>> 60 >> YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, PRESIDENT LYNDON B JOHNSON DECLARED WAR ON POVERTY.

HERE'S A LITTLE FROM HIS STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH ON JANUARY 8, 1964 WHERE HE SOUGHT TO RALLY AMERICANS AND CONGRESS TO HIS CAUSE.

>> AMERICANS.

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF HOPE.

SOME BECAUSE OF THEIR POVERTY.

AND SOME BECAUSE OF THEIR COLOR.

AND TOO MANY.

BECAUSE OF VOTE.

>> THIS ADMINISTRATION TODAY.

>> HERE AND NOW.

>> THE PLAYERS ON CONDITIONAL WAR ON POVERTY IN AMERICA.

>> JOINING US NOW TO ASSESS THE PROGRESS MADE SINCE JOHNSON'S HISTORIC ADDRESS IS AUDRA WILSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE SHRIVER CENTER ON POVERTY.

LARGER.

WELCOME BACK.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

READ IT.

SO WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE A ONE-DAY POVERTY SUMMIT LATER ON THIS MONTH DESIGNED TO COINCIDE WITH THIS 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR ON POVERTY.

HOW MUCH TO THE WAR AND POVERTY ACHIEVE?

WELL, THE WAR POVERTY HAD MIXED SUCCESS.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LAY THE LANDSCAPE FOR WHEN WE WERE 16 YEARS AGO.

>> I'M 60 YEARS AGO WE HAD NEARLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION THAT WE'RE LIVING IN POVERTY.

>> AND SO AT THAT LBJ HAD INITIATE THIS SWEEPING LEGISLATION.

SO FOR ONE THING, HE START ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT AND ESTABLISH WHAT'S CALLED THE OFFICE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT WAS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ARE FOR HER.

AND HE WAS TASKED WITH HEADING THIS WAR AND POVERTY AND OUT OF THAT CAME MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW TODAY THAT WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT ANYMORE.

SO HEAD START JOB CORPS VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE TO AMERICA.

THIS AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM.

AND THEN THERE ARE MANY PIECES LEGISLATION THAT CAME AS THIS WAVE.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT, WHICH INTRODUCED IN THE 1970'S, THE CHILD TAX CREDIT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOOST TOO OUR STEP A BOOST TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, HOUSING SUBSIDIES.

SO IT'S SWEEPING LEGISLATION AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WORD SO IMPORTANT TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.

THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE EVEN THOUGH NOW THAT THE RATE HAS DROPPED TO PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY IS THAT WE STILL DO HAVE PERSISTENTLY HIGH POVERTY, PARTICULARLY AMONG PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WE STILL HAVE RACING.

LOT OF INCOME INEQUALITY AND PROBABLY THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT THE WAR ON POVERTY IS IT WAS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON INDIVIDUALS AND LISTING PEOPLE, INDIVIDUALS OUT OF POVERTY.

BUT IT WAS NOT INTEND TO DISMANTLE THE SYSTEMS THAT KEEP PEOPLE MIRED POVERTY AND MANY OF THE SYSTEMS THAT WERE ENACTED SPECIFICALLY TO DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

>> SO YOU SAID 60 YEARS AGO ABOUT ONE-FIFTH OF AMERICANS ARE LIVING IN POVERTY TODAY.

ROUGHLY 38 MILLION AMERICANS STILL LIVE IN POVERTY.

WHY IS IT SO PERSISTENT IN A COUNTRY AS WEALTHY AS OURS?

WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY STILL PERSISTENT ONE OF THE >> NOTABLE THINGS ABOUT AMERICAN POVERTY, UNFORTUNATELY IS THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF POVERTY AND RACE.

AND SO AS US MENTIONING BEFORE, THE FACT THAT WE HAD LOTS LAWS THAT WERE IN PLACE FOR DECADES THAT WERE INTENT TO DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN LOOKING AT HOUSING AND OTHER SECTORS.

AND WE'RE STILL FEELING THE RESIDUAL IMPACTS OF EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NO LONGER LEGAL.

WE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO REALLY ADDRESS.

THIS WAS THE JEWEL IMPACTS, WHICH IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.

THERE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

WE KNOW THAT STILL PERSISTENT RACISM.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT DID NOT HELP THAT OUR RONALD REAGAN HAD HAD STARTED THE STEREOTYPE OF THIS CAT-LIKE TRAVELING WELFARE QUEEN, A VERY PERVASIVE STEREOTYPES THAT UNFORTUNATELY HAS CALLED IT A LOT OF LEGISLATION, INCLUDING WELFARE REFORM AND IN 90'S MID-NINETIES.

SO IMAGINE THAT PEOPLE STILL HAVE A NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION WITH WELFARE, WELFARE BENEFITS WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY BLACK PEOPLE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY, MANY AMERICANS OF ALL SWAPS WERE LIVING IN POVERTY.

SO THESE ARE AMONG THE MANY REASONS WHY WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH INTRACTABLE POVERTY TODAY.

>> IN HIS SPEECH, BACK IN 1964, JOHNSON SPECIFICALLY NOTED THE LINKS BETWEEN RACE AND POVERTY.

AS YOU'VE REFERENCED, HOW GIVE A BIGGER SENSE OF HOW THIS PERPETUATION OF OF POVERTY AND SOME OF THE MECHANISMS THAT PERPETUATED HAVE PARTICULARLY IMPACTED BLACK COMMUNITIES.

