Voices of Everday Leaders
An Accounting Problem: Reimagining Racial Healing in the US Fifty-two years after Martin Luther King’s grueling assassination offered the U.S. its opportunity to pursue a route of cheap justice—a facade […]
Category: Economic Justice
March 23, 2020 Bobbi Dempsey
As votes continue to get counted, Alameda County voters show strong support to fund resources for children
Residents of Alameda County have made a clear statement about the need to support both working parents and early childhood educators by allocating more resources to provide quality affordable child […]
Child Poverty Has Been Ignored at the Debates for Two Decades
This critical topic has only been addressed a single time in the past 20 years. Like many other Americans, I have been closely watching the Democratic presidential debates. I’m interested […]
A budget that hurts already hurting Americans
President Trump recently proposed a $4.8 trillion dollar budget for the 2021 fiscal year. The proposal is called “Budget for a Better America.” But this budget disguised as a way […]
What to expect when you’re expecting… the worst
Being asked to be the guest to Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address (SOTU) by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, a representative from my home state of Michigan, is like being […]
We need policies that harness the vital roles of community colleges
Our world has an increasing reliance on new, ever-changing technology that requires workers to have near-constant flexibility to upgrade, retrain, and retool their skills. It’s estimated that millions of ‘middle-skill […]
In latest battle in ‘war on the poor’ Las Vegas council takes aim at homeless
On November 6, 2019, the Las Vegas City Council held a meeting to discuss and vote on Ordinance 2019-36, sponsored by Mayor Carolyn Goodman. This ordinance targets anyone camping or […]
Our values must shift if we are to truly provide quality care for every child in our nation
Long before I ever began working in the child care advocacy field, I watched family and friends scramble to find affordable care for their children. From being a middle-schooler operating […]
Voices Of Everyday Leaders
Meet Colorado Cross Disability Coalition Advocates Dawn and Shannon When Dawn Howard was two years old, her parents were told that she would not likely have “any intelligible speech.” But […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Look What Florida is Doing to Procure Job Security for Women and People of Color In older generations, it was common to keep the same job for 10, 20 or […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Power Concedes Nothing Without Demand This evening democratic candidates will gather at Otterbein University in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus, for the presidential primary debates. While they will be discussing […]
Kids See What We Value: We Must Invest In Communities to Uplift Children of Color
Anyone who’s ever had a hobby, a child, or been in a relationship knows, we value those things we devote time, energy, and money towards. Those things we don’t, we […]
“What’s not to love about Charleston? Or Santa Fe?”
What was I watching? A bright, chipper afternoon edition of The Today Show on NBC. For this segment, the TV hosts invited an editor from Travel and Leisure magazine to […]
We’re Making Significant Steps Toward a New Federal Minimum Wage
In my years participating in progressive movements, fighting “the good fight” alongside other visionary activists and progressives with very different personalities, different strategies, and different campaigning styles, I have noticed […]
Voices Of Everyday Leaders
Grassroots Partners Come Together to Celebrate Big Wins There have been major wins amongst the partners over the past year, such as SPACEs in Action’s $15.8 million win for Birth […]
How The Gig Economy is Changing Work As We Know It
As the gig economy continues to grow, how has it changed the way we think of work, the economy, and laborers? In this episode of “A Living Wage,” Catherine Bugayong […]
Out on the Town: Paying Our Restaurant Workers (A Living Wage: Episode 3)
Going out is such a special treat, and it’s a whole team of people that make this experience so enjoyable. In this episode of “A Living Wage,” I hit the […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
#safetyis reproductive freedom! When my friend told me she was having an abortion It wasn’t for me to give approval To grant permission To give my blessing or the opposite […]
Growing Up Poor in America Was My Political Education
I remember, as a ten-year-old, tearfully watching former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and presidential candidate Jesse Jackson give impassioned speeches at the 1984 Democratic National Convention on my family’s […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
De Colores: Bright Colors of Love This is where I begin. I come from poverty and group homes throughout Los Angeles. There are stories along the 405 N that I will […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Why Does America Celebrate Mother’s Day Given Its Treatment of Poor Mothers? Another Mother’s Day has come and gone! School-age children with sharp grins delivered to their mothers their hand-made […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
The lives of children should not be stymied by social indifference and condemned to the carnivorous margins of society because their parents simply cannot afford quality childcare. For too many […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Today, the James Beard Foundation announced its 2019 slate of finalists. This “short list” of nominees honors the year’s outstanding restaurants, chefs, and food-centric journalism, books, and broadcast media. Community […]
Bold ideas rooted in the lives, experiences of real people
Now you can check out some of the discussions from the event and hear for yourself how power and agency are at the root of economic justice for our communities.
