On November 5th, 2009, Poverty Scholars from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit gathered to report on the impact of the Poverty Scholars Program from the frontlines of the economic crisis. Download flyer.
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A New and Unsettling Force: Reigniting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign - the Poverty Initiative's newest original publication is now available.
June 1
Philadelphia Student Union 15th Anniversary Celebration
June 8
Domestic Workers United Day of Action in Albany
June 11 - 18
WV Immersion Trip with First Baptist Church of Greater Des Moines
June 22 - 26
US Social Forum, Detroit Michigan
June 25 - July 12
MST Brazil visit NYC
June 29
Mística, Spirituality and Leadership Development in the MST (6-8pm)
July 29 - August 1
COR Opening Training
On August 9th - 15th, the Poverty Scholars Program gathered more than 160 leaders from across the country and around the world to work towards reigniting King's Poor People's Campaign today. Read more.
Poverty Initiative
at Union Theological Seminary
3041 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
poverty@povertyinitiative.org
(212) 280-1439
Veronica Dorsey — United Workers, Baltimore. “If it wasn’t for [the Poverty Scholars Program], I wouldn’t even be here. I wouldn’t be the person I am today […] I learned humility, I learned cooperation […] I always knew what the dictionary said [solidarity] was, but I never experienced it like I did in West Virginia [at the Poverty Scholars Leadership School]. I went to Baltimore telling everyone about the Leadership School. We learned so much.”
Desi Burnette and Mica Root — Media Mobilizing Project, Philadelphia “None of [our victories] would’ve been possible without our participation in the Poverty Scholars Program with the Poverty Initiative and the leadership development we’ve had access to. The political analysis and concrete organizing support has made it possible for people […] to become strong leaders and even more importantly to become strong leaders who are about building other strong leaders. […] Thank you. “
Joycelyn Gill Campbell — Domestic Workers United "In terms of the economic crisis, we used to have at least two or three calls coming in per week about workers losing their jobs we’re now having four or five per day, so we are working really hard to deal with that and that is where we hold deeply and dearly the Poverty Initiative. The Poverty Initiative has played a great role within the organization. It has helped us build our leadership; it has helped us build our relationships with other organizations; it has helped us to build our outreach to the faith-based organizations and churches. They have been with us shoulder to shoulder in talking to legislators; they have stood in the rain with us lobbying; they have rallied with us…"
Marian Kramer — Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, Detroit "The Poverty Scholars Program has now become the instrument that is taking care of the void that had been out here for a long time: the opportunity to get an education, the opportunity to plan with other folks not in your organizations, the opportunity to visit other communities, the opportunity to build some of the best leaders this country has not ever seen before. […] We want to say thank you. We really appreciate what we have learned at the Poverty Initiative."
Erika Almiron and Koby Murphy — Philadelphia Student Union, Philadelphia "One of the most poignant moments of my life, as I was up on that mountain [at the Leadership School in West Virginia], one of my students said to me “hearing that explosion on the mountain[from mountain top removal] reminds me the way I’m used to the shootings in my neighborhoods. The things that are causing the shootings in my neighborhood are the same things that are causing these explosions.” The Poverty Initiative grows peoples thousands and thousands miles away from where they were when they started."