the poor people's campaign started on december 4, 1967.
the poor people's campaign started on december 4, 1967.
when did the poor people's campaign start?
december 4 , 1967
the sclc announced the campaign on december 4, 1967. king delivered a speech which identified "a kind of social insanity which could lead to national ruin." in january 1968, the sclc created and distributed an "economic fact sheet" with statistics explaining why the campaign was necessary. king avoided providing specific details about the campaign and attempted to redirect media attention to the values at stake. the poor people's campaign held firm to the movement's commitment to non-violence. "we are custodians of the philosophy of non-violence," said king at a press conference. "and it has worked."
poor people's campaign
by 1968, the war on poverty seemed like a failure, neglected by a johnson administration (and congress) that wanted to focus on the vietnam war and increasingly saw anti-poverty programs as primarily helping african americans. the poor people's campaign sought to address poverty through income and housing. the campaign would help the poor by dramatizing their needs, uniting all races under the commonality of hardship and presenting a plan to start to a solution. under the "economic bill of rights," the poor people's campaign asked for the federal government to prioritize helping the poor with a $30 billion anti-poverty package that included, among other demands, a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income measure and more low-income housing. the poor people's campaign was part of the second phase of the civil rights movement. king said, "we believe the highest patriotism demands the ending of the war and the opening of a bloodless war to final victory over racism and poverty".
poor people's campaign