The Power of the Green New Deal
When Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first released her plan to combat climate change and build the economy, I was sitting at the edge of my bed, exhausted. I had been waiting […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
New Attacks on Healthcare from the Right are Wrong No one should have to choose between paying medical costs and exhibiting grandparental love when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has […]
Proposed Work Requirements Rule for SNAP Could Harm Those Already Facing Hunger
Implementing strict work requirements for safety net programs—particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—has been a recurring goal for many GOP leaders and the Trump administration. Concerned observers breathed a […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
What Kansas City Is Doing About The Readiness Gap “Approximately 65 percent of our children are not receiving the proper education that would close the readiness gap and eliminate any […]
Here’s why America is talking about Universal Child Care
This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled her plan for Universal Child Care, signaling its place atop the national political agenda. In it, she details the difficulties of finding affordable and […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Where to go When There’s Nowhere to Go: How Covenant House is Fighting to Solve the Youth Homeless Crisis, One Kid at a time Dash was a first year college […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
My Story I grew up in the southeast area of Washington, DC and I attended Eastern Senior High School. The year was 1971, I was 15 years old and in […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
My longtime boyfriend, always the carnivore, asked me the other day why I hardly ever make meatloaf. I shrugged and said “You know I don’t really eat meat.” “But your […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
And the Young Shall Save Us So many economic protections are at stake with this new Congress. The most consequential midterm elections of our lifetime awaited our robust participation last […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Roquesha Oneal is an everyday leader, a woman of fortitude and generosity. She resides in Detroit with her 15-year-old child with a disability and enjoys visits with her two adult […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
Cutting “Food Stamps” is Child Abuse Every Sunday Jose “Frankie” Benjamin-Nay, an 18-year old Puerto Rican-American, darkens the doors of Mount Zion Baptist Church to provide technical support for the […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
SNAP Benefits Guarantees Family’s Food Thirty-seven-year-old LeAnn is married with five children and five stepchildren (who live with their grandmother). She has a Master’s degree in business administration but can […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
PA Group Strives to Bust Myths About SNAP—and People Who Use It Lisa Raditz cringes when she overhears some of the comments people make about SNAP recipients based on common […]
Supporting Food Entrepreneurs for Equity and Stronger Communities
We can strengthen our communities by creating food systems that create new jobs and businesses through the people living here. DREAM (Dreaming Out Loud’s Ready for Entrepreneurship Accelerator Modules) is […]
Column: Voices of Everyday Leaders
I, like so many Americans of my era, believed… After 12 and a half years in an often stress-filled role as an associate director in public relations at a local […]
Column: Voices of Everyday Leaders
Why we vote I’ve been asked a lot lately “why I knock on doors” to encourage people to vote. Mainly because of my background in social justice work. I’ve used […]
Voices of Everyday Leaders
The work of community organizers is daunting. Late nights. Endless knocking on doors. Rallies and protests to protect our healthcare, ensure we all have enough food to eat and keep […]
Women Arrested for Kavanaugh-Related Protest at Manchin’s Office
Despite being led into the street in the middle of the night in handcuffs, a West Virginia woman says speaking up on behalf of sexual assault survivors like herself […]
This housing experiment brought struggling seniors and young families together. Did it work?
