Page 17
May 23, 2018
O PINION
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The Moral Revolution America Needs
Shifting the
conversation on
poverty and race
J essiCah p ierre
Thousands of civil
rights advocates, low-
wage workers, and re-
ligious leaders kicked
off massive protests
on May 14, launching
a 40-day campaign
across the nation in
an effort to revive Martin Luther
King’s Poor People’s Campaign.
The Poor People’s Campaign
brings together poor and marginal-
ized people from all backgrounds,
places, and religions to stand up for
their lives and rights by calling for
a “revolution of American values.”
They’re taking aim at the evils of
systemic racism, poverty, the war
economy, and ecological devasta-
tion.
The first Poor People’s Cam-
paign in 1968 brought thousands
of Americans of all races together
to fight for fair incomes and living
by
standards. After King was mur-
dered that same year, the movement
slowed down. But with the fights
for racial and economic equality as
intertwined now as they were 50
years ago, organizers believe that
the movement’s vision for
America couldn’t come at a
better time.
The Poor People’s cam-
paign calls not only for a
radical redistribution of po-
litical and economic power,
but for a deep moral analysis
of the national consciousness
around poverty and racism.
This analysis calls out the com-
mon myths that perpetuate systemic
inequality, including the dangerous
belief that poverty is the fault of the
poor. Those with more than ample
wealth, the narrative goes, fully
merit what they have. And others
merit less.
My colleague Chuck Collins de-
scribes this narrative as the “myth
of deservedness.” In his book Born
on Third Base, Collins defines that
myth as the belief “that people are
poor because they don’t try as hard,
have made mistakes, or lack wit and
Letter to the Editor
Thank You Voters
Thank you to the 18,000 voters
who believed in me, my passion,
and skill sets to create positive
change within our communities.
Considering my journey for the
county Board of Commission-
ers Chair position began with
my filing for the office on March
8, and in those 2 and 1/2 months
drew such strong support for a
non-traditional candidate, with no
household name, or branding, the
result, while not a victory for me,
validates my message and cry for
hope and change.
wisdom.” And the rich, the same
story goes, have worked “harder,
smarter, or more creatively.”
This “deservedness” narrative
largely ignores the discrimination
and other barriers that have blocked
economic progress for poor people
and people of color, or the public
policies that have kept these barri-
ers intact — things like housing and
employment discrimination, mass
incarceration, and tax policies that
favor the wealthy over poor people
of all colors.
A report released this year by
the Institute for Policy Studies, The
Souls of Poor Folks, examines how
what Dr. King called the “Triplets
of Evil” — systemic racism, pover-
ty, and the war economy and mili-
tarism — as well as the interrelated
problem of ecological devastation,
have deepened since 1968 because
of structural and systemic reasons,
rather than individual failures.
The report points out that since
1968, the top 1 percent’s share of
national income has nearly doubled,
while the official poverty rate for
all U.S. families has merely inched
up and down. The 400 wealthiest
Americans now own more wealth
than the bottom 64 percent of the
U.S. population (or 204 million
people).
As the government increasing-
ly caters to the interests of the few
rich and powerful rather than being
accountable to the poor and margin-
alized majority, the Poor People’s
Campaign reminds us of the ongo-
ing and emerging movements that
are compelling a change in our na-
tional priorities.
During a time where America
couldn’t be more politically and
economically polarized, it’s time
to change the moral narrative in
this country by coming together
under moral clarity. We must shift
the national conversation from
“right versus left” to “right versus
wrong.”
The Poor Peoples Campaign is
currently organizing events in over
30 states. Learn more about how
you can get involved at poorpeople-
campaign.com.
Jessicah Pierre is the inequality
media specialist at the Institute for
Policy Studies. Distributed by Oth-
erWords.org.
I want to reaffirm to the commu-
nity that I will not “sit down on the
stairs” and be contented allowing
the issues that plague us to simply
set on the shelf. I often allude to
the word “fatalism” where many
underserved and underrepresented
feel “that’s just the way it is.” Not
so, for a change is going to come.
I will continue to be a true ser-
vant and voice for our commu-
nities, representing and respect-
ing people from all walks of life.
Nobody told me the road was go-
ing to be easy, but with the over
18,000 votes of confidence and
encouragement, I see each of you
and those who missed the oppor-
tunity to vote in the Primary as the
wind beneath my wings as we soar
for healthy change.
(Deborah) Bora Harris
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