Lessons from the Poor Peoples Campaign: Considerations for Economic Mobility in 2025

“This is a highly significant event,” King told delegates at an early planning meeting, describing the (Poor People’s) campaign as “the beginning of a new co-operation, understanding, and a determination by poor people of all colors and backgrounds to assert and win their right to a decent life and respect for their culture and dignity.” (MLK, 1967)[1]

At the suggestion of Marion Wright, the first African American woman to pass the bar in Mississippi and the director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund office in Jackson (1964-1968), the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pursued the Poor People’s Campaign as an initiative of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This campaign continued the tradition of non-violent direct action as a means of advocating for economic justice for all people. The campaign focused on the plight of a multi-racial group of marginalized people by amplifying their need to access jobs, unemployment insurance, and quality education for poor adults and children.[2] Ultimately, the campaign did bring 5,000 people to Washington, DC shortly after Dr. King’s death to show inequities and to advocate for federal programs that support the poor.

Fifty-seven years after the Poor People’s Campaign, persistent economic disparities remain. And, while multi-racial interventions may be deemed acceptable, strategies that explicitly target racial and ethnic groups are being threatened with the loss of public funding. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives are being discontinued or rebranded in the corporate sector. While Affirmative Action was marketed as disproportionately benefiting Black Americans and other racial minorities, we are left to wrestle with uncomfortable truths:

1. Racial and ethnic minorities didn’t receive the greatest benefit of affirmative action: The greatest benefactors of Affirmative Action – in higher education and business – are white women.[3] Between 1972-1993, increases in women architects, doctors, lawyers, engineers, chemists, and college faculty can all be attributed to affirmative action.[4] And, while minority groups experienced growth during this period as well, it pales in comparison.
2. Capital access is still more costly for minority and women-owned small businesses: A recent study from the University of Washinton’s Foster School of Business notes disparities in interest rate and loan collateral requirements between businesses owned by women and people of color. After collecting data from 44 states on loans made to privately owned business with 500 or fewer employees between 2022 and 2023, the study found that both women and minority owned small business owners paid higher interest rates for loans, not based on credit risk, but because of systemic biases. Black-owned businesses were charged 3.09% more in interest; Hispanic-owned, 2.91%; Asian-owned, 2.88%; and women 2.38% higher than men.[5]

Recognizing that other challenges like wealth gaps still persist along racialized groups, how do we proceed towards advancing economic mobility for all in our current context? As our sector works diligently to prepare a ready workforce for an emerging global economy, it is imperative to focus on skills and aligning education and training to future market needs.

The World Economic Forum, in its Future of Jobs 2025 report, estimates the creation of 170 million new jobs between 2025 and 2030. With 92 million displaced jobs during the same period, the economy expects a net increase of 78 million jobs. This anticipated growth will require significant skill development. Core skills, those identified as essential to demonstrating proficiency in these roles, will change by 39% during this period. With such a substantial shift in core competencies in a compressed timeframe, strong partnerships between the education and corporate sectors will be critical. In this vein, CSW launched the ACE-UP Community of Practice, a model that facilitates stronger connections between higher education and employer partners, to address equity gaps and meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries.

In addition to higher education, community-based providers of training are integral members of workforce ecosystems and can play a critical role. With a specific focus on skills and deep connections to their communities, these partners are highly effective in creating programs focused on skill attainment in compressed timeframes. However, with such a significant shift in the economy, community providers will need to benchmark their own data to understand how and where they can adjust to be more effective in meeting future demand. Since 2008, CSW has led the Workforce Benchmarking Network (WBN) which has helped community-based workforce providers optimize their data collection and benchmarking efforts.

Lessons from the Poor People’s Campaign for 2025

“Let’s find something that is so possible, so achievable, so pure, so simple that even the backlash can’t do much to deny it. And yet something so non-token and so basic to life that even the black nationalists can’t disagree with it that much.”[6] (MLK, 1968)

The following are lessons from the Poor People’s Campaign that are relevant to economic mobility efforts in 2025:

Be Bold: Though a mostly beloved historical figure now, Dr. King was not popular in the last year of his life. The Poor People’s Campaign was not well received by the SCLC and, in fact, many felt it was too ambitious of a program. He was able to distill the mission of this bold initiative to a simple thought, noting that it was “as pure as a man needing an income to support his family.” In 2025, as we navigate significant shifts in the global economy, the goal of sustaining family wage employment is a meaningful north star. One that should guide our efforts, thoughts, strategies, and partnerships.

Build Broad Coalitions Built on Common Goals: A Black-led group of ministers cultivated partnerships with Native American, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and poor White communities effectively in 1968 with a goal of advocating for jobs and improved services. The campaign was supported by urban and rural dwellers, as well as by people in the north and the south. In 2025, as we anticipate significant shifts in our economy, collaborative approaches to obtaining relevant skills are a critical and worthy pursuit. Institutions of higher education and community-based workforce providers are vital partners. And, in addition to them, other partners in the education and training ecosystem play an important role.

Don’t Forget Displaced Workers: by focusing specifically on the poor, the campaign sought to amplify the voices of many who were disconnected from the economy. Often, when job growth is anticipated, there is a tendency to overlook disruption to existing jobs. The Future of Jobs 2025 report expects as many as 92 million jobs will be displaced. Our systems must not lose sight of these members of our labor force and must work to actively reengage them, leveraging their skills to further strengthen our economy.

These lessons from 1968 are as relevant to a vibrant economy now as they were then.

Sources:

• [1] Poor People’s Campaign | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
• [2] Poor People’s Campaign | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
• [3] Affirmative action: Who benefits the most? The answer may surprise you
• [4] https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316599
• [5] Interest-Rate-and-Collateral-Differences-Report-11072024.pdf
• [6] Poor People’s Campaign | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute