The Rich and the Rest of Us

NPR – Smiley, West: Poverty Is A Political Issue

Administrator — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:24:52 +0000

Some 15 percent of the U.S. population lived below the poverty line in 2011, according to a report from the Census Bureau. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, co-authors of The Rich and the Rest of the U.S., argue that both political parties virtually ignore the issue of poverty.

The Poverty Tour 2.0 on Morning Joe!

Administrator — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:22:50 +0000

Watch the whole exchange on MSNBC!

Poverty Tour 2.0 on the Washington Journal

Administrator — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:20:21 +0000

See the video and other highlights on the Washington Journal!

Cornel West and Tavis Smiley discuss their latest poverty tour through key battleground states (OH, VA, PA and FL) to draw attention to the rising poverty rate and engage voters “in hopes that President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney will make poverty their number one priority.”

As U.S. Inequality Widens, Cornel West and Tavis Smiley Launch Poverty Tour 2.0

Administrator — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:18:59 +0000

See the original post & video at DemocracyNow!

New government data shows economic inequality continued to widen in the United States last year. The Census Bureau reports the wealthiest Americans increased their share of total wealth by 4.9 percent, while the median income reached its lowest level since 1995. Some 46.2 million Americans were classified as living in poverty. We’re joined by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, who are attempting to start a national dialogue with their new Poverty Tour 2.0, visiting four battleground states: Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida. West is a professor at the Union Theological Seminary and prolific author. Smiley is an award-winning TV and radio broadcaster who hosts the PBS TV show, “Tavis Smiley.” Together they are co-authors of the book, “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto.”

Cornel West on poverty issues in the U.S.

Administrator — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:42:23 +0000

Read the original article and listen to the audio on Marketplace.org!

Last year, famed commentator Tavis Smiley and renowed academic Cornel West launched their first poverty tour. They traveled the country spreading the word about poverty, and the problems it presents.

Well, they’re back at it again. Today they’re launching “The Poverty Tour 2.0” and this time around, they’re focusing on battleground political states.

“We’re simply calling for the incumbent of the White House to have a major conference on the eradication of poverty,” West says. “Bring in all the creative minds — left-wing, center and right-wing.”

He adds, “We can learn much from a variety of different perspectives by making poor people’s lives a priority in the same way we make war in Afghanistan a priority, the same way we make prisons a priority, the same way we make bailing out banks a priority. Treat poor people the same way you treat investment banks on Wall Street.”

West says that the conversation about poverty is in line with the major concern on the minds of many Americans: jobs.

“Even when they talk about jobs, we’re talking about jobs with a living wage — 60 percent of the jobs that people talk about these days end up generating a low-wage job,” West points out. “So you end up with a working poor — it ought to be an oxymoron. It’s not a matter of trashing the rich, it’s a matter of hating injustice.”

The tour is winding through major swing states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. But West is quick to insist that this isn’t just a call to support President Obama and the Democrats in the election.

“The Democratic Party’s too beholden to the oligarchs too, that is part of the problem,” he says. “Yes, Barack Obama is somebody who leans in our direction, but at the same time, I’ve been scathing in my critique of Barack Obama in terms of his Wall Street government that he put in place with Tim Geithner and company.”

West says that the Republicans’ points about poverty during its national convention felt “primarily rhetorical.”

“It’s one thing to talk about equality of opportunity. It’s another thing to be a Republican party so tied to the oligarchs of our day, so tied to the wealthy sectors of our society,” West says. “But in a democracy, you have to talk about public interest and common good. In order to do that, everybody’s got to share in not just the prosperity, but also the sacrfice.”

Highlighting Poverty in the 2012 Election

Administrator — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:29:19 +0000

Read the original article and listen to the audio at The Take Away!

Throughout the 2012 presidential campaign, politicians from both sides of the fence have prioritized the middle class, and the political conventions were no exception. According to a data map from our partner The New York Times, Democrats uttered the phrase “middle class” 47 times for every 25,000 words spoken, while Republicans said it seven times for every 25,000 words. The similar phrase “small business” was also popular: Republicans said it 27 times for every 25,000 words, Democrats, 14 times.

Compared to those phrases, politicians from both parties barely mentioned the words “poor” and “poverty,” even though the recent recession and economic downtown has left one in six Americans living below the poverty line.

Politicians have largely ignored poverty in 2012, but Cornel West and Tavis Smiley are hitting the road to expose the problems facing the American poor in this election year.