Genesis, means the beginning and the first. The community of Genesis was the brainchild of the nonprofit organization, MiCasa. It was planned as a purpose driven, intergenerational, affordable housing program, […]
Young voters in Florida state why they are voting this November
I’m speaking to voters at a candidate forum for young voters in Miami on why the November 2018 elections matter to them. Check them out. Be inspired. Let’s unite the […]
What Apple’s $1 trillion value means for working people
Last Thursday, it was reported that the wealth of tech-giant Apple had surpassed every other publically traded American firm, setting the record at $1 trillion in value. Many applauded the […]
Returning to Life Outside Prison—Without Food on the Table
This piece was co-published with Civil Eats Calvin* anticipates walking out of a New Jersey prison next month, hopefully for the last time, eager to live out his responsibilities as […]
In Alaska, Changes To Snap Could Spell Disaster
This piece was Co-published with Civil Eats Sarah was born in the Alaskan village of Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow) and she spent a good portion of her youth there. […]
Justice for marginalized communities not a factor in filling SCOTUS seat; it’s up to us to vote, voice our concerns now
Whether you care about voting rights, affirmative action, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights and especially a woman’s right to control her own body, filling retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s […]
Bobby and the Center for Community Change
I still recall the moment that I truly entered the world. It was not the instant when the bullets were fired. It was a few minutes later when I was […]
Unarmed & Black: Keith Childress, Jr. remembered, and the growing list of loved ones left behind after police violence
Family, friends and supporters of police violence victim Keith Childress, Jr. demand justice for his murder. His mother, Jacqueline Lawrence, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, which makes advocating for her son difficult, but she has started to meet other families impacted by police violence.
SNAP works and so should Congress
WASHINGTON D.C.— The Center for Community Change hosted a partners and leaders convening to discuss strategies and to develop collective actions opposing the harmful cuts proposed in the Farm Bill, […]
With payday loan , Trump again shows he’s not out to help the working class. He’s out to get them.
During his campaign, and again and again since becoming president, the Tweeter-in-Chief has brashly portrayed himself as “a populist,” a protector of the working class. His style, his rhetoric, and […]
No more #EmptyPlatesEmptyPromises
More than 60 mom, dads, seniors and people with disabilities delivered empty plates to the Washington, D.C. office of Texas House Rep. Mike Conaway, author of the Farm Bill, to […]
We need people of color to vote: Here’s how.
Voting is the most basic and important right an individual has in a democracy. As voters, we elect people to represent our communities and if a majority of voters do […]
Ideas of MLK, RFK still needed today
This piece originally published in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. When President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the War on Poverty in 1964, his audacious goal was to end poverty in the […]
7 Lessons I learned from the Rust Belt and Appalachia
I am a community organizer in West Virginia. At the end of 2017, I traveled for a week with friends and colleagues through Appalachia and the Rust Belt, seeking lessons […]
Trump’s budget will take food away from the struggling families, children and the elderly who need it most
Since the release of the 2019 Trump budget, a great deal of attention has focused on its proposal to eliminate half of families’ food assistance benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition […]
Florida gets a second chance to make amends for its racist past
Back in late 2016, a grassroots coalition of volunteers accomplished a remarkable feat. More than 68,314 petition signatures were collected in Florida, triggering a Supreme Court review on a ballot […]
The GOP #TaxScamBill Is Another Way To Make The Rich Richer On The Backs Of The Poor
Back in September, Senator John McCain announced in a statement that he could not “in good conscience” vote for the GOP’s healthcare bill, effectively ending Republican efforts to repeal and […]
Thistle and Bee offers dignity, livable wage to women leaving local sex economy
Vulnerable women get a second chance to build a life on their terms creating healthy, healing products
How One Late Paycheck Messed Up My Life
I know at a deep level that my family lived paycheck to paycheck. A check comes in. We pay our bills. We have no savings to speak of. But it […]
Save SNAP
In two underserved DC communities, there are only three groceries stores to serve 148,000 people.
