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Those closest to the pain should be closest to the power.
Every candidate on Brand New Congress' slate has their own story of struggle. None of them are millionaires, yet each of them has worked to uplift their communities. Our slate is made up of single mothers, those who have faced the criminal justice system, anti-war veterans and educators.
In a recent House Oversight subcommittee hearing on measuring poverty Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke bluntly about America’s tendency to sweep our economic disparities under the rug.
“For so long in our country poverty has been a taboo word. It is something that we are not allowed to talk about. It is something that we have difficulty acknowledging.” Alexandria said.
Alexandria goes on to say that she and her colleagues are putting forth legislation to accurately measure poverty in America but are meeting resistance. She asks, why?
“I believe that we do not want to recognize the level of poverty in this country because if we did it would be a national scandal and we will have to force ourselves to acknowledge that our systems have failed.”
AOC isn’t afraid to say, “bootstrapping” is a myth. Too often those in deep poverty are told to “lift themselves,” out of poverty. But the current system does not offer a pathway for advancement, and worse, this system actively works against people in poverty and people of color, such as an unfair criminal justice system, or costly post-secondary education. Once some people are able to land a job, they may meet barriers as fundamental as buying the clothes required for work or maintaining transportation to get there.
BNC candidates aren’t removed from the systems that impact the majority of Americans every day. They are on the front lines, living through the same struggles.
Stand with us and the bartender from the Bronx; help us reshape Congress into one that represents all of us. Can you contribute $5, $10 today?
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