The Poverty Tour 2.0 Hits the Road

Administrator — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:11:31 +0000

“THE POVERTY TOUR 2.0” HITS THE ROAD

IN FOUR BATTLEGROUND STATES

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West kick off the tour in Ohio, September 12, coinciding with the release of a new U.S. Census Bureau report on poverty

WASHINGTON, DC (September 10, 2012) — The U.S. Census Bureau isexpected to announce this Wednesday, September 12, that America’s poverty

rate is the worst in 50 years. In light of the bureau’s latest findings, broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary, kick off “The Poverty Tour 2.0: A Call to Conscience” in Cleveland, OH.

The co-hosts of the nationally syndicated public radio program Smiley & West, from Public Radio International (PRI), hit the road September 12-15 to host six town hall events that are FREE and open to the public.

“The Poverty Tour 2.0,” sponsored by AARP Foundation and with HuffPost Live as the media sponsor, will visit the key battleground states of Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. In addition, one town hall event will be held in the state of Delaware. Smiley and West intend to push the moderators of the upcoming presidential debates to ask the candidates about America’s poverty problem, and to urge legislators to support public policy and implement programs that will alleviate poverty.

“These new Census numbers will underscore what we’ve been saying for a long time — poverty is the new American norm,” said Smiley. “The time is now to force poverty on the agenda; our leaders can’t simply continue to be quiet on this issue.”

The six town halls — which will be broadcast LIVE to radio stations across the country via the Pacifica Network and Native Voice One, and which will also be streamed on USTREAM and featured on HuffPost Live — will feature national and local leaders, activists organizing on the ground, and Americans struggling with poverty, sharing their personal stories and solutions. Audio of all six town halls will be available as podcasts, and highlights will be featured on Smiley & West over the next two weeks.

Confirmed guests include: Peter Edelman, former member of the Clinton administration and co-founder of the Children’s Defense Fund; Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers; Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and former presidential candidate; Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH); Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH); Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA); Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH); and Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for president. All presidential and vice presidential candidates have been invited to participate.

“We’re putting the spotlight on our precious fellow citizens who don’t have access to a decent job, decent housing, and decent healthcare,” said West. “We want to hear solutions that can be duplicated and adapted in communities across the country.”

The tour schedule is: 10am-1pm, Wednesday, September 12, Westfield Insurance Studio Theater at Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH; 5-7pm, Wednesday, September 12, Cuyahoga Community College, Highland Hills, OH; 10am-1pm, Thursday, September 13, T.C. Williams High School, Alexandria, VA; 8-10pm, September 13, Delaware State University, Dover, DE; 10am-1pm, Friday, September 14, Tenth Memorial Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA; and 12-3pm, Saturday, September 15, Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School, West Palm Beach, FL.

“We are pleased to be teaming with ‘The Poverty Tour 2.0’ to help put the spotlight on the national disgrace of having over 46 million Americans living in poverty,” said Roy Sekoff, president and co-creator of HuffPost Live. “This is an issue that HuffPost Live is committed to covering, and we are happy to support Tavis Smiley and Dr. West’s efforts to make it an integral part of the national conversation.”

To follow “The Poverty Tour 2.0” or register to attend one of the four events, please visit: povertytour.smileyandwest.com and live.huffingtonpost.com. The official hashtag is: #ThePovertyTour.

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About SMILEY & WEST, from Public Radio International (PRI)

The weekly program from PRI, Smiley & West, is co-hosted by two of America’s

most influential public figures, noted broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Union Theological Seminary Professor Cornel West. The one-hour program features thought-provoking, intelligent, and stimulating conversations. Listen, engage, and discuss on smileyandwest.com or follow them on Twitter at @tavissmiley and @cornelwest.

About AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. The Foundation is dedicated to serving vulnerable people 50+ by creating solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life. AARP Foundation focuses on hunger, housing, income, and isolation as its key mission areas. The Foundation envisions “a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.” Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions, and AARP. For more information about AARP Foundation, please visit aarp.org/foundation.

About HuffPost Live

HuffPost Live offers viewers new ways to engage before, during and after programs, through a groundbreaking social video platform. HuffPost Live was co-created and developed by HuffPost’s founding editor Roy Sekoff, who serves as President of HuffPost Live. HuffPost Live streams 12 hours of original live programming, five days a week, available online, on mobile and on-demand. HuffPost Live’s studios are in NYC and LA with a Washington DC bureau. Watch HuffPost Live now at Live.HuffingtonPost.com.

Poverty in America and the Search for Solutions

Administrator — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:30:42 +0000

Read the original article and watch the video at the War Room!

Tavis Smiley, co-author of “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto,” joins Jennifer Granholm in “The War Room” to talk about poverty in America and why the U.S. Census Bureau is expected to announce that America’s poverty rate has hit its highest level in half a century.