Investor deposits lessons in financial literacy, freedom for a new generation
Despite persistent barriers to black wealth building, Memphis-based fund manager Floyd Tyler says it can be done—and it is
For Code Crew founders, paying a living wage is the right thing to do
The nonprofit trains youth of color to be the next generation of techies and practices the economic justice MLK preached
“SMILF,” Showtime’s New Series, Doesn’t Sugarcoat Single Motherhood
Stephanie Land reviews SMILF from the perspective of a single mom who’s been there
A Hurricane Is Never An Excuse To Mock The Poor
I remember. I remember because I will always love New Orleans. All the residents of the Gulf Coast, or anyone who loved New Orleans – and who was old enough to remember August 29th, 2005 – has mourned the day ever since.
How Tennessee laws keep ex-offenders from getting good jobs
Employees with criminal records don’t make workplaces less safe, yet licensing restrictions bar them from dozens of careers
CHOICES chooses a $15/hour living wage
Raising base pay of all employees is ‘just a matter of priorities’ at Memphis reproductive health care organization
EDGE Board signs off on Overton Square Hotel incentives
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County EDGE board signed off on tax incentives for a boutique hotel in Overton Square. The Economic Development Growth Engine signed off on $6.1 million […]
Americans Pay The Price When Our Political Institutions Erode
This article first appeared on the Huffington Post. It is said that compromise is the cornerstone of democracy. If that is indeed the case, American democracy is seriously faltering. The […]
Poverty Is Rampant In The U.S., But We Pretend It’s Not
When my older brother and I were in elementary school, the teacher assigned the class to bring a bug into class that was familiar in our neighborhood. My brother, who […]
Why Trump’s Supporters Haven’t Abandoned Him
Just 100 days into his presidency, Americans no longer expect President Donald Trump to keep the promises that got him elected. He walked back his promises on China, delivered nothing […]
Trump’s Tax Plan Is A Reverse Robin Hood Ploy
Here’s how Trump’s plan pads the pockets of the rich at the expense of everyday families and seniors.
May Day, May Day! Immigrant workers and low-wage workers unite
Struggle to survive on poverty wages builds solidarity among workers
Immigrant Rights Are Workers Rights
Bad policies that harm working Americans continue to chip away at our aspirations to strive.
Military Families Serve Our Country. Now It’s Time For Our Country To Serve Military Families.
As a military spouse, I see firsthand how civilians might think our families are a protected class because our job description is basically to protect America. But we face the […]
Frances Bean Cobain and the Graffiti of Privilege
A friend saw it, driving in Los Angeles. A billboard for tony fashion line Marc Jacobs, featuring Frances Bean Cobain as the model, had been defaced with graffiti. And then […]
Trickle Down Devastation: A Single Mom Responds to Trump’s Tax Plan
ATHENS, Ohio – You’re not a single mother. You have a spouse or a partner. You don’t have kids, or if you do, you’re raising them in a two-parent, two-income […]
The case for justice through journalism
Reporting has a role to play in economic justice. We’re here to play that role. Economic justice. That’s what brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis in April 1968. […]
Affordable Health Care Repeal: Or How To Steal From The Poor And Give To The Rich
I know what lack of health care can do to a family in need. About two years ago, my undocumented father was suffering from a form of degenerative arthritis which […]
I Went from Being Homeless to a Full-Time Writer. Trump Wants to End the Programs That Got Me Here.
