Dear John,

On Saturday, March 2, hundreds of thousands of impacted people, moral and religious leaders, and advocates across the country came together at state houses in over 32 states and Washington, D.C. to demand legislators take immediate action to end the crisis of death by poverty in the United States. Poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in this country. It was a solemn occasion to not only lift up the friends, family and loved ones who have been lost to policy violence, poverty and low wages, but to show our power and declare to the political establishment that we will not be silent anymore.

Across the country, including critical battleground states such as Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin and Virginia, impacted people, including poor and low-wage voters, gave testimony of their experiences with poverty. Each year poverty and low wealth kills over 250,000 people annually–more than dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. We gathered on behalf of the millions of individuals and families who are fighting to survive against a political system that for far too long has allowed this policy violence to occur.

If you were unable to join us in person or via livestream on Saturday, you can watch a recording of the mass assembly in Raleigh, NC online.

WATCH THE RECORDING

We heard from poor and low-wealth voters from all walks of life. A testament to our fusion movement and our collective power, impacted people across the country gave testimony and shared a message of strength and hope for our community.

This moral movement launch did not begin and end with Saturday’s nationwide gatherings. On Monday, March 4, we reconvened at statehouses where rallies were held over the weekend to deliver our demands to elected officials. The Poor People’s Campaign is calling on state legislators to address the crisis of death by poverty, by enacting a moral public policy agenda that challenges the injustices of systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation and the denial of healthcare, militarism, and the false moral narrative of religious nationalism. We demand:

Abolishing poverty as the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
A living minimum wage of at least $15 +/hour (indexed for inflation)
Full and expanded voting rights
Ending voter suppression
Guaranteed workers’ rights & labor rights
Healthcare for all
Affordable, adequate housing
Stopping gun violence, profit and proliferation
Fully protected women’s rights
Environmental justice that secures clean air & water
Fully-funded public education
Just immigration laws
An end to hate, division, and the extremist political agenda

In our campaign across the country, poor and low-wage people and allies have declared that we are not accepting the silence from the media and political establishment that ignores 800 daily deaths of poor and low-wealth people. We are a resurrection, not an insurrection. We are building a Third Reconstruction democracy that guarantees civil rights and human rights to all.

We now begin a 40-week campaign, waking the sleeping giant, to organize and mobilize 15 million poor and low-wage infrequent voters around an agenda that can save lives. This is only the beginning, we are just getting started. We won’t be silent anymore, join us.

Thank you to all who joined us on March 2nd and the 4th, and thank you to the organizers and tri-chairs who not only helped make this launch possible, but who also maintain the movement principles and values.