Colón has been a civil rights, community, and political activist since the age of 16. He has served as a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and President of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York, member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 1995, Mr. Colón became the first person of color to serve on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) national board replacing Stephen Sondheim, and was also a member of the ASCAP Foundation.