Poor People’s Campaign: Moral Mandate for Ending Poverty

Coalition Fights the American "Death Sentence" of Poverty

Latest

The first day of a three-day Poor People's Moral Poverty Action Congress will sound the alarm on the crisis of poverty and how to end it.
A three-day Poor People’s Campaign Moral Poverty Action Congress will sound the alarm on the crisis of poverty and demand that addressing poverty be on the nation’s agenda heading into the 2024 elections. 

Editor’s note: The three-day Poor People’s Moral Action Congress that began on June 19, will sound the alarm on the crisis of poverty, bringing together poor and low-wealth people and faith leaders from across the country to strategize and demand that addressing poverty be on the nation’s agenda heading into the 2024 elections.
Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, featured in the opening session, says, “Today, poverty is the 4th leading cause of death nationwide. It is a death sentence for Americans. It is a moral travesty and a detriment to the soul of our nation . . . there’s not a scarcity of resources, but a scarcity of political will . . . we cannot be silent.” 
Liz Theoharis, Poor People’s Campaign Co-chair, closed out the morning session on June 19 calling on people to hold on and fight on, adding that those in power who are profiting off the pandemic, low wages, those who are making a killing off of poverty, are very scared about people coming together to work together to end poverty. See video link below of the first morning of the Congress at https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/livestream/.
On Tuesday, according to organizers, members of the Poor People’s Campaign are planning to visit House and Senate lawmakers to urge them to take action to slash poverty, which impacts tens of millions of people in the U.S, reports Common Dreams at https://www.commondreams.org/news/poor-peoples-campaign-policy-murder/

Participants to lead funeral procession to Capitol, honor loved ones lost to poverty

Press Release:

The three-day Poor People’s Campaign Moral Poverty Action Congress will sound the alarm on the crisis of poverty, and bring together poor and low-wealth people and faith leaders from across the country to strategize and demand that addressing poverty be on the nation’s agenda heading into the 2024 elections. Participants will also demand the White House meet with poor and low-wealth workers, religious leaders, economists and lawyers with their moral movement to discuss how our nation’s leaders can address the crisis of death by poverty.

It comes as hundreds of thousands of Americans are being kicked off of Medicaid, child poverty is on the rise after the expanded child tax credit was allowed to expire, and as we near the 14th year since the impossibly low federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour was increased. And it follows a manufactured debt ceiling crisis that was resolved on the backs of poor people. 

WHO: Bishop William Barber, Yale School of Public Health Assistant Professor Greg Gonsalves and UC-Riverside Professor David Brady, Economic Policy Institute Director of Race, Ethnicity and Economy Valerie Wilson, Hundreds of Poor People’s Campaign Leaders from 30+ States 

WHAT: Poverty Kills: The Moral Mandate for Ending Poverty in America 

A roundtable conversation hosted by the Yale Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at the 2023 Poor People’s Campaign Moral Action Congress 

WHEN: June 19, 2023

WHERE: Washington DC Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, International Ballroom

“Today, poverty is the 4th leading cause of death nationwide. It is a death sentence for Americans. It is a moral travesty and a detriment to the soul of our nation that poverty kills more people than homicide yet the powers that be don’t want to address it,” said Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. “There’s not a scarcity of resources, but a scarcity of political will. Until our nation’s leaders invest the great riches of this nation in ensuring equal justice for all, beginning with the poor and low-wealth of this nation, we cannot be silent.” 

FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHThe Congress opened June 19 with a launch event hosted by the Yale Center for Public Policy and Public Theology featuring Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, leading a discussion with Yale School of Public Health Assistant Professor Greg Gonsalves, UC-Riverside Professor David Brady, the author of a recent report citing poverty as the fourth leading cause of death in America, and Valerie Wilson from the Economic Policy Institute. Click here to read more.

PT Logo collage
+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

80 Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Are We on the Verge of Another Nuclear War?

Gerry Condon, former president of Veterans for Peace, makes the case that we are now closer to nuclear war than ever, and that the U.S. is primarily responsible.

Labor Law Still Offers Pathway to Resist Abusive, Inhumane Immigration Laws

Local unions are taking leadership by negotiating language into their agreements prohibiting ICE from entering workplaces.

Nebraska Farmers Describe Trump’s Impact

Farmers from Neligh, Nebraska speak on Trump’s policy to round up farmworkers, the effect of the tariffs on farmers, and the resistance.

Gazans Demand ‘Agency, Memory and Hope’

The true number of dead and missing in Gaza may be around 500,000. Another 500,000 face starvation. Palestinians say if there is to be peace, it must begin with respect for their voices, their rights and their humanity.

Trump’s Immigration Theater Ignores Whose Land ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Is

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma joined Florida tribes in protesting "Alligator Alcatraz. The tribe says it insults their ancestral homeland and threatens ecosystem.

More from the People's Tribune