By Rev. Brian Carter (retired), Legislative Advocate for Iowa Annual Conference

The Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington is going digital! On June 20th, the largest digital and social media gathering of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and people of conscience in this nation’s history will be held.

You can join this historical event by Registering Today by Clicking Here.

 A global pandemic is exposing the already existing crisis of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy and militarism. On June 20, the 140 million poor and low-income people across this nation will be heard!

• The U.S. poor include 24 Million blacks, 38 M Latinos, 8 M Asian Americans, 2 M Native peoples, and 66 M whites.

• One third of Covid-19 deaths are black persons

• Rev. William Barber of the Poor People’s Campaign said: “This pandemic will highlight how poverty—and our willingness to let people remain in it—presents a clear and present danger to all of us.”  

• Dr. Cornell West added: “America has become a failed social experiment. . . that is unable to meet the basic needs of its people.”

• 60% more Americans live below the poverty line than in 1968.

• 43% of all U.S. children live below the minimum income level necessary to meet basic need.

• Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign has said:  “We need to reshape the heart and conscience of this nation, starting from the ground up. . . This crisis shows us how an economy oriented around the whims of the rich leaves death and destruction in its wake.

• When white people with weapons protest in state Capitols, the police stand by; when black unarmed people protest the murder of a black man by white police, the police retaliate with tear gas and rubber bulletins (Minneapolis). 

The National Executive Board of MFSA met May 27 and declared two priorities for MFSA across the U.S., (1)  Support of the Poor People’s Campaign, and (2) Opposition to  Racism in all its forms.  MFSA is sponsoring the PPC along with United Methodist Women and the Board of Church and Society.