We Don’t Need a War on Poverty, We Need an Equitable Economy

Angela Blackwell

Angela Glover Blackwell is the founder and chief executive officer of PolicyLink, which works to improve access and opportunity for people of color and residents of low-income communities.

Updated January 5, 2014, 6:30 PM

While the war on poverty brought benefits to many, we need a fresh, far-reaching approach to reverse skyrocketing inequality. This requires building an equitable economy — one that produces good jobs and full employment, upgrades the education and skills of our increasingly diverse workforce, and creates opportunities for all people to participate, prosper and reach their full potential.

Persistent racial gaps and the widening gulf between the rich and everyone else threaten our nation’s economic vitality.

President Johnson conceived the war on poverty to expand access to economic opportunity in an era of prosperity and a growing middle class. Today the middle class is shrinking, good jobs have disappeared and millions of people work in low-wage jobs that leave families in poverty.

The share of Americans who can scarcely make ends meet has not budged in a half century and inequality is at an all-time high. Our nation remains one of the world’s wealthiest, yet nearly 100 million people, one-third of the population, live in or near poverty.

Our changing demographics bring new complexity to this picture. By the end of this decade, according to our estimates, more than half of all Americans under age 19 will be youth of color, and they are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to grow up poor. Persistent racial gaps and the widening gulf between the rich and everyone else threaten our nation’s economic vitality. Research shows that inequality hinders growth while greater inclusion accelerates it.

It is encouraging to see inequality making its way onto the political agendas, with such sensible policies as raising the minimum wage and universal pre-K. But we need more — strong, not shredded safety nets; education and workforce development designed for a global economy; expanded opportunity in struggling communities; and investments in job creation. Let’s apply the kind of vision and courage that inspired the war on poverty to building an economy that works for everyone.


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Topics: Education, Employment, poverty, race

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