[1] The Rouge Forum was formally organized and held its first meeting in Detroit at Wayne State University in 1998 with around 300 education activists present.
Rouge Forum members have worked closely with, and played leadership roles within the inclusive school and whole language literacy movements.
For several years in early 2000s, The Rouge Forum, The Whole Schooling Consortium, and the Whole Language Umbrella of the National Council of Teachers of English held joint meetings and co-sponsored the 2000 International Education Summit for a Democratic Society.
[3] The Rouge Forum has been active in efforts to resist curriculum standardization and high-stakes testing in schools, particularly as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Renner Lecturers included Peter McLaren, Susan Ohanian, Patrick Shannon, David Barsamian, E. Wayne Ross, and Sarah Kendzior.