Activists, advocates fight to end 'death by poverty'

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Michigan Poor People's Campaign is in Washington DC this week-- calling for policy changes to eliminate poverty and save lives.

"This is only a time to fight for justice and fight for love and fight for truth," said Civil Rights leader Bishop William Barber.

Barber convened the Congress of the Poor People's Campaign, made up of activists and advocates from across the country - including Southeast Michigan. And the central issue is an alarming one.

"Poverty as an American death sentence," says Bill Wylie-Kellermann.

Kellermann is a retired pastor. He worked at St. Peter's at Michigan and Trumbull - home to social justice work and the long-time Manna Meals Program - serving the homeless and underserved.

"If you look at death certificates it will say diabetes, or heart disease, emphysema, exposure, or gun violence," he said. "But if you step back and you compare that with incomes, and neighborhood locations, suddenly poverty should be on the death certificate."

So many lack access to healthcare, healthy food, safe jobs, and communities without gun violence. So many need affordable housing, healthcare, transportation - and access to technology.

"In Michigan there are half a million people who are uninsured," Kellerman said. "When we do the calculations, low wage - low wealth people - it's like 35 percent of the population of Michigan - 3.5 million people."

The statistics are staggering.

"We have egregiously high child poverty for Black, Latino and Native American children," said David Brady, School of Public Policy, University of California Riverside. "So in the United States about a third of African-American children are poor. No country in the history of rich democracies over the past 50 years has had a child poverty rate that high."

While women of color and children are disproportionately impacted by poverty - this is something that cuts across racial and political lines.

"There's all kinds of white rural poverty in Michigan where these issues are exactly the same," Kellerman said.

The congress of activists is working on a policy agenda and taking that to the US Congress - including Michigan's lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

But as long as the divided Congress lacks the political will to tackle these problems - they will be left up to community groups and churches - to really do the work.

"That's a very direct way to being in beloved community and then moving to policy questions from there," Kellerman.

To learn more, go to poorpeoplescampaign.org