Dwight as a young man next to Dwight at 90, when he took his flight into space
By The Associated Press
VAN HORN, Texas — Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally rocketed into space 60 years later, flying with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company on Sunday. Dwight was an Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy championed him as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. But he wasn’t picked for the 1963 class. Dwight, now 90, went through a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers aboard the Blue Origin capsule as it skimmed space on a roughly 10-minute flight. He called it “a life-changing experience.” “I thought I really didn’t need this in my life,” Dwight said shortly after exiting the capsule. ”But, now, I need it in my life …. I am ecstatic.” The brief flight from West Texas made Dwight the new record-holder for oldest person in space — nearly two months older than “Star Trek” actor William Shatner was when he went up in 2021. It was Blue Origin’s first crew launch in nearly two years. The company was grounded following a 2022 accident in which the booster came crashing down but the capsule full of experiments safely parachuted to the ground. Flights resumed last December, but with no one aboard. This was Blue Origin’s seventh time flying space tourists. Dwight, a sculptor from Denver, was joined by four business entrepreneurs from the U.S. and France and a retired accountant. Their ticket prices were not disclosed; Dwight’s seat was sponsored in part by the nonprofit Space for Humanity. Dwight was among the potential astronauts the Air Force recommended to NASA. But he wasn’t chosen for the 1963 class, which included eventual Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. NASA didn’t select Black astronauts until 1978, and Guion Bluford became the first African American in space in 1983. Three years earlier, the Soviets launched the first Black astronaut, Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, a Cuban of African descent. After leaving the military in 1966, Dwight joined IBM and started a construction company before earning a master’s degree in sculpture in the late 1970s. He’s since dedicated himself to art. His sculptures focus on Black history and include memorials and monuments across the country. Several of his sculptures have flown into space.
President Joe Biden speaks at Morehouse College Commencement
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Before President Joe Biden’s commencement address at Morehouse College, an official told the Black Press that the White House was “very nervous,” primarily due to the ongoing protests Israel’s war in Palestine that have swept campuses around the country.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that a group of alumni from Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and Spelman had objected to the president’s appearance. Despite these objections, the school confirmed its invitation for Biden to address the 2024 graduating class and to bestow upon him an honorary degree, leading the White House and the president to agree to proceed with the address.
This decision was particularly important as the Biden-Harris campaign continued to court Black voters. “It’s one of those things,” the official stated, noting that Stephen Benjamin, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, traveled ahead of Biden to Morehouse to help smooth the path for the president and broker peace. During the ceremony, Mel Foster, Associate Provost of Student Success, addressed the audience. “We also ask that you respect the dignity and reputation of excellence at Morehouse College,” Foster asserted. “Although we respect everyone’s right to free speech, Morehouse has provided guidelines to ensure we are in full compliance with the law.”
The event featured several references to the global conflict, with some students and at least one faculty member wearing Palestinian scarves. In his opening prayer, Rev. Claybon Lea Jr., a pastor from California, alluded to the plight of Palestinians. Valedictorian DeAngelo Fletcher also addressed the issue, calling for a cease-fire in the Middle East. “It is important to recognize that both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the wake of October 7,” he said. “It is my sense as a Morehouse man, nay, as a human being, to call for an immediate and a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.”
Biden’s speech highlighted historic investments in historically Black colleges and universities like Morehouse and underscored the diversity he has implemented at the highest levels of government. He cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse graduate whose bust sits in the Oval Office, as a key inspiration for his political career.
Biden also sought to contrast himself with the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump, his likely opponent. in November’s election, asserting that Trump and other Republicans would dismantle the progress Black Americans have made in the past three years.
During Biden’s keynote speech, a handful of students and faculty members turned their backs on him, silently protesting his support of Israel’s war in Gaza during a spring that saw protests sweep across the country’s college campuses. At one point, as many as six students were seen seated with their backs to Biden, fists raised in the air, with at least one faculty member joining the demonstration.
Biden acknowledged the protests, stating, “Let me be clear: I support peaceful, nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise I hear them.” He also addressed the Middle East conflict, calling it a humanitarian crisis. “What’s happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That’s why I’ve called for an immediate cease-fire to stop the fighting. Bring the hostages home.”
Biden subtly hinted at his hopes for the political future of his vice president and running mate, saying he was ”proud to put in the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court,” and added, “I have no doubt one day a Morehouse man will be on that court as well., just after an AKA from Howard,” referencing Vice President Kamala Harris’s membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority, during her time at Howard University.
Biden is the third U.S. President to receive an honorary degree from Morehouse, following Barack Obama in 2013 and Jimmy Carter in 1975 before he became president.
UAW President, Sean Fain, surrounded by Mercedes workers at union headquarters discusses election
By Chance Phillips, Alabama Political Reporter
The final count in the week-long union election at the Mercedes factory in Vance was 2,642 against unionizing versus 2,045 in favor. 51 ballots were challenged and not counted and 5 ballots were void. The election still has to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board, but it is very unlikely that this process will not change the results. Speaking at the UAW Local 112 headquarters in Coaling, UAW President Shawn Fain said “these courageous workers reached out to us because they wanted justice. They led this fight.” Fain remained optimistic about the union’s prospects and its momentum as it tries to organize workers in the South. “We’ll be back in Vance,” he said. “I assured the company of that before I walked out the door and shook their hands.” Today’s loss for the UAW follows what Mercedes employee Brett Garrand described as “a constant brow beating of anti-union campaigns” by Mercedes, the Business Council of Alabama, and Alabama politicians. Alabama Secretary of Commerce Ellen McNair promised in January that “led by Governor Kay Ivey and backed by the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and other key players in Alabama’s business community, we’re going to fight the United Auto Workers.” Gov. Ivey and several other prominent state politicians released anti-union statements regularly during the four-month campaign. During a speech about signing SB231, which heavily penalizes the voluntary recognition of labor unions, Ivey said she wants “to ensure that Alabama values, not Detroit values, continue to define the future of this great state.” The Business Council of Alabama conducted the Alabama Strong campaign, which ran anti-union advertisements online and on local television channels. Mercedes itself also engaged in many practices union supporters have called oppressive. Workers were required to sit through daily mandatory meetings and watch anti-union videos. Flyers posted around the plants read “if you don’t want a union, vote no,” or simply “vote no.” The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating six unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against Mercedes. On May 16, Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control announced that it is also investigating Mercedes for anti-union behavior that may have broken German law. In a statement, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler called the anti-union behavior by Mercedes and Gov. Ivey “part of a long oppressive history in the South, from slavery to Jim Crow ‘right to work’ laws to prison labor.” One of the major contributors to today’s loss is likely Mercedes’ replacement of its unpopular plant CEO, Michael Göbel, with then-vice president of operations Federico Kochlowski. In the lead up to and during the election week, Mercedes employees were implored to give Kochlowski a chance by voting no. While the loss for the UAW today is a major setback for the union, it is not necessarily a death knell for Mercedes workers’ hopes of unionizing. On Thursday, Garrard pointed to “Volkswagen winning their union after three tries.” In 2014, the vote at the Chattanooga plant was 712 against, 626 for, and in 2019, the vote was 833 against, 776 for. But in April, Volkswagen workers overwhelmingly voted to join the UAW with 2,628 in favor and only 985 opposed. One pro-union Mercedes worker, Robert Lett, optimistically proclaimed on Wednesday that “Mercedes is going to be unionized, it doesn’t matter if it’s Friday or in the future.” Before the results began to come in, Rick Webster, who works doing final fit and finish for Mercedes, confidently stated that he “would definitely try again” if needed.
With an ongoing two year, $40 million campaign by the United Auto Workers to organize Southern workers, pro-union workers at Mercedes and other Southern auto plants will likely continue to try to organize and build support for unionization in the coming months and years. The next UAW union election target is the Hyundai plant in Montgomery, Alabama, In a press release responding to the election results, Mercedes stated that “we look forward to continuing to work directly with our Team Members to ensure MBUSI is not only their employer of choice, but a place they would recommend to friends and family.”
