poverty

Why #AllLivesMatter is a Racial Slur

#BlackLivesMatter is a call to action for every race, every person. Its explosion upon the human consciousness testifies to its organic creation, how it so well captures a critical moment in civilization's crawl upward. It has permanently altered our group consciousness, and that will never change. #BlackLivesMatter (#BLM) is conjoined with other moments in time, of course, for example, Hurricane Katrina, which brought about a national tragedy starkly divided along racial lines. The civil rights movement itself is connected to #BlackLivesMatter too. Although the dynamics 50 years ago may be different from the strategies employed now, there is a great deal of common ground yet ...

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in Campaigns / Grassroots / Key Issues / News of Note / Op-Ed / Public Information / Uncategorized  by Alison Gardner 0 comments

America’s Shame

Flickr/creative commons

Raw Story reports that the United States has one of the highest relative child poverty rates in the developed world. America’s wealth grew by 60 percent in the past six years, by over $30 trillion. In approximately the same time, the number of homeless children has also grown by 60 percent. This is what keeps me up at night, thinking of even one homeless and hungry child out there, maybe just a few blocks where I am safely sleeping. Just as important as asking why America has sunk so low is asking ourselves what can we do ...

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in Campaigns / Grassroots / Key Issues / News of Note / Op-Ed / Public Information  by Alison Gardner 0 comments

The King Center

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. November 15, 1964 Flickr/creative commons

Hope you all saw my hopeful letter to Martin, yesterday, but today I want to ask people to spend a little time further investigating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and challenge everyone to get busy if they are not already in furthering his precepts though activism. One of the best places to advance your education is The Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change, known as The King Center. Here you will find thousands of digitized documents pertaining to his legacy which established and newly minted activists will find enlightening and empowering. Dr. King's life and teachings are ...

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in Campaigns / End Police Bias / Grassroots / Key Issues / News of Note / Op-Ed / Public Information / Uncategorized  by Alison Gardner 0 comments

Dear Martin

Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968 by Caboindex Flickr/creative commons

Dear Martin . . . How happy I am today to see the next generation fully embrace the ideals that identified your short life: the end of poverty, racism, and war, precepts to which I have continued to dedicate my life. With numerous conferences and forums throughout your birthday weekend, before and after, your mass of followers are playing an invigorating and crucial role right now in schooling the mass of newly minted young activists who are fully committed to ending the murder of young black people, and all attempts to erase an entire race through Read More›

in Campaigns / Events / Grassroots / Key Issues / News of Note / Op-Ed / Public Information  by Alison Gardner 0 comments

We Are Here, We Are Here

Alicia Keyes Flickr/creative commons

Let's talk about our part My heart touches your heart Let's talk about, let's talk about living Had enough of dying, not what we all about Let's do more giving Do more forgiving, yeah Our souls were brought together so that we could love each other

"We Are Here" (by Alicia Keys, 2014, Listen here)

The 3rd Annual Global Citizens Festival in New York City's Central Park is underway right now. If you haven't heard, it's a presentation of the Global Poverty Project which is committed to ending world poverty by 2030. The Project's goals aim to redouble the efforts and financial ...

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in Campaigns / Events / Grassroots / Key Issues / News of Note / Op-Ed / Public Information / Videos  by Alison Gardner 0 comments

Are you sleeping through a revolution?

Portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Chris Tank located in the MLK Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, DC Flickr/Creative Commons

"One of the great liabilities of history is the fact that all too many people find themselves amid a great period of social change, and yet they fail to achieve the new attitudes and the new mental outlook that the new situation demands." -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Springfield College Commencement , June 14, 1964

It was empowering this week to re-read and reflect on an oft-overlooked commencement address by Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered 50 years ago at Springfield College. Just days before the speech, King was arrested with a group of demonstrators ...

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in Cosmic Citizenship / Grassroots / Key Issues / Op-Ed / Public Information  by Alison Gardner 0 comments