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A few weeks before his death in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about the “other America” to a union group in New York. In his remarks, he condemned the structural nature of poverty, saying “this country has socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for the poor.”

On Inauguration Day, President and CEO Audra Wilson joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the significance of a second Trump White House. She didn’t mince words: “It feels like a war on poor people. He has used his platform to pit white working class people against people of color, who are also working class…when in fact he’s looking to cut the same supportive systems that white working class people have relied upon.”

We live in a trickle-up economy, where the three million individuals who make up the wealthiest one percent of Americans are collectively worth more than the roughly 291 million people that make up the bottom 90 percent. This trend has accelerated in recent decades. For people in the middle, or at the lower end of the income spectrum, their piece of the pie is getting smaller.

As an organization committed to seeing governments raise money through progressive taxation, we at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law agree with the Tribune Editorial Board that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to use regressive property taxes to raise $300 million to close a portion of the city’s $1 billion deficit was a poor idea. We also believe that at least one proposal made in recent budget negotiations, eliminating the city’s guaranteed income pilot program to save $60 million, would be a terrible one.

The Shriver Center is proud to announce it will share office space with coalition partners Women Employed. Starting in December, the staff of Women Employed (WE) will join us at 67 East Madison Street, Suite 2000, in downtown Chicago. The move allows both organizations to spend less on overhead costs and invest more in programmatic work.

Today the Shriver Center on Poverty Law released its 2023 annual report, Changing Rules. Changing Lives. This year’s report highlights the organization’s continued commitment to end systemic inequities and push for policies that bring justice and opportunity to everyone.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law today announced 25 Fellows for its 2024 Racial Justice Institute (RJI). Now in its 11th year, the innovative leadership development program brings together anti-poverty advocates from around the country to learn new tools to advance racial equity.  

This one-day event marks the 60th year of the war on poverty. That national commitment led to the Shriver Center on Poverty Law’s formation under Sargent Shriver.

A new ordinance passed today by the Chicago City Council will double the minimum number of paid days off available for Chicago workers, making the city the first in the country to offer paid time off.

In the face of a deeply polarized nation, this election has brought profound emotions and urgent questions about how each of us is seen and valued. For many of us who identify as people of color, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or allies in the fight for justice, this moment can feel jarring. But it is also a call to action and an opportunity.

Statement from Audra Wilson, President and CEO of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law

We applaud the Chicago City Council Workforce Development Committee for voting earlier today, 13-2, to expand our city’s current paid time off requirements.