larger Transition Team charged with creating an organizational infrastructure and a permanent Board."<ref>[https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2011/03/the-coffee-party-and-its-discontents-034499 The Coffee Party and its discontents]; ''Politico''; March 26, 2011</ref>
===Reception=== The Coffee Party has been referred to by some in the media as "more academic and centrist than some of its members had hoped for but nevertheless, it is a timely and welcome development of a more intellectual form of political activism";<ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/guestcommentary/ci_15623710 The Coffee Party's first six months]; The Denver Post; July 29, 2010</ref> "a latte-sipping, liberal reaction to the populist conservative Tea Party movement";<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/us-politics/8088024/US-midterms-Coffee-Party-emerges-to-take-on-the-Tea-Party.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029151304/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/us-politics/8088024/US-midterms-Coffee-Party-emerges-to-take-on-the-Tea-Party.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 29, 2010 | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Alex | last=Spillius | title=US midterms: Coffee Party emerges to take on the Tea Party | date=October 26, 2010}}</ref> "left-leaning";<ref>[http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/sanity-rally-fans-want-701586.html ‘Sanity' rally fans want to show other side of America];Atlanta Journal-Constitution; October 29, 2010</ref> a group that "welcomes everyone and embraces diversity -- ethnic, geographical and even political diversity";<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-coffee-party-the-next-big-thing/ Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing?]; CBS News; March 12, 2010</ref> and "a liberal-esque and pro-Obama answer to the conservative tea party movement" with meetings that are "visibly more diverse than the average tea party gathering."<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0313/Coffee-party-movement-Not-far-from-the-tea-party-message Coffee Party Movement Not Far from the Tea Party Message]; Christian Science Monitor; March 13, 2010</ref>
== Political positions == After holding a National Coffee Summit and several votes and polls utilizing internet technology, the Coffee Party determined that the overwhelming concern of its members was money in politics, with "95 percent of members voting for a specific course of action, based on support for the Fair Elections Now Act, the DISCLOSE Act, the Shareholder Protection Act and a constitutional amendment to reverse corporate personhood." As of July 2011, the Coffee Party's stated advocacy goals included "reinstituting campaign finance laws, reforming the tax code and restoring Wall St. oversight."<ref>[http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/ Coffee Party | Wake Up and Stand Up<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Additional areas of concern involved issues of environment, clean energy and immigration reform.<ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_15623710 The Coffee Party's First Six Months] ''The Denver Post''; July 29, 2010.</ref>
==Events== ===National Coffee House day 2010=== The Coffee Party held its initial National Coffee House day event on March 13, 2010. Some 370 events took place across the US and the world, including Tokyo and Jakarta, with the intent to "encourage our existing and soon-to-form chapters to facilitate informative and civil dialogue about issues that affect all of us, collectively. We will ask them to report back to us on what consensus they reach, and take action from there."<ref name="csmonitor.com"/><ref name=AP-chat/>
===National Coffee Summit 2010=== On March 27, 2010, approximately 500 Coffee Party meetings took place across the United States. Coffee Party co-founder Annabel Park participated in one of the meetings, which was covered by C-SPAN and was crowded, and she observed that not all of the participants were behaving in a civil manner. ''Newsweek'' reported, "They were angry. They hated the Tea Party, and the Republican Party. They wanted to get even. One audience member said America was under the thumb of oligarchs and denounced 'moneyed interests.' A few people hissed when Sarah Palin's name was mentioned. Also on hand were the usual suspects drawn to the C-Span bat signal." Some in the crowd even decided they wanted a new leader for the movement, "not someone that says we can all work together." Park said later, "If they want to fire me, this may not be the group for them. We don't want conflict and confrontation."<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/236856 The Coffee Party Heats Up] ''Newsweek''; April 22, 2010.</ref>
===Coffee Party Convention 2010=== The First Annual Coffee Party Convention was held at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, from September 24 to 26, 2010. Some 350 chapter leaders and organizers met to hone their message before heading across the country in an effort to get people involved in what it considered a responsible way.<ref name="C-J Coffee Party convention"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-louisville-ky-september |title=Coffee Party Convention in Louisville, KY in September! |publisher=coffeepartyusa.com |date= |access-date=2010-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044429/http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-louisville-ky-september |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/24/1841050/grab-a-coffee-mug-this-is-no-tea.html Grab a Coffee Mug, This is no Tea Party] ''Associated Press''; September 24, 2010.</ref><ref name=CJ100925>[http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100925/NEWS01/309250121/1008/Coffee+party+urges+voters+to+get+involved+at+Louisville+convention Coffee party urges voters to get involved at Louisville convention], ''The Courier-Journal''; September 25, 2010.</ref><ref>Coffee Party USA. [http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/convention-builds-relationships-momentum-coffee-party Convention Builds Relationships, Momentum for Coffee Party] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006215053/http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/convention-builds-relationships-momentum-coffee-party |date=2010-10-06 }} September 28, 2010.</ref>
Featured events included a "Mock Constitutional Convention" co-chaired by Republican communication strategist for Bush and McCain, Mark McKinnon, and Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig; ''Across the Political Divide: A Transpartisan Dialogue'' with Joseph McCormick and a roundtable with journalist Linda Killian of ''U.S. News & World Report'' on the question, "What Can We Do for Our Country?" There were also scheduled workshops and panel discussions including members of both major political parties, chairwoman Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express and co-founder Annabel Park of the Coffee Party.<ref name=CJ100925/><ref>[http://staugustine.com/living/community/2010-09-29/local-delegate-attends-coffee-party-event Local Delegate Attends Coffee Party Event] ''St. Augustine Record''; September 29, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.wfpl.org/2010/09/22/first-ever-coffee-party-convention-is-in-louisville-this-weekend/ First Ever Coffee Party Convention is in Louisville] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928203559/http://www.wfpl.org/2010/09/22/first-ever-coffee-party-convention-is-in-louisville-this-weekend/ |date=2010-09-28 }} WFPL News; September 22, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-be-streamed-live-starting-fri-sept-24 Coffee Party Convention to be Streamed Live] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007074650/http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-be-streamed-live-starting-fri-sept-24 |date=2010-10-07 }} Coffee Party USA; September 22, 2010.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/}} * {{Facebook|coffeeparty}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffee Party Usa}} Category:2009 in American politics Category:2010 in American politics Category:21st-century social movements Category:Political terminology of the United States Category:Protests in the United States Category:Political movements in the United States Category:501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations