Dr. William Spriggs: MLK Would Be Disappointed

Dr. William Spriggs, professor and chair of Howard University's Department of Economics discusses Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s prescription for poverty during an April 2nd press brief at SEIU headquarters. He is coauthor of Beyond the Mountaintop: King's Prescription to Poverty, a policy brief written to mark the 40th anniversary of King's assassination. According to the brief, the three key policy levers that Dr. King helped to push (stronger anti-discrimination laws, increased unionization and an effective minimum wage) have been all but destroyed. As the nation struggles with an economic downturn, mortgage crisis and soaring joblessness, King's prescription for ending poverty 40 years ago remains as urgent now as it was then. The policy brief concludes that America's public policy agenda should include five priorities: (1) a full employment economy (2) restoration and enforcement of basic labor market standards (3) ensuring a fair and progressive tax system including Earned Income Tax Credit (4) protection of workers' freedom of association and right to join a union and (5) adoption and enforcement of antidiscrimination laws that assure opportunities for workers traditionally denied good jobs.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• economists
• labor
• SEIU
• Howard
• University
• William
• Spriggs
• policy
• poverty
• mountaintop
• Martin
• Luther
• King