Arkansas Public Policy Panel.

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel incorporated as a non-profit organization in the 1970s. The Panel was the successor to the Panel of American Women (PAW), a group composed of about thirty women from varied ethnic and social backgrounds who spoke at school assemblies and civic groups with the aim of promoting racial understanding. Brownie Ledbetter, a leader in PAW, became executive director of the Public Policy Panel in the mid-1970s. The Panel expanded its scope in the 1980s and 1990s as members became concerned with the economic effects of racial prejudice, as well as tax reform and environmental issues. Women's rights also became a major platform of the Panel. Panel members organized and trained grassroots groups to speak out on issues of concern to them. As of 2004, the Panel continues to organize and train citizens' groups in educating the public and influencing public policy at the state and local level.