The Poor People’s Campaign marched on Springfield, the capital of the state of Illinois, on March 2. Rev. Susan Phillips of Springfield’s First Presbyterian Church was called upon to welcome attendants following a procession of a black casket adorned with the words, ”poverty kills.” The goal of the campaign is to unite American citizens who have experienced or been impacted by poverty, ecological devastations, systematic racism, the war economy, problematic migration policies, COVID-19, and other socioeconomic disparities that exist in the United States of America.
Examination of social issues in this country reflects how issues are known to carry deadly community-level consequences. COVID-19 additionally exacerbated these social disparities across numerous states including in cases of mass incarceration and how specific identities experienced disproportionate burdens for individuals who were people of color, low-income, less educated or in counties with limited social resources. The research also found that the pandemic compounded these inequalities to vulnerable societal populations, creating long-lasting harm. Essentially, “…the pandemic exacerbated preexisting social and economic disparities that have long festered in the US, including a deeply divided society, widespread poverty, a weak social safety net, inadequate living conditions, and a lack of trust in science…” according to a study performed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published in 2022.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated societal issues in the United States, there is hope that via targeted legislation, the Poor People’s Campaign will be able to spark change on a national level. The United Nations Sustainable Development Report, along with the Health Justice Advisory Committee, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice and Howard University are several sources for data cited on their website.
Poor People Campaign organizers hope to reignite a Third Reconstruction in the United States focused on establishing justice while providing general welfare for vulnerable American populations and recognizing that current legislative policies should benefit those at the highest risks instead of keeping them within the cycle of poverty. The Poor People’s Campaign operates with over 250 labor and organizational partners, 45 state organizing committees, and hundreds of faith partners across dozens of national faith bodies. For more information regarding the Poor People’s Campaign, upcoming events and how you can join, please visit:
Poor People’s Campaign – A National Call for Moral Revival (poorpeoplescampaign.org)
