The War on Poverty in America: Past, Present, and Future

The War on Poverty in America: Past, Present, and Future The Racine Coalition for Peace & Justice will sponsor a presentation on the history of and prospects for America’s sometime “war on poverty.” It is free and open to the public. The event will include two authoritative local speakers. Edward Schmitt, Associate Professor of History at UW Parkside and the author of President of The Other America: Robert Kennedy and the Politics of Poverty will describe the history and politics of poverty in the US. Robert Beezat will summarize his practical experience as one of the original workers with the War on Poverty as part of the US Office of Economic Opportunity in the 1960s and his more recent role as interim CEO of the Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency, our local anti-poverty organization. They will discuss the history, current trends, and future challenges of reducing poverty and providing economic opportunity for the growing number of Americans who are in poverty or struggling to stay out of poverty.