Poverty

MLK: Beyond Vietnam Speech 50 Years Later

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke his first public antiwar speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” in front of 3,000 people at Riverside Church in New York City.

Poverty, desperation in world-class city

Chicago is one of America’s greatest cities. Yet many of its residents live in terror in what is virtually a war zone. When a demented killer slayed 49 in a gun rampage in Orlando, Fla., there was national attention. Presidential candidates called for escalating the fight against the Islamic State in the Middle East, even though the killer seems to be a homegrown terrorist.

Diverse Christian Leaders Call Payday Lending Immoral, Demand Reform

For more than a decade, state and local consumer advocates have challenged triple-digit interest rates on small-dollar loans like payday and car-title. To their combined credit, 14 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to limit interest and fees to about 36 percent.

Celebrate Dr. King by following his example

As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, memories of his last birthday flood my mind. He rose early and came to work. He was convening leaders from across regions and races — blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, faith leaders, lawyers, organizers. He hoped to enlist them in planning a “Poor People’s Campaign,” a march on Washington to demand jobs and justice. Dr. King’s perspective was clear. The civil rights movement had made great progress — ended legal segregation, gained the right to vote and demonstrated the humanity of those who were locked out. But those victories were limited in effect. Our

SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S DAY HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE CHANGE

Recognition of the indispensable role played by women in defeating apartheid was the focus of countless speeches, film showings and even fashion shows as the country paused this week for National Women’s Day, a public holiday. Women’s Affairs Minister Susan Shabangu kicked off the activities with a speech on Pan African Women’s Day, celebrated on the last day of July. “This year marks 59 years since the 1956 Women’s march to the Union Buildings where women protested against the pass laws which among other things restricted their freedom of movement,” she began.   “The march by 20,000 women challenged an

Harris Dawson Gets Involved in Homeless Encampment Issue

Harris-Dawson’s first motion as a councilman would instruct city staff to “take immediate steps to address and ameliorate the matter of a homeless encampment that has just sprung up” at the city lot at 86th Place and Broadway.