The Poor People’s Campaign builds on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for a “revolution of values” in America. It is a movement that brings people together, seeking to “confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism.”
Later this month, on June 20, the Poor People’s Campaign is hosting a large-scale digital event, The Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington. Today on the show, we speak with organizing director Laurel Ashton to learn more about the assembly, the work of the Poor People’s Campaign, and what it means to organize during a global pandemic and a historic moment of nationwide protests for racial justice.
Read more about the event at june2020.org.
Note: We were originally scheduled to speak with the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis for this conversation, but she was unable to join due to attending her mother’s memorial services. We extend our sympathy to Rev. Theoharis and her family and are grateful to Laurel Ashton for joining in her stead.
Cover image from The Poor People’s Campaign
