Communities came together on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, to discuss the debilitating ripple effect of poverty and inequality, environmental issues and the resurrection of the last personal project of the late, Dr. Martin Luther King.

The audience was small, but the mission was extensive at the Truth and Unity Tribunal. The Harvest House church building housed people of all ages who were excited at the prospect of change. As moderator Cathy Williamson stood front and center, there was a sense of energy and anticipation that was palpable for all in attendance.

“Our goal, basically tonight, is to bring to life what poverty is in Watauga County,” Williamson said. This localised focus is part of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last project, the Poor People’s Campaign. The campaign was resurrected by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, who re-launched the program in hopes of accomplishing the original mission. To truly understand the magnitude of this undertaking, you must first go back to the year 1967.

A Historic Undertaking

Dr. King introduced the Poor People’s Campaign in late 1967. The Campaign, according to the Civil Rights Digital Library of the University of Georgia, sought to, “emphasize the plight of the poor and to push the country's lawmakers to pass federal legislation to improve the economic and social conditions of the impoverished.”

According to the Poor People’s Campaign website, the campaign included a three-part protest that would take place in 1968. Protesters created a tent-like city on the National Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument that was titled, “Resurrection City.” This is very similar to the tactic utilized by the Occupy Wall Street Movement of 2011. Secondly, they would begin mass nonviolent civil disobedience, hold demonstrations and have mass arrests. Lastly, the movement would nationally boycott, “major industries and shopping areas,” in hopes of pressuring lawmakers to meet the campaign’s demands.

Unfortunately, Dr. King never saw his project come to fruition. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tn. The assassination occurred just 25 days before the campaign was set to take place. The campaign did continue with the Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy taking over as leader. However, when key political supporter Senator Robert Kennedy was also assassinated, the Campaign ended on June 19, 1968.

A Dream Resurrected

The campaign laid dormant for almost 50 years, when leaders Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis decided it was time to resurrect the campaign, and work to accomplish what Dr. King had started.

The Rev. Dr. Barber stepped down as the President of the N.C. NAACP in October 2017, according to an article by the News and Observer, a position he held for 12 years. The article cites the Poor People’s Campaign as his reason for stepping down. He said however, according to the article, that he plans to remain on the national board of the NAACP.

The Rev. Dr. Theoharis is co-director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice in New York City, NY. According to the Kairos website, The Rev. Dr. Theoharis has worked with, and advised, grassroots organizations for 20 years.

On Monday Dec. 4, 2017, Rev. Dr. Barber and Rev. Dr. Theoharis co-authored a letter which was sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announcing the launch of the Poor People’s Campaign. In addition to the authors, the letter included the names of 21 others on the Poor People’s Campaign Steering Committee. The names included were primarily religious leaders and human rights organizations.

Not Your Average Campaign

If you’re thinking that this is your average civil rights campaign, you may want to think again. The Poor People’s Campaign will be extended to all races and will focus on identifying the varied definitions of poverty. Economic, as well as environmental, hardships will be examined and highlighted within this campaign.

Unlikely sources of income inequality were also highlighted at the local tribunal in Boone, N.C. Daniel, whose last name has been omitted due to privacy concerns, spoke about the difficulties of trying to afford his freedom after being arrested in November 2012, when he was 19 years of age. The shy, quiet man spoke of his embarrassment at being forced to shower naked in front of police officers, the expensive nature of resources within the Watauga County Detention Center and the monumental cost of incarceration fees imposed upon him. He spent 413 days awaiting trial. His eventual plea bargain in the case led to a sentence of probation, but it came at a cost. Daniel was ordered to pay $ 16,748.50 over three years. This amount pales in comparison to the $33,268.50, he was originally ordered to pay. At the end of his speech, he detailed the financial hardships he encountered, due to the added costs of court. “When we chain the individuals to their past, we rob them of the possibility of a better future,” Daniel warned.

Economic hardship wasn’t the only concern addressed at the tribunal. Environmental issues were front and center in a video shown at the beginning of the tribunal. The current environmental issues of Standing Rock in N.D., and the contamination of drinking water in Flint, MI, highlight how environmental issues impact citizens financially. Student Leah Mizelle spoke of environmental devastation and how to address that issue and raise awareness. “I think talking about it is, at least at this stage, the most important thing that we can do,” Mizelle said.

Leading the Charge

The key speaker at the tribunal, Charles Douglas, approaches the front of the room and kindly rejects the microphone. His confident voice greets the crowd. He immediately goes into how the movement will affect the county, locally. “Number one, the Poor People’s Campaign is going to be about working with the poor, not for the poor,” Douglas affirms.

Douglas, a veteran, is firm in his resolve to make sure this campaign is effective. His passion for the Poor People’s Campaign is evident. Douglas emphasizes that no matter of who you are, “If you are an individual that believes that you are suffering in the richest country in the history of the world, we want to speak to you.”

In an email interview with Douglas, I asked him how it felt to be a part of the continuation of Dr. King’s program. Douglas responded, calling Dr. King, “a magnificent man that changed the very face of the civil rights movement with his commitment to nonviolence, his voice, and his commitment to change.” Douglas said that for him, “being involved in a campaign is about a moral revival, it is about a radical revolution of values, it is about redefining who we conceive of as neighbor and helping each and every one of them.”

The next meeting of the Truth and Unity Tribunal is January 15, 2018.

SOURCE LIST

 1. Charles Douglas

2. Leah Mizelle

3. Daniel (last name omitted)

4. Cathy Williamson, Moderator

5. Civil Rights Digital Library of the University of Georgia http://crdl.usg.edu/cgi/crdl?skipfacets=1&numrecs=25&action=query&term_a=poor_peoples_campaign&index_a=kw&_cc=1

6. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/

7. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177633731.html

8. https://kairoscenter.org/staff/

9. https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/12/08/open-letter-moral-activists-senator-mitch-mcconnell-regards-tax-reform