Thank you Tavis Smiley and Dr. West for embarking on a much needed change in America. There is a fear that overtakes and engulfs a human on the verge of poverty. That fear is of being forgotten. Although Jesus is our strength and God’s heart is toward the widow and orphan, people overlook poverty because they also have a fear. The fear of the rich is that if they recognize the poor it may attack them also, so they turn a blind eye towards the poverty stricken. I live in an area where tourism once was the main trade for so long and now grocery shopping is a vacation. Our area is one where there is no industry, except for the tourism which has now dwindled. No one prepared for what was coming, therefore the workforce has become looked upon as a way for the existing businesses (W) can work people in droves as hard as a human can work with as little pay as possible. I have come to poverty myself even though I work. I am a widow living with my sister and brother in law. My husband died when my children were teenagers and I was at an age where I was not eligible for help of any kind. I worked for 30 years for XR (CPK) and was laid off in 2010. My pay when I left had gotten up to 8.00 per hour. I now work at W and although I am thankful for a job it is one that keeps me in the bracket of poverty.I leave you and Dr. West with a blessing……Psalm 41:1 & 2Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
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The Poverty Tour 2.0
The Poverty Tour: A Call to Conscience 2011 retrospective
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What date(s) in Washington, DC? Is there a town hall meeting as well? Please provide itiniary for DC. Thanks!
We invite you to come visit our farm site in down town Atlanta. WE have been training community members through paid internships on the science, art and business of local food systems. One way to transform from poverty to abundance is by working with nature to grow food where we live. http://www.trulylivingwell.com
I just watched your interview on CNN and wanted to send you an email of support. It is so crazy for someone to think that a person would stay on welfare if given a chance to work and make enough money. Keep up the good work spreading the truth.
God Bless
Jim Morris
I very strongly recommend that when the poverty tour is over that Smiley and West set up a conference on How To Acquire Wealth. We can give and inform people about poverty which is an excellent thing by Smiley and West, but the greatest thing we can really do is to have a Poverty Conference. The purpose would be to invite people who are impoverish as well as professionals to teach people especially those who desire to change their plight on how to aquire wealth. If we give people a fish they still will be hungry in the morning but if we teach them how to get and stay out of poverty then we have accomplished a momumental task. Teaching people how to acquire wealth and how to feed themselves and how to have a business plan, with marketing, and how to run a daily business operation could change the plight of people. Most young guys who sell crack are very intelligent and they certainly can manage and operate their cocaine crack business, so now we simply have to transfer their skills from selling crack to selling a viable business withint their own communities, giving them hope that they can learn, and sustain themselves legally and above all feed their children and then they can truly become a role model first and foremost for their own children. The only true way we are going to eradicate poverty is by teaching people how to become self sufficient, and not getting rich, but acquiring wealth, bartering, selling, servicing, and providing a viable business for themselves. We all have to crawl before we walk as babies to children, the same principle applies to advancing, in society. The people in poverty have to become empowered, and autonomous, self reliant and hopeful that they can succeed in owing part of the American Dream, part of the Martin Luther King, jr. dream that all men and women can earn a decent living for themselves and their children. peace and wealth. Dr. Ralph Steele of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Hi,
Both my husband and I missed your visit to Detroit.
I am am soo appreciative of what you are doing!!! I have been asking, “who is representing my family in Washington”??? I have NO idea who is on our side and people like us???
We are from Detroit. We are a low income family raising our 5 yr old daughter. We live on my husbands soc sec $550.00 and his Vet disability. $120.00 a month. We also have the MI Bridge card. Sometimes I get child support. We live in public housing, I have no med insurance and do not qualify for medicaid. Although we are poor, we feel more rich than some of the most successful top 2%!
We host a public access t.v. show and support our community. If you are ever back in town we would really love to have you as a guest on our show.
Also, I would love to be an inspirational speaker on this topic some day and to do what you are doing.
More info on the show is here: http://www.ypsigirl.com
More info on my personal story- http://www.getcurious.info