Six years ago, I lived with my then 3-year-old daughter, Mia, in a studio apartment. During the day I worked full-time as a maid, cleaning the houses of wealthy people. […]
Potential Deferred
Like the rest of the country, Gary, Indiana, is wrestling with what was, what is, and what may come
Trump Voters and I Have One Thing in Common: We’re Scared of Losing Medicaid
I recently read about a county in Kentucky that is typical of the kinds of depressed white communities that have dominated the news since Trump’s election. Owsley County is 83 […]
Welcome to A Prairie Homeboy Companion
Welcome to A Prairie Homeboy Companion, a weekly blog exploring progressive activism in the Midwest, as well as an occasional platform for my own thoughts on pop culture, politics, and […]
Report: Increasing Minimum Wage Saves Lives
Tuesday’s “Day of Disruption” walkout by thousands of low-income workers underscores that the Fight for $15 movement is undeterred by the change of administration. Earlier this month, voters approved minimum-wage […]
‘Saturday Night Live’ Skit Has People Talking About Who and What Really is Dividing Us
Originally published by The Undefeated. Did a Saturday Night Live sketch last week hint at a future hard to envision in today’s bitter political climate — a future in which […]
What Living in a High-Poverty Neighborhood Taught Me About Protests
Photo credits to Dorret. Originally published in TalkPoverty. About 13 years ago, I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, where I was trying to make ends meet as a freelance writer. […]
Home Alone: A Single Mother Tries to Navigate Missoula’s Child Care Crisis
Photo Credits to Brian Hart. Originally published by the Missoula Independent. My life as a single mother has often meant looking up, helpless, waving goodbye like Wile E. Coyote, after […]
Let’s Guarantee Every High School Student a Summer Job
Photo credits to Flazingo Photos. Originally posted on the Huffington Post. In New York City, where the summer job program for high school students is run on a neighborhood lotto […]
And #StillIRise: #PeoplesConvention takes over Pittsburgh
Wendi C. Thomas is a writing fellow for the Center for Community Change. [View the story “And #StillIRise: #PeoplesConvention takes over Pittsburgh” on Storify]
Why Good Jobs Are Needed in the Food Stamp Debate
Originally published on Equal Voice. It’s already begun happening. In 2016, 500,000 to 1 million recipients will be officially cut from the “food stamp” rolls. Some reports say it could […]
‘Unlocking Opportunities’ Policy Brief
By: Dorian T. Warren, Chirag Mehta, Steve Savner Imagine a 21st-century jobs program that puts families first, makes extensive investments in America’s most impoverished places and creates millions of good […]
What Happens When You Can’t Afford Self-care
Originally published on Talk Poverty. For the last year, I have been keenly aware of my dire need for two things: therapy and exercise. But for those who struggle to […]
The Answer is Muhammad Ali: Who else?
Originally published in the Huffington Post. For most of my life, I haven’t idolized sports heroes. I may be the exception to the great American male rule-of-thumb. There have been […]
With $55,000 Debt, You Learn to Appreciate the Little Things
Originally posted on The Guardian as a kick-off to their series on debt. I expected college to feel like a major accomplishment. I walked across the stage, eight months pregnant with […]
Sheryl Sandberg Thinks She Finally Gets Single Moms, But She Doesn’t Get Me
Originally posted in SheKnows. I read Sheryl Sandberg’s recent Facebook post from the trenches of a horrible Mother’s Day weekend. The youngest had thrown up on Friday night, and we […]
Saying Your House is Messy Because You Play With Your Kids is a Privilege
Originally published in the Washington Post. I grew up in what some would call an immaculately clean home. I hated my mom a little for it. I wasn’t allowed to […]
Domestic Violence is Trapping Women in More Than Just Bad Relationships
Originally published on SheKnows. There are moments in my life that I can return to easily. I don’t have to close my eyes or envision the surroundings or what it […]
Out of Homelessness, A Mom Turns Advocate
Originally published on Rooflines, a Shelterforce blog. Jenean F. and her husband worked hard to achieve the increasingly elusive American Dream. She was a stay at home mom and he […]
Here’s How Many People it Takes to Replace a Single Mom
Originally published on SheKnows. In the weeks building up to a business trip, I created a schedule for the five people who’d replace me, a single mom with two kids, […]
Just Because I’m Poor Doesn’t Mean My Kid Shouldn’t Have Nice Things
Originally published on She Knows. My daughter and I were living in a conservative area when I started to notice an outcry to test people receiving public assistance for drug […]
Black Lives Matter Movement and Opportunities Deprived Go Hand In Hand
Originally published on Equal Voice. What does it say about the value of Black lives when too many of those lives are in crumbling schools, drinking poisoned water, finding themselves […]
Back to School With TRIO Programs
Originally published on ESME. Reentering college as a nontraditional student takes a lot of courage, especially as an older woman with kids. I received my bachelor’s degree at 35 and […]
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