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“WE NEED TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO THE POOR”
U-M President James Angell confessed that “Poverty shall not keep a gifted youth from the opportunity for a liberal education.” which was the first turning point for those who were less fortunate, and created a domino effect of other events to prevent poverty and to help those struggling, especially with the inequalities they were experiencing such as lack of education. -
The first statistics of poverty rates were documented
in 1959, 22.4% of the country was impoverished. Below is a link that shows a graph representing this data from the 1959 to 1966 showing the decrease in poverty rates from the Census. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1968/demographics/p60-54.pdf https://youtu.be/gVOeBrbDllw -
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Civil Rights Act - "War on Poverty"
Lyndon Johnson declared a “war on poverty” which was a turning point for this era. "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. … It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it".
— President Lyndon B. Johnson, January 8, 1964 -
The Food Stamp Act
An amendment to the Food Stamp Act was passed explaining that food stamps would not be valued to cost more than thirty percent of income, which made food stamps more affordable and easier to access to families in need. https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/short-history-snap#1971
https://youtu.be/kF_7hz1iARc -
Food Stamp Cutback
After food stamp participation hit a new record high of 22.4 million people, legislative took a major cutback on food stamps, totaling in almost $20 billion. Other changes in this cutback included, establishing annual adjustments in food stamp allotments rather than semi-annual and adding consideration of non-elderly parents who live with their children and non-elderly siblings who live in one household.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/short-history-snap#early%201980s -
J.O.B.S. was founded (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills)
Congress passes JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) Act which was a welfare-to-work program created by the Family Support Act of 1988. It was implemented to help the poor transition out of poverty into a more stable, work environment and provide them with a way of income through actual labor. -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was targeted to fight poverty by increasing funding for low income workers, unemployed, retirees, and job training $82.2 billion. -
Poverty hits record low after largest decrease in over 50 years
"The official poverty rate fell to an all-time record low of 10.5 percent in 2019". African-American poverty decreased by 2%, Hispanic poverty fell by 1.8%, and Asian poverty by 2.8%. Income gains in 2019 were largest for minority groups with a growth of 7.9% for African-American Americans, 7.1% for Hispanic Americans, and 10.6% for Asian Americans. https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/incomes-hit-record-high-poverty-reached-record-low-2019/ -
COVID-19 Poverty Rates
The pandemic and global recession may cause over 1.4% of the world’s population to fall into extreme poverty,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. More information provided in the link below.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/10/07/covid-19-to-add-as-many-as-150-million-extreme-poor-by-2021 -
Poverty after 2020
Although the future is unknown, we have the ability to advocate for the poverty crisis and do our part in contributing to lower the rates, day by day. Poverty may not effect everyone, but everyone can have an effect on poverty!