WELL, CERTAINLY SO WE KNOW THAT BY THE MID 1990'S, WHEN WE HAVE A WELL FOR CHANGING WELFARE REFORM AS WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT CLINTON.

>> WITH THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY WORK OPPORTUNITY, RECONCILIATION THAT THEY CAN'T BELIEVE.

REMEMBER THAT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT POOR DID WAS TO IMPLEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK AND AND ARE STILL WRESTLING WITH THAT TODAY BECAUSE IT'S A SUGGESTION SOMEHOW PEOPLE AREN'T BASICALLY EARNING THEIR KEEP WHEN THEY'RE THEY'RE RECEIVING PUBLIC WELFARE.

AND SO THAT A LOT OF HIS WORK REQUIREMENTS ON THERE REALLY UNNECESSARY AND IT WASN'T PUSHING AS MUCH IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF EDUCATION SO THAT THEY COULD MOVE UP AND THE LONGER BUT BE NEEDED BENEFITS.

BUT HIS CHALLENGING SOMETIMES TO GET TO BE IMPLEMENTING THAT CONSISTENTLY.

SO UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE STILL DEALING UNEQUAL WAGES.

TALKED A LOT ABOUT FAIR WAGE ON THE SHOW THE FACT THAT THERE IS A THAT'S A QUESTION NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING PAID A FAIR WAGE AT THAT ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

SO NOT ADDRESSING THESE PROBLEMS?

VERY AND RECOGNIZING THAT AGAIN, THEY CAME AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A POLICY THAT WERE ENACTED TO DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

YOU CAN'T HAVE A RECENT NEUTRAL SOLUTION TO EVEN ERADICATE POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES.

WHO BENEFITS FROM THE PERPETUATION OF POVERTY.

BUT FORTUNATELY SOME OF THE MOST WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY DO BENEFIT FOR THE PERPETUATION OF POVERTY THERE.

MATTHEW DESMOND, WHOSE THE OFFER POVERTY BY AMERICA TALKS A LOT YOUR SON.

LATER, BE AT THE SUMMIT THIS HE TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT THE SUBSIDIES SUBSIDIZE.

THEY SHUN OF WEALTHY PEOPLE.

WE TALK ABOUT DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF POOR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ALMOST WANT TO KEEP RICH AND POOR SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER TO NOT TALK ABOUT PEOPLE ARE ALL RIGHT, TAKEN ADVANTAGE SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE THINGS CALLED FINES AND FEES.

IMAGINE YOU'RE A PERSON WHO IS OF LOWER INCOME.

YOU.

THERE ARE FEES FOR YOU IF THERE ARE TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS, THERE ARE FEES FOR TO GET DRIVER'S LICENSES.

FEES FOR THIS FEES FOR THAT RED LIGHT CAMERAS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY EASY TO TACK ON TO PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST MARGINALIZED WHO POLITICALLY PROBABLY THE WEAKEST.

AND AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SEE SO COMMONLY.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THESE FINES AND FEES IS VERY EASY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FOLKS WHO ARE AT THE BOTTOM RUNG.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT KEEP DOWN.

HOW WOULD HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS PRESIDENT BIDEN'S RECORD ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS FOLLOW SUIT FROM WHEN HE WAS VICE PRESIDENT AND A LOT OF THAT LEGISLATION THAT HAVE BEEN ENACTED, JUST A POOR PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.

THERE WERE ACTUALLY SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF.

INTERESTINGLY COVID AND EXTENSION OF BENEFITS EXPANSION, THE BENEFITS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC ECONOMIC CRISIS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING VERY HARD KNOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN TRYING TO PUSH IS TO TO MAKE THOSE BENEFITS PERMITS.

ARE THOSE EXPRESSIONS PERMITS BECAUSE WE SAW DROPS IN CHILD POVERTY.

WE SAW JOBS OVERALL AND IN IN POVERTY.

WE SAW A LOT OF BENEFITS TO FAMILIES.

UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WE'RE LIVING IN A CRISIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW WHERE A LOT LITTLE ANIMOSITY, LOT POLITICAL POLARIZATION AND SOME OF THE SAME TROPES THAT EXISTED BEFORE ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY TODAY.

AND THAT'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS DEALING WITH.

SO IT'S STILL AN UPHILL BATTLE, EVEN WITH HAVING A PRESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY SYMPATHETIC AND HAS BEEN PUSHING AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.

>> BEFORE WE LET YOU GO OUT ON A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UPCOMING POVERTY SUMMIT, THE ROLLER ARE HAVING WHO'S GOING TO BE THERE?

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING COMES OF?

IT?

>> EXCITED.

SO ON JANUARY 18TH, WE'RE MEETING POLICYMAKERS AS COMMUNITY JUST ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED AND FINDING WAYS AND SOLUTIONS TO CURBING POVERTY.

IT IS A COMMEMORATION OF 60TH ANNIVERSARY THE WAR POVERTY.

BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO CONVENE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT.

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM AND THE IMPACT.

IT HAS A POOR COMMUNITIES BUT WILL ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE ENTREPRENEURS AND AS A WAY FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION, THIS IS INTENDED TO START A DIALOGUE.

IT'S GOING TO BE GOING ALL YEAR ABOUT THE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN SYSTEMICALLY TO ONCE AND FOR ALL OF THE VA POVERTY IN UNITED STATES.

COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF