Why I got up at 3 am on a Monday Morning in May: to be with more than 1000 amazing activists from the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival for three days of listening, learning, singing, and trying to behave myself. These people care. We spent seven hours listening to nine candidates at a Presidential Forum answer questions about POVERTY, which corporations are we subsidizing (to keep a military presence in 800 places outside the USA, and to supply the guns within the USA that have caused 250 mass killings since January alone!), who can help communities obtain clean water, DECENT housing and healthcare, why are there 143 million poor and almost poor in the USA, why are more than 1/2 of US citizens one $400 emergency away from losing everything, and WHY DO WE ALLOW THESE THINGS TO CONTINUE, when for a fraction of the cost we could house the unhoused, end poverty, and help people to flourish. What do we fear, people? 

Drawing on the unfinished work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1967/68 Poor People’s Campaign, which called for a “revolution of values,” Repairers of the Breach is working in partnership with the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, the Popular Education Project, and hundreds of local and national partners, to lead the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. This multi-state movement has emerged from more than a decade of work by grassroots community and religious leaders, organizations, and movements fighting to end systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, environmental destruction, and other injustices.

Politicians are given a short leash at Poor People’s Campaign gatherings (thank god). The meetings feature testimonies and keynotes by impacted persons and campaign leadership. Toward this end, each of nine* Democratic Presidential candidates were allowed a four-minute opening statement, then they answered questions from Rev. Drs. Barber and Theoharis and the day’s facilitator Joy Reid (AM Joy), who was quite brilliant at handling all nine candidates.

It was a beautiful three days meeting and sharing songs with some of my new favorite colleagues, the theomusicologists: Yara Allen, Charon Hribar, Ciara, Pauline, Eric, Jacob, and Lucy from DC. There’s nothing more fun than singing together to make the heavy work lighter! It was an honor to meet and sing/play with so many, and to be invited to share a tune of mine (Set it Right Again) for all the gathered with the theomusicologists as backup singers! People are amazing and beautiful. Don’t forget. Important.

Watching Joy Reid moderate with strength and ease was indeed a joy, and the road trip down and back was filled with great conversation, making new friends (Gretchen! Paige! Angela!) and deepening relationships with Joe and Emily of the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS. The time flew by and  gave me new resolve to continue in the holy work of the Poor People’s Campaign, which is active in about 40 states. Join us in this amazing and important work. The Poor People’s Campaign is all about the love and justice, my friends. Show up with us, check your sources, hold your elected officials accountable,  and let’s change this country for the better!

Call: Poor People’s Campaign!

Response: A National Call for Moral Revival!

Photo credit: Steve Pavey, #HopeInFocus