What UAW needed at Mercedes and must have in Hyundai
News Analysis by: Pat Bryant
Rev. James Orange, the late powerful civil rights and labor leader often said labor unions need to make a real investment in Black people in the South to win. The UAW win at VW in Chattanooga, Tn and the UAW loss at Mercedes near Tuscaloosa clearly point to the need for upsized investments of money and other resources in the UAW fight to represent auto workers at Hyundai Montgomery and other southern auto factories. Rev. Orange’s words speak loudly from the grave. While the UAW did not win the election, the union is likely to raise wages somewhat, and make a few concessions they promised if workers rejected the union. Rev. Orange was a dynamo who would coral leaders in churches, civil rights groups and organizations in communities to support union organizing. Communities trusted Rev. Orange who began as young leader in Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Where are the trusted UAW leaders now who can influence workers and communities. The UAW overwhelming victory at the VW factory in Tennessee was due largely to UAW success in the Big Three strike (Ford, General Motors, Stellantis [formerly Chyrsler]}. Striking workers got a whopping 25 percent wage increase plus benefits. That win created a desire bynon-union workers at foreign auto makers to get more. Tennessee was the first vote, an enthusiastic victory. But then came Alabama. The anti-union challenge of six southern governors to renewed southern UAW organizing, didn’t work in Tennessee, but was powerful with Governor Kay Ivey giving the signal for Mercedes to stop the union drive the old southern way. Fear, intimidation, and firing, the capital punishment for workers were all used, and were effective. Pro-worker literature in non-work areas was seized. The whole array of Chamber of Commerce, religious and social leaders weighed in against the union drive. Mercedes held captive audience employee meetings where they blasted the UAW with misrepresentations and inuendo. Across the region there was chorus of “don’t vote union. The company will leave and you will loose this good job.” Right to work and the southern labor discount is still effective. Mercedes Benz spokespersons denied violating workers rights. The vote was 2045 or 44 percent of workers for the UAW and 2,642 or 56 percent against. That was not unusual. But what was unusual was the absence of a more visible campaign from Alabama’s justice communities, labor, civil rights, youth, religious and progressive community groups. The UAW is very sensitive to efforts that might turn off white and conservative Black voters. Rev. Orange and former White labor leader C.P. Ellis, a former Klansman, were experts at speaking clearly to white and black workers while not turning off the other. Workers facing the union challenge need the support of community and family. Church rallies, not used in the Tuscaloosa area, would be very effective in influencing Montgomery workers. The Hyundai plant is located in Montgomery County and draws its workforce from surrounding Black Belt Counties. House calls, visits to workers’ homes are a must for union wins. Accounts of these fights in Black media is a must. Black Belt counties in the South face the worst repression by politicians and business leaders. Don’t be fooled, the Hyundai Company cracks the whip but denies wrongdoing. There are allegations and complaints of Black workers being required to say “Master” when referring to a White supervisor. The firing of the highest ranked Black person, Yvette Gilkey-Shuford, and calling the firing a restructuring. Allegations are that the most dangerous jobs on the assembly lines are populated by Blacks. That is the Hyundai story. Important to the Hyundai story is how the UAW is able to assemble an array of community based fighters including Alabama labor unions, progressive churches, civil rights groups, women’s organizations. And important is the amount of dollars the United Auto Workers will invest in their fight.
*Pat Bryant is a retired urban planner, community organizer, singer, poet, journalist who has been active in southern justice fights for sixty plus years.
Governor Ivey, with Demopolis legislative delegation looking on signs bill to create Healthcare High School
By Kirsten J. Barnes, Communications Director for the Alabama Senate Minority
Alabama is embarking on an innovative journey as it embraces training high school students to focus on the healthcare industry.
By the fall of 2026, the Alabama School of Healthcare Science will open to high school students from 9th and 10th grade who are interested in focusing on a broad range of healthcare fields.
“I am honored that the state of Alabama chose my district to house this new school, said Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro). “This school will give communities throughout the state, along with hospitals and doctors’ offices a steady stream of trained medical professionals and staff.
Governor Kay Ivey came to the Demopolis Civic Center yesterday to sign the legislation. She was accompanied by State Senator Bobby Singleton and State Representative A. J. McCampbell and others to sign House Bill 163 creating the new high school. ” The high school will be open to students from throughout the state and will be a residential school like the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama School of Math & Science in Mobile, and Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. “I want to thank Gov. Kay Ivey and all the legislators who supported this effort. Demopolis is ready to make you proud,” Singleton said.
