The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is building a generationally transformative digital gathering called the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington, on June 20, 2020. At the Assembly, we will demand that both major political parties address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism by implementing our Moral Agenda. This 2-hour program will be broadcast on Saturday, June 20 at 10am EST and 6pm EST and again on Sunday, June 21st at 6pm EST. Visit June2020.org to tune in or go directly to.
Interview by Cathleen Williams of Faye Wilson Kennedy, community organizer in Sacramento, and a Co-Chair of the California Campaign.
Can you tell us how the Poor People’s Campaign is organizing to meet the current crisis as the country begins to wake up to systemic racism?
One of the reasons I wanted to get involved in the Poor People’s Campaign at the national level, and then at the state and local level, is that it’s using intersectionality, so it’s looking at systemic racism, systemic classism and sexism to address the issue of poverty and racism. So for example, one of reasons why so many women are living in poverty is based on race and gender. It’s just as simple as that.
People of all ethnicities are poor in this country, but because things are still based on how you look, whites still have an advantage. People don’t want to talk about that, but that’s the reality. The Campaign has to get really deep and have these difficult conversations to build unity.
The Campaign is always encouraging local as well as state groups to be more diverse, not just diversity meaning cultural backgrounds but diversity meaning people with different religions, different sexual orientation, different social classes because we all learn from each other that way. That’s one of the unique things the Campaign has brought America. More groups can use that model, both urban and rural, also. So I think it’s just one way we can begin to solve our systemic problems.
What is the focus of the Mass Assembly on June 20, 2020?
Because of the virus, everything is going to be digital. There’s going to be speakers, music, a day of not only celebration but also a way people can build their capacity at the national level and also to activate at the local level. It’s going to prepare all of us to organize and get involved around the election – get out and vote!
