By Javar Juarez
Washington, D.C. (CUBNSC) - You can learn a lot about someone by observing how they treat others. This was exemplified on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, by the Poor People's Campaign. This nationwide effort aims to engage 87 million swing voters, including millions of hard-working, low-wage workers, to transform the political landscape of American government.
Thousands gathered just a stone’s throw from the U.S. Capitol building, a location highlighted by the influential civil rights leader and Chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign the beloved, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. He remarked on Saturday,
“The last image that most Americans have of this Capitol behind us was a violent mob attacking it to undermine democracy. But we are gathered here today as a nonviolent army of love and truth. We don't need to be an insurrection because we are a resurrection.”
The attendance at the march was vast, and the diversity of those present made it an international call to action. People of varying ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, faiths, and religions were represented. This diversity was reflected on the main stage, which transformed into a pulpit of power.
The stories of poverty cut deep, resonating with those of us who are true patriots, with a strong sense of American pride, Christian missionary work, and a great concern for the condition of our fellow countrymen nationwide. It is crucial for those in power to understand the impact of their actions on our land, our food, our health, and the cost to our nation.
Reverend Amiri Hooker, the Southeastern Jurisdiction Coordinator for Black Methodists for Church Renewal and the Southeastern Advocacy Chair for the United Methodist Church, addressed the crowd with fervor. "I am a South Carolina tri-chair and faith representative," he began. "I stand here today on behalf of the people of rural South Carolina, who live in food deserts, education deserts, and a system of have-nots. You must understand that my faith community and tradition are fundamentally about social justice and advocacy. Morally, we are tired—damn tired—of the foolishness, economic faithlessness, and 'we'll fix it later' mentality when it comes to our schools, hospitals, and roads. That’s why in South Carolina, our churches and faith leaders are mobilizing to get out the vote and awaken the sleeping giant."
Rev. Jimmy Hawkins, representing the Presbyterian Church USA, stated, "I am here as the advocacy director for our Washington office of public witness and the UN office. The Presbyterian Church is a Matthew 25 church, dedicated to feeding the hungry and ensuring that everyone can earn a living wage to feed themselves. We are also a Micah 6 church, called to love justice, and an Amos 5 church, striving to let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. We believe in a God who loves all people, regardless of their income, origin, or appearance, because we are all made in the image of our God."
Reverend Carolyn Foster, from the Alabama Poor People's Campaign, passionately declared, "I am Reverend Carolyn Foster, one of the tri-chairs and a faith leader for the Alabama Poor People's Campaign. While many sing 'Sweet Home Alabama,' I must tell you that Alabama is not so sweet. A state that refuses to raise the minimum wage is not sweet. A state that refuses to expand Medicaid is not sweet. A state that diverted $400 million of COVID relief money to build three mega prisons is not sweet. This is wrong and an insult to my faith and, I believe, to yours. The two greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor.
Gabriela Martinez Sinclair shared her experiences, stating, "I grew up in the industrial suburbs of Pennsylvania and vividly remember playing on my daycare's playground, distracted by a terrible smell in the air. By the time I was seven or eight, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. We moved to rural Ohio, trying to escape the pollution, but every day on my way to school, we passed by two large petrochemical plants. The fog from these plants was so thick that even with headlights on, you couldn't see the cars in front of or behind you, and the smell was so rotten that I held my breath and counted the minutes until we passed."
Not long after, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. Later, I moved to Virginia, where the great Potomac River is contaminated with coal ash, and I lived just across the street from a superfund site. "My whole life, I've been running from pollution, only to find that there is nowhere in this country free from the disease of injustice. Meanwhile, a three-month supply of my medically necessary insulin retails for $1,600. At the federal minimum wage, someone with diabetes would have to work 28 full days to afford it."
The Poor People's Campaign assembled to make it very clear to the world that among the 85 million swing voters in this country who are poor, they should rise together.
Poverty is a significant health crisis in America, ranking as the fourth leading cause of death. Compared to other wealthy democracies, the U.S. has a persistently higher poverty rate. This situation poses a severe challenge to public health, as extensive research has shown that living in poverty negatively impacts one's health. Despite the valuable insights from previous studies on income and mortality, the exact number of deaths related to poverty in the U.S. has not been clearly quantified.
The Poor Peoples Campaign
The Poor People's Campaign is a moral fusion movement that mobilizes, organizes, registers, and educates to address the injustices faced by the 140 million poor and low-income people in America. In June 2019, the campaign gathered over 1,000 community leaders in Washington, D.C., hosting the largest pre-debate presidential candidates’ forum, presenting the Poor People’s Moral Budget, and testifying before the House Budget Committee. They then launched the "We Must Do M.O.R.E." Tour across 25+ states, culminating in a Digital Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington in June 2020.