This school will be located next to Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital, allowing students to have classroom and practical experience daily. The students will graduate with certificates in various programs related to science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine that will address the chronic healthcare workforce shortage in Alabama. Graduates will have the ability to immediately enter the workforce, while others will build a strong foundation for advanced studies at both two-and-four-year colleges and technical schools.
The initial legislative appropriation will be $15 million and will allow the school to open in the fall of 2026 with approximately 400 ninth and 10th graders in the first year and then add an additional grade each year.
“While the school is under construction, we will partner with the University of West Alabama to house students,” Singleton said. “We have matching dollars that will come from private foundations to help with the costs and construction. ” The school will be in Marengo County, a growing community that is poised to support the needs of the school. There is also a partnership in place with The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Additionally, the school may also offer short courses, workshops, seminars, weekend instructional programs, and other innovative programs to students not enrolled as full-time. students in the school.
For more information, contact: kirsten.Barnes@alsenate.gov. or phone: 334-261-0331.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
A housing crisis is gripping tens of millions of families nationwide, cutting across political lines and sparking bipartisan action in state legislatures. The root cause of the crisis is a chronic housing shortage, which has driven home prices up by approximately 60 percent after adjusting for inflation over the past decade. The staggering increase has left many families struggling to afford rent or homeownership, and, according to recent data, around a quarter of renters, equivalent to roughly 12 million households, are spending more than half of their income on housing costs, far exceeding the recommended one-third threshold for financial health. On Tuesday, May 7, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a significant funding boost to address the pressing issues of affordable housing and homelessness across the United States. The White House said the announcement through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) marks a crucial step in Harris and President Joe Biden’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis inherited from previous administrations. Harris announced that $5.5 billion in grants would be distributed to 1,200 communities through more than 2,400 grants to states, cities, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and local organizations nationwide. “Homeownership is an essential part of the American Dream that represents so much more than a roof over our heads,” Harris stated. “That is why President Biden and I are expanding on our historic investments in housing by announcing $5.5 billion that will increase access to affordable housing, invest in economic growth, and address homelessness in communities throughout America.” The funding, part of the White House Housing Supply Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Renter’s Bill of Rights, aims to boost the housing supply, lower housing costs, expand rental assistance, enhance renter protections, and invest in more robust, more resilient communities. “A coordinated whole-of-community approach is crucial to build strong and resilient communities, invest in decent housing, create healthy environments, expand economic opportunities accessible to low-income households, and support aspiring homebuyers and those experiencing homelessness,” Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman emphasized in a statement. The White House said the allocation of the $5.5 billion in grants would go through various HUD programs, including: $1.3 billion to 668 grantees to build affordable housing through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). $214 million to every state to increase affordable housing supply via the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). $3.3 billion to 1,254 grantees to build stronger communities through the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). $455 million to 130 grantees to connect people with HIV/AIDS to housing and support through the Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) program. $290 million to 357 grantees to address homelessness through Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). $30 million to 23 States and the District of Columbia to support recovery from substance use disorder via the Recovery Housing Program (RHP). The announcement follows Harris’s recent stops on her nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour, where she has been highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support communities and improve access to housing while making it more affordable. Administration officials pointed out that Harris has been a vocal advocate for homeownership and housing affordability. As Attorney General of California, she helped pass the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, and as a U.S. Senator, she introduced several bills aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing and lowering renters’ costs. The White House said the latest funding underscores the administration’s commitment to addressing the housing crisis and creating opportunities for all Americans to access safe and affordable housing. “The funding made available today serves as building blocks to empower communities to take ownership of community development investments and put the needs of residents first,” Todman asserted.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The American Cancer Society is embarking on an unprecedented initiative spanning 20 states, including the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, to investigate the troubling disparities in cancer survival rates among Black women.
Despite overall declines in cancer deaths, Black women continue to face disproportionately high mortality rates, a phenomenon the organization aims to address through its newly unveiled VOICES of Black Women study.
“While cancer deaths have declined, Black women maintain a high death rate,” said Dr. Lauren McCullough, co-principal investigator and visiting scientific director at the American Cancer Society, during a recent briefing. “With few exceptions, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer, aggressive tumor types, and have higher cancer-specific mortality rates than other women,” McCullough added.
This disparity is especially pronounced in breast cancer, where Black women face a 40% higher mortality rate than white women despite having a lower rate of diagnosis by 4%.
Moreover, Black women are 60% more likely than white women to succumb to cervical cancer and nearly twice as likely to die from endometrial cancer. The VOICES of Black Women study aims to enroll over 100,000 Black women aged 25 to 55, making it the country’s most significant endeavor of its kind. Participants must be cancer-free upon enrollment and will be tracked for 30 years to examine the impact of medical history, lifestyle factors, and experiences of racism on cancer risk and mortality.
“To be eligible for the study, participants must live in one of the 20 states or Washington, D.C., which together account for more than 90% of the U.S. population of Black women ages 25 to 55,” McCullough clarified.
The initiative seeks to confront historical injustices in medical research, which have often excluded or exploited Black participants. McCullough referenced past instances of medical exploitation, including the Tuskegee experiment and the unauthorized use of Henrietta Lacks’ cells.
The study allows individuals to opt out of providing medical records, and their identities will remain confidential in published research. Officials said this would safeguard participants’ privacy and ensure ethical oversight,
A brief registration on the study’s website precedes a thorough survey covering medical history, lifestyle choices, and encounters with racism and discrimination. Enrollment is open in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. “This isn’t just a study; it’s a collective commitment to understanding and improving the health of Black women across the nation,” affirmed cancer society officials. “And that change starts with you.”
Last week, President Biden named nineteen Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, including posthumous recognition of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. He was the first NAACP Field Secretary in Mississippi.
Mr. Evers worked to set up an NAACP office there. In the early 1960s, he organized high-profile boycotts of merchants in Jackson. In 1962, he instrumentalized the campaign to admit African American student James Meredith to the University of Mississippi.
Medgar Evers fought for his country in World War II and returned home to lead the fight against segregation in Mississippi. He was 37 when he was murdered at his home by Byron De La Beckwith.
United Nations agencies issued a joint warning on Friday that time is running out to prevent starvation in Sudan’s Darfur region due to intensifying clashes around the northern capital of El Fasher, which are hindering efforts to deliver lifesaving aid.
Since fighting erupted last April between rival militaries, Sudan has witnessed shocking levels of violence, plunging the country into a devastating humanitarian and protection crisis.
Close to 25 million people – more than half the population – are estimated to need assistance, with approximately 17.7 million people facing “acute” levels of food insecurity.
The crisis, described as being of “epic proportions” by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is exacerbated by limited access to vulnerable communities due to ongoing fighting and authorities’ restrictions, particularly in Darfur, while the fighting rages on between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The latest escalation of violence around El Fasher has halted aid convoys from Chad’s Tine border crossing. Authorities in Port Sudan are preventing aid transport via Adre, the only other viable cross-border corridor from Sudan’s western neighbor.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Deep-seated racial and economic tensions will be present in the new chapter of Baton Rouge’s history because of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s historic decision approving the creation of the City of St. George. The decision follows a protracted legal battle initiated by affluent white residents seeking to carve out their own municipality from the broader cityscape, citing concerns over governance, public safety, and educational quality.
Encompassing a sprawling 60-square-mile expanse in the southeast of East Baton Rouge Parish, St. George is poised to emerge as an autonomous entity with its own mayor and city council, catering to an estimated population of 86,000 residents. Advocates tout the move as necessary to address high crime rates and underperforming schools.
However, critics argue that the decision heralds the creation of a de facto segregated enclave, further entrenching racial and economic disparities within the Baton Rouge community. The polarizing debate underscores broader societal challenges and raises profound questions about equity and inclusion. It also has all the earmarks of America’s dark history of racial segregation, which preserves the economic advantages and social dominance of whites and the politically powerful, who have utilized legal and societal barriers to maintain their elite status over other communities.
In Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, an African American student protested segregation by sitting at a drugstore lunch counter designated for whites only. Demonstrators staged a famous protest at a Woolworth store in New York City in 1960 to denounce segregation at the chain’s Southern lunch counters. Racial segregation has been pervasive worldwide among mixed-race communities, excluding regions like Hawaii and Brazil with significant racial integration. According to Brittanica, while social discrimination exists in these areas, formal segregation does not. Conversely, in the Southern United States, the segregation of Black and white individuals in public spaces was legally sanctioned from the late 1800s to the 1950s under the Jim Crow laws. In response, African Americans initiated the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s to dismantle racial segregation. The movement culminated in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provided robust protections against discrimination and segregation in voting, education, and public facilities. Meanwhile, the genesis of St. George dates back nearly 15 years, when residents initially sought to establish an independent school district. Over time, the ambition evolved into a broader push for municipal independence, culminating in a decisive 2019 ballot initiative in which 54 percent of residents voted in favor of incorporation.
Legal wrangling ensued, with Baton Rouge city officials contesting the move, warning of dire fiscal consequences and service disruptions. While lower courts initially sided with Baton Rouge, the state’s Supreme Court ultimately overturned their rulings, endorsing the viability of St. George’s internal budget to sustain essential public services.
Nevertheless, lingering concerns persist regarding the economic fallout. A 2014 study by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber projected a substantial budget deficit for the remaining portions of Baton Rouge, raising apprehensions about the city’s capacity to uphold public services post-separation.
“My goal from the very beginning—and it will always be my goal — is to advocate for a united Baton Rouge,” Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome told reporters. “I am committed to serving the residents of St. George.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Bishop William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, alongside Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, led a press conference on Monday at the National Press Club to unveil plans for the “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C.: A Call to the Polls and to Vote.”
Scheduled for June 29th, the assembly aims to commence four months of outreach efforts targeting 15 million poor and low-wage infrequent voters nationwide. According to the study “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Poor and Low-Income Voters in the 2020 Elections,” approximately 85 million eligible voters in the United States are classified as poor or low wage, constituting at least 30% of the electorate. In battleground states, the percentage climbs to over 40%.
“This is movement time,” declared Bishop Barber. “We are here this morning to mobilize the power of over 33 million infrequent voters, poor and low wage, to demand attention to their concerns in the political arena.” Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis echoed this sentiment. “Our goal is to center the desires and political agenda of those who are often left out of the conversation,” Theoharis stated. The coalition, comprising representatives from over thirty state coordinating committees, religious organizations, labor unions, and advocacy groups, seeks to mobilize the substantial voting bloc to demand political candidates’ endorsement of a moral agenda addressing the poverty and low-wealth crisis, which claims 295,000 lives annually. “Poor and low-wage voters are saying in this season that if you want these votes, talk to poor and low-wage folks,” said Bishop Barber. Rev. Mark Thompson, who also works for the National Newspaper Publishers Association, was among the many coalition members who addressed the issues during the news conference, which aired live on C-Span and at BlackPressUSA.com. Thompson highlighted the interconnectedness of poverty with various social issues. “Wherever there is a lack of health care and voting rights, LGBT rights and immigrant rights, there is an abundance of poverty,” he asserted. “Wherever there is a lack of jobs and labor unions and sensible gun laws in women’s bodily autonomy, there is an abundance of poverty.” He continued: “Wherever there is a lack of racial justice and legal rights, criminal justice reform, access to adequate legal representation, an alternative to incarceration and police reform, wherever those things are in lack, there is an abundance of poverty. Wherever there is a lack of what is now under attack, diversity, equity, and inclusion, affirmative action, investment in education, a lack of educational opportunities, there is an abundance of poverty. Wherever there is lack of religious tolerance, racial harmony, and beloved community, there is an abundance of poverty.” The event’s organizers emphasized their commitment to empowering impoverished and low-wage individuals, aiming to amplify their voices in the political discourse. Rev. Thompson concluded, “I contend we do not need to ask permission to finish Dr. King’s work. He did not retire. It is our duty to pick up his baton and move forward. They always talk about the people who don’t want to vote. They never talk about the impoverished and low-wage individuals. We want to lift them and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others.” As the nation gears up for the 2024 elections, Bishop Barber, the Poor People’s Campaign, and its allies assert that they are poised to make their presence felt, advocating for policies that address the systemic issues perpetuating poverty and economic inequality across the country. “We want to lift them up and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others,” Thompson insisted.
