Citizens'​ Committee for Children of New York’s Post

On this day, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most remarkable and inspiring leaders w in our country’s history. During a time of serious economic precariousness for so many families across New York, it feels fitting that we renew our call to action to prioritize anti-racist economic security. Dr. King was a champion of economic security and equity for Black Americans and spoke out against unacceptable levels of poverty amidst material prosperity, an issue that persists even in 2025. In his final speech, he poignantly asked, “Do you know that most of the poor people in our country are working every day? And they are making wages so low that they cannot begin to function in the mainstream of the economic life of our nation.” These words strike a chord as we look at data in New York on child poverty. New York has one of the largest economies in the world, but New York children are more likely to live in poverty than in 32 other states, amounting to a rate of roughly 1 in 5 children. The poverty rate approaches 1 in 3 among children of color and affects nearly half of children in some areas like Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse. New data also shows that in over half of U.S. states, more than 50% of people were in families with resources below the true cost of living threshold, meaning most people lacked the resources to meet the true cost of economic security. In New York, a staggering 54% of families are economically insecure by this measure. In a 1967 speech, Dr. King proclaimed, “The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” We agree. Data proves many times over that poverty is a policy choice and we have the tools we need to end child poverty in New York. We know what policies and investments will work to bring economic security to millions of families in our communities and we will work to address inequity and to ensure every child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe. Today we honor Dr. King and his legacy in uplifting equality, equity, and economic justice. #MLK #MLKDay #MLKJr #PovertyReduction #Advocacy #NY #NYC

  • graphical user interface, text

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics