As we head deeper into a divisive election season--and as we remember Dr. King--it's worth remembering that our real enemy is injustice, not each other. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Learning from King's Last Campaign
Before he died, Martin Luther King, Jr. joined a campaign to unify working people of all races. Today, nothing could be more powerful.
As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., it's natural to remember his courageous advocacy for racial equity. But before he was assassinated, King had also begun to broaden his efforts to unify the around economic justice.
That's worth remembering today.
In December 1967, King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and other conveners laid out their vision for the first Poor People's Campaign. Seeing how poverty cut across race and geography, these leaders built the campaign into a multiracial effort including African Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans aimed at alleviating poverty for all.
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
The goal was to lead a massive protest in Washington D.C. demanding that Congress prioritize a massive anti-poverty package that included, among other things, a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income, and more low-income housing. And they wanted to pay for it by ending the Vietnam War.
"We believe the highest patriotism demands the ending of the war," King said, "and the opening of a bloodless war to final victory over racism and poverty." Assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968 while organizing Black sanitation workers, King never made it to the Poor People's March, but thousands did protest in Washington to honor King's memory and to pursue his vision.
That vision remains to be realized. Today, 140 million Americans--over 40 percent of us--remain poor or low-income. As in King's day, Black and brown Americans are especially impacted, but so are millions of poor whites.
Our country may be polarized by party. But the truth is, we have more in common to fight for than what divides us.
A December survey by the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 52 percent of American voters across party lines reported experiencing a serious economic problem in the past year. This tracks with other research, including the Federal Reserve Board's finding that 40 percent of Americans don't have the money to cover a $400 emergency.
The same CAP survey shows that strong majorities--including 9 in 10 Democrats, 7 in 10 independents, and 6 in 10 Republicans--support government action to "reduce poverty by ensuring that all families have access to basic living standards like health care, food, and housing if their wages are too low or they can't make ends meet."
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
King and the Poor People's Campaign promoted a vision of unity. But it wasn't a unity that avoided conflict--it was one where poor and low-income overcame their divisions to fight for economic justice together.
To revive that vision, a new Poor People's Campaign has emerged to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism -- and what they're calling "the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism." Over the past two years, this campaign has organized communities from all over the country to build lasting power for poor and impacted people.
"Poor and low-wealth people are seeing the need to galvanize themselves around an agenda, not a party, not a person, but an agenda," said Reverend William Barber, one of the new campaign's leaders. "What happens if a movement is able to help people see how they're being played against each other? You could reset the entire political calculus."
As we head deeper into a divisive election season--and as we remember Dr. King--it's worth remembering that our real enemy is injustice, not each other.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., it's natural to remember his courageous advocacy for racial equity. But before he was assassinated, King had also begun to broaden his efforts to unify the around economic justice.
That's worth remembering today.
In December 1967, King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and other conveners laid out their vision for the first Poor People's Campaign. Seeing how poverty cut across race and geography, these leaders built the campaign into a multiracial effort including African Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans aimed at alleviating poverty for all.
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
The goal was to lead a massive protest in Washington D.C. demanding that Congress prioritize a massive anti-poverty package that included, among other things, a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income, and more low-income housing. And they wanted to pay for it by ending the Vietnam War.
"We believe the highest patriotism demands the ending of the war," King said, "and the opening of a bloodless war to final victory over racism and poverty." Assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968 while organizing Black sanitation workers, King never made it to the Poor People's March, but thousands did protest in Washington to honor King's memory and to pursue his vision.
That vision remains to be realized. Today, 140 million Americans--over 40 percent of us--remain poor or low-income. As in King's day, Black and brown Americans are especially impacted, but so are millions of poor whites.
Our country may be polarized by party. But the truth is, we have more in common to fight for than what divides us.
A December survey by the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 52 percent of American voters across party lines reported experiencing a serious economic problem in the past year. This tracks with other research, including the Federal Reserve Board's finding that 40 percent of Americans don't have the money to cover a $400 emergency.
The same CAP survey shows that strong majorities--including 9 in 10 Democrats, 7 in 10 independents, and 6 in 10 Republicans--support government action to "reduce poverty by ensuring that all families have access to basic living standards like health care, food, and housing if their wages are too low or they can't make ends meet."
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
King and the Poor People's Campaign promoted a vision of unity. But it wasn't a unity that avoided conflict--it was one where poor and low-income overcame their divisions to fight for economic justice together.
To revive that vision, a new Poor People's Campaign has emerged to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism -- and what they're calling "the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism." Over the past two years, this campaign has organized communities from all over the country to build lasting power for poor and impacted people.
"Poor and low-wealth people are seeing the need to galvanize themselves around an agenda, not a party, not a person, but an agenda," said Reverend William Barber, one of the new campaign's leaders. "What happens if a movement is able to help people see how they're being played against each other? You could reset the entire political calculus."
As we head deeper into a divisive election season--and as we remember Dr. King--it's worth remembering that our real enemy is injustice, not each other.
As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., it's natural to remember his courageous advocacy for racial equity. But before he was assassinated, King had also begun to broaden his efforts to unify the around economic justice.
That's worth remembering today.
In December 1967, King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and other conveners laid out their vision for the first Poor People's Campaign. Seeing how poverty cut across race and geography, these leaders built the campaign into a multiracial effort including African Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans aimed at alleviating poverty for all.
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
The goal was to lead a massive protest in Washington D.C. demanding that Congress prioritize a massive anti-poverty package that included, among other things, a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income, and more low-income housing. And they wanted to pay for it by ending the Vietnam War.
"We believe the highest patriotism demands the ending of the war," King said, "and the opening of a bloodless war to final victory over racism and poverty." Assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968 while organizing Black sanitation workers, King never made it to the Poor People's March, but thousands did protest in Washington to honor King's memory and to pursue his vision.
That vision remains to be realized. Today, 140 million Americans--over 40 percent of us--remain poor or low-income. As in King's day, Black and brown Americans are especially impacted, but so are millions of poor whites.
Our country may be polarized by party. But the truth is, we have more in common to fight for than what divides us.
A December survey by the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 52 percent of American voters across party lines reported experiencing a serious economic problem in the past year. This tracks with other research, including the Federal Reserve Board's finding that 40 percent of Americans don't have the money to cover a $400 emergency.
The same CAP survey shows that strong majorities--including 9 in 10 Democrats, 7 in 10 independents, and 6 in 10 Republicans--support government action to "reduce poverty by ensuring that all families have access to basic living standards like health care, food, and housing if their wages are too low or they can't make ends meet."
Even at a time of stark partisan polarization, a majority of Americans support policies like raising the minimum wage--while opposing things like the Trump administration's draconian cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs.
King and the Poor People's Campaign promoted a vision of unity. But it wasn't a unity that avoided conflict--it was one where poor and low-income overcame their divisions to fight for economic justice together.
To revive that vision, a new Poor People's Campaign has emerged to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism -- and what they're calling "the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism." Over the past two years, this campaign has organized communities from all over the country to build lasting power for poor and impacted people.
"Poor and low-wealth people are seeing the need to galvanize themselves around an agenda, not a party, not a person, but an agenda," said Reverend William Barber, one of the new campaign's leaders. "What happens if a movement is able to help people see how they're being played against each other? You could reset the entire political calculus."
As we head deeper into a divisive election season--and as we remember Dr. King--it's worth remembering that our real enemy is injustice, not each other.