The former CEO of the activist group ACORN called the Republican party’s ongoing voter-suppression efforts a response to what she called the “browning” of America Sunday.

“This is about demographics,” Bertha Lewis said on Up With Chris Hayes. “Their base just swallows this whole. Who is that base? That is a base that is shrinking in this country. This country is browning. People of color are going to be the new majority in this country. Then, you have folks out there who see this as an absolute threat.”

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Lewis pointed out that ACORN, which was shut down following the airing of a heavily-edited “sting” operation by conservative operative James O’Keefe, organized not only people of color, but low-income voters into coming out to vote based on issues.

“This is a strategy to combat the changing demographics and power shift of this country,” Lewis said of the wave of tactics used this year by GOP forces to make it harder for voters of color and poor voters to get to the polls.

Lewis’ explanation, aired on MSNBC Sunday, can be seen below.

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[Image via Truthout.org on Flickr, Creative Commons licensed]