Fighting Poverty– In Their Own Words
By Allison Behrens, Congress Watch intern
The COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality protests have made it clear that centuries of systemic inequality have created a national emergency unlike anything we’ve seen before. Across the country, people are becoming aware of the staggering number of those who live paycheck-to-paycheck and are now in crisis due to losing their source of income, particularly in communities of color, which have been the victims of systemic racism and societal inequality that ignores their needs.
This crisis has made it hard for everyone, but especially hard for the millions of Americans who are poor or a $400 emergency away from being poor. That’s why the Poor People’s Campaign is sending a message of unity and a moral fight against systemic racism, poverty, and militarism we’ve seen can devastate communities across America. The mass community organizing and protesting taking place across the country right now demonstrates that we’re at a critical juncture, one at which a unified movement can make real change.
On June 20, the Poor People’s Campaign is digitally holding the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington so poor people can have a platform to share their stories and solutions, and have their voices heard by those that don’t regularly hear from the people they need to.
The March will be livestreamed on the campaign website and Facebook (including on Public Citizen’s Facebook page) at 10 am EDT then re-run at 6 pm EDT. March organizers will provide ways for poor people and moral allies to get involved in the fight to end poverty by contacting their legislators or registering to vote. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #PoorPeoplesCampaign.
It’s clear that something needs to change to combat the crisis of economic inequality, and it’s vital that solutions come from those most affected by it.