The Rich and the Rest of Us at the DNC

Administrator — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:55:28 +0000

HARVEY B. GANTT CENTER AND SMILEYBOOKS GIFT EXHIBIT VISITORS WITH A FREE COPY OF THE RICH AND THE REST OF US: A POVERTY MANIFESTO DURING THE 2012 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

This inspiring and thought-provoking book seeks an end to poverty

Charlotte, NC (August 30, 2012) – When the Democratic National Convention convenes in Charlotte, NC on September 3, delegates and visitors from all over the nation and the world will have a chance to experience the award-winning America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibition being showcased at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture.

To say thank you to all those who pay to tour the America I AM exhibition during the DNC, noted broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author Tavis Smiley will gift each family a free copy of the New York Times bestselling book, The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto, co-authored with Princeton University Professor Emeritus, Cornel West. This groundbreaking volume examines the historical roots of our nation’s current economic challenges.

“For the America I AM exhibition and the DNC to be in Charlotte at the same time is perfect,” says Bonita Buford, Director of Communications and Operations for the Gantt Center. “The exhibition presents a historical continuum of 400 years of African American contributions to the nation through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos, and music.”

Together, Smiley and West co-host the nationally syndicated public radio program Smiley & West distributed by Public Radio International (PRI), and they’ve written The Rich and the Rest of Us to focus on the economic realities of the 21st century: poverty, record unemployment, gross income inequality, and health care.

“Poverty seems to be the new American norm,” says Smiley. “It’s important that as we fasten our seat belts for this upcoming election, that we don’t forget people in need who are left behind. Providing a complimentary copy of The Rich and the Rest of Us will help us discuss why our most vulnerable citizens need to be in the front seat, and not in the back.”

As the nation awaits the imminent release of the latest numbers on poverty from the U.S. Census Bureau, Smiley and West will embark on “The Poverty Tour 2.0,” September 12-15, 2012, visiting four battleground states: Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida, to continue their mission to make the eradication of poverty a top priority in America.

Please find below the Gantt Center’s hours of operation:

Friday, August 31, 2012 – Harvey B. Gantt Center, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 1, 2012 – Harvey B. Gantt Center, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, September 3, 2012 – Harvey B. Gantt Center, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (as part of the DNC’s CarolinaFest. Free admission with timed tickets distributed on the hour until 4 p.m.)
Thursday, September 6, 2012 – Harvey B. Gantt Center, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, September 7, 2012 – Harvey B. Gantt Center, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For more information about The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto, visit: www.therichandtherestofus.com.

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ABOUT TAVIS SMILEY AND Cornel west

From his celebrated conversations with world figures to his work to inspire the next generation of leaders as a broadcaster, author, advocate, and philanthropist, Tavis Smiley continues to be an outstanding voice for change. Currently, Smiley hosts the late-night talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS, The Tavis Smiley Show from Public Radio International (PRI), and is the co-host of Smiley & West from PRI. Educator and philosopher Cornel West is the Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He is known as one of America’s most provocative democratic intellectuals.

ABOUT SMILEYBOOKS

Founded by media pioneer Tavis Smiley as a co-publishing venture with Hay House Inc., SmileyBooks is a general trade book publisher that specializes in quality nonfiction. A dynamic company dedicated to the new media landscape, SmileyBooks publishes books by authors ranging from established New York Times bestsellers to exciting new voices on topics that appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. SmileyBooks titles are published in hardcover, trade paperback, and digital media, offering the widest possible readership and exposure. For more information, visit: www.smileybooks.com.

ABOUT THE HARVEY B. GANTT CENTER FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTS + CULTURE

Founded in 1974, Charlotte’s Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture (formerly the Afro-American Cultural Center) exists to present, preserve, and celebrate the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent through dance, music, visual and literary arts, film, educational programs, theatre productions, and community outreach. Named for Harvey B. Gantt, the prominent Charlotte architect and community leader and former Mayor of Charlotte, the Center is housed in an inspired and distinguished award-winning structure and is home to the nationally celebrated John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American art. For more information, contact Sharon Holm, Marketing Specialist at 704-547-3767, or visit www.ganttcenter.org.

Dover, DE: Sept. 13 – 8:00PM

Administrator — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:36:52 +0000

Thursday, September 13, 2012 – 8:00pm

Delaware State University

E.H. Auditorium

1200 North Dupont Highway

Dover , DE 19901

Admission: Free and open to the public

Space is limited, please arrive early – Doors open at 7:00pm

For More Information please call 302.857.6390.