The campaign aims to demonstrate the political power of poor people, advocating for systemic change to combat racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and the distorted narrative of religious nationalism. It strives to unify impacted individuals and moral leaders to shift the moral narrative and demand justice, equity, and a new vision of love, justice, and truth for America.
Dr. Barber reminded the crowd of how the Poor People's Campaign was started, invoking the call to action made by Dr. King. Dr. Barber said, "We are assembled here today 59 years after Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'the greatest fear of the greedy oligarch in this country was for the masses of Black people and white people to form a voting bloc that could fundamentally shift the economic landscape.' Fifty-six years after Dr. King was murdered by a spirit so poisonous it would kill presidents, preachers, and possibility itself, less than three months after his assassination, welfare rights women joined Coretta Scott King in calling for the Poor People's Campaign. “Coretta Scott King reminded the nation that violence extends beyond the murder of her husband, stating:
"I must remind you that starving a child is violence, neglecting school children is violence, punishing a mother and her family is violence, discrimination against working people is violence, ghetto housing is violence, ignoring medical needs is violence, and contempt for poverty is violence. An apathetic attitude that refuses to deal with it is also violence."
Dr. Barber continued, "We gather today in a moment when meanness often measures public policy, a way that is far too low and beneath the vision of one nation under God. 140 million people struggling to survive with poverty and low wealth in the wealthiest nation in history is too low for us to be satisfied. 800 people dying needlessly from poverty each day, totaling 295,000 a year, is too low for us to be satisfied. A study found that 350,000 of the over 1 million people who died during COVID so far didn't die because of the virus but due to their lack of healthcare. That is too low for us to be satisfied."
Dr. Barber likely referred to a Yale University study titled “Universal healthcare as pandemic preparedness: The lives and costs that could have been saved during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The study highlights that the fragmented and inefficient healthcare system in the United States results in numerous preventable deaths and unnecessary expenses annually. It suggests that universal healthcare could have significantly mitigated the mortality rate due to various negative COVID-19-related factors. By analyzing the demographics of the uninsured alongside age-specific COVID-19 and non-pandemic mortality rates, the study estimates that a single-payer universal healthcare system could have saved 212,000 lives in 2020 alone. Additionally, it calculated that $105.6 billion in medical expenses related to COVID-19 hospitalization could have been avoided with a Medicare for All system.
Poor People Power the Progressive Movement
In South Carolina, the push for expanded healthcare, including Medicaid, and raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, is critical for lifting millions out of poverty. The state's political landscape, heavily influenced by big industry, gerrymandering, and corruption, makes the work of advocates like Rev. Amiri Hooker and the South Carolina Poor People's Campaign vital. The powerful interests in both major political parties often overshadow the needs of the people, highlighting the importance of grassroots mobilization.
The goals of the Poor People's Campaign align closely with those of progressive advocates like former Ohio Senator Nina Turner. Senator Turner recently swept through South Carolina to remind South Carolinians that this state was one of the original and most progressive states in the country during Reconstruction. Senator Turner faced heavy criticism during her 2022 congressional bid because of her progressive ideologies and her pressure on corporate Democrats to deliver for the people. Despite her campaign being thwarted by well-funded corporate Democrats, including support from AIPAC and other dark money sources, Turner's platform highlighted critical issues such as a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, and immigration reform. This narrative of systemic opposition to progressive candidates underscores the broader struggle faced by movements advocating for substantial socio-economic reforms.
The South Carolina Progressive Caucus, led by Statehouse Representative John Richard C. King and Executive Director Jay Belton, signals a supportive ally for the Poor People's Campaign in a state resistant to progressive changes. Their collaboration underscores a shared mission to improve the lives of all citizens, ensuring they not only survive but thrive.
The correlation between the powerful messages shared at the recent moral march and the progressive movement in America is clear: the core mission is to provide for the well-being of all individuals by addressing fundamental issues such as:
- Ending poverty and income inequality and securing a living wage for all people.
- Protecting the fundamental right to organize.
- Ending mass incarceration and advancing equal justice under the law.
- Taking urgent, inclusive, and transformative action on climate change.
- Upholding the fundamental reproductive rights of all people.
- Ending perpetual wars, reducing the inflated Pentagon budget, and prioritizing diplomacy.
- Advancing humane, fair, and just immigration laws.
- Promoting racial justice and equity.
These goals reflect a commitment to creating a just and equitable society where every individual can live with dignity and opportunity.
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Javar Juarez is the senior director of the CUBN, an American Businessman, Writer, Community Organizer, Entertainer and Political Consultant. follow us on X: Twitter/X Visit our Network Homepage at: CUBNSC.COM
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