Just a few weeks ago, the New York State Poor People’s Campaign joined thousands of poor and low-wage workers, advocates, faith leaders, and other allies for a mass mobilization in Washington D.C. to demand an end to poverty as the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and launch an organizing drive of poor and low-income voters.
The New York State Poor People’s Campaign was well-represented in Washington. Michael Marshall, NYS PPC tri-chair and seminarian fellow with Rural Migrant Ministries, led one delegation of members of RMM’s Youth Artist Group. “The weekend experience in DC was exhilarating and edifying for the youth. They were especially moved by the testimonies surrounding immigration and migrant issues. They were extremely excited to be part of a diverse, and dynamic movement,” said Michael. “These enriching experiences will go a long way in the formation and leadership development in their social activism.”
Labor-Religion Coalition Board Member Arelis Figueroa helped lead another New York bus, including participants from The Riverside Church, La Iglesia del Pueblo, Derecho a Un Techo, and People’s Music Network.
“It was an intergenerational, multi-language, multiracial, multicultural, multi-class group that was able to break silos of division and become a unit throughout this day,” said Arelis.
On the way to and from DC, the group shared music and discussed the experiences leading them to join the march, including struggles for affordable housing and justice for immigrants, as well as concerns about the state of U.S. democracy. “There was indeed a sense of urgency about saving democracy,” said Arelis. “Upon arriving in DC, we were all inspired to see people coming from all walks of life, people coming from all over the country, and of course, we were overjoyed to see members of our NYS campaign from other regions. Listening to the testimonies of impacted people was powerful and inspiring.”
As the testimonies on June 29 illustrated, poverty has deep and lasting impacts on our lives. It remains the 4th leading cause of death in our country. But we know that in the richest country in the history of the world, it doesn’t have to be this way. Poverty is essentially a policy choice, and it’s time that our politicians start listening to us.
Arelis continued, “The unifying theme on June 29 was ‘we are the swing vote.’ This chant unified the crowd, and it came from the PPC ‘Waking the Sleeping Giant’ report that showed the significant difference that could be made in many places around the country if only more poor and marginalized communities would have cast their vote. This was our marching order; we left Washington with a firm commitment to preserving democracy and to continue working to make our demands a reality.”
As the Poor People’s Campaign continues to mobilize poor and low-income, infrequent voters, our voting bloc becomes more and more powerful. And when we have the power to influence highly-contested elections, our elected officials have no choice but to listen to us. Now, it's more important than ever for our communities to mobilize, especially as this country continues to criminalize poverty and homelessness.
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