Poverty and Racism in America
Kevin Agnese
Issue date: 9/28/05 Section: Perspectives
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The Moving to Opportunity Program, which was enacted under President Clinton, built on the success of the Gautreaux Program as poor families living in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York were dispersed to middle-class neighborhoods. Once again, the children in relocated families improved, especially the girls. The poverty rate significantly declined in this country under President Clinton, but then George W. Bush became president and that all changed.
As the Washington-based, nonprofit research and information center, Media Matters for America, reported, when President Clinton took office, the poverty rate in America stood at over 15 percent, but by the time he left office, that rate had dropped to 11.3 percent. Poverty rose to 12.7 percent in 2004 under President Bush. The results were even more striking for minorities and children.
Between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of children under the age of 18 living in poverty dropped from 22.7 percent to 16.2 percent. Since 2001, when President Bush assumed the presidency, that number has increased to 17.8 percent. From 1993-2000, the number of African-Americans living in poverty declined from 33.1 percent to 22.5 percent. From 2001 to 2004, the poverty rate among African-Americans increased from 22.7 percent to 24.7 percent.
It is very clear that poverty and racism must be addressed in this country. We have a moral obligation as a country and as a people, as President Kennedy once said regarding Civil Rights, to fight against these two evil beings. Hurricane Katrina made many more Americans aware of these problems, and I hope we can build on that. Maybe the president should look into the programs that his predecessor created. We must act now.
As the Washington-based, nonprofit research and information center, Media Matters for America, reported, when President Clinton took office, the poverty rate in America stood at over 15 percent, but by the time he left office, that rate had dropped to 11.3 percent. Poverty rose to 12.7 percent in 2004 under President Bush. The results were even more striking for minorities and children.
Between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of children under the age of 18 living in poverty dropped from 22.7 percent to 16.2 percent. Since 2001, when President Bush assumed the presidency, that number has increased to 17.8 percent. From 1993-2000, the number of African-Americans living in poverty declined from 33.1 percent to 22.5 percent. From 2001 to 2004, the poverty rate among African-Americans increased from 22.7 percent to 24.7 percent.
It is very clear that poverty and racism must be addressed in this country. We have a moral obligation as a country and as a people, as President Kennedy once said regarding Civil Rights, to fight against these two evil beings. Hurricane Katrina made many more Americans aware of these problems, and I hope we can build on that. Maybe the president should look into the programs that his predecessor created. We must act now.