WE MUST FINISH WHAT DR. KING STARTED! THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!

F o r O c c u p y m o r e S a n v i s i t : w w w . o c c u p y s a t x . c o m F o r O c c u p y m o r e t h e v i s i t : w w w . o c c u p y d r e a m . o r g T h e r e y o u a t u p c a n y o u r a r e m a n y b e w a y s i t w i t h d e o n D r e a m o n In 1968, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was initiating what he called The Poor Peoples Campaign. He realized that the suffering felt around the nation was experienced by people of all colors, faiths, and genders. He understood that poverty was a barrier and that the federal government had the power to address and alleviate it, but as yet had refused to do so. He stated [the government] is the institution which has the power to act, the resources to tap, and the duty to respond. And yet, this very government now lacks the will to make reforms which are demanded by a rising chorus across the nation. He saw that as a nation, our priorities were skewed, stating that the government subsidizes big companies and farms, and gives tax favors to rich people, but punishes the poor.

America is a nation gorged on money while millions of its citizens are denied a good education, adequate health services, decent housing, meaningful employment, and even respect.
on December 4, 1967, Dr. King said of the plan, We will go there, we will demand to be heard, and we will stay until America responds. Dr. King was assassinated before he could see this dream to fruition. However, the spirit was not killed in 1968. On September 17, 2011, a few hundred people in New York city decided to have a live-in in Zuccotti Park because they were tired of income inequality and a government who listens to dollars and not people. The Occupy Movement was born and spread across the nation and world in simultaneous protests. On December 14, 2011, a historical alliance made up of leaders of the AfricanAmerican faith community gathered at the National Press Club in order to formalize their support for the Occupy Movement and announce the launch of Occupy the Dream. Occupy the Dreams purpose is to once again proclaim the moral responsibility to join the front line of the struggle against poverty and economic injustice.

A n t o n i o

h e l p ,

p h y s i c a l f l y e r s ,

p r e s e n c e s p e a k i n g m e e t m a t e W h a t -

e v e n t s , a t c i t y o r o r

c o o k i n g , c o u n c i l

s i g n i n g i n g s , r i a l s

d o n a t i n g s u p p l i e s . y o u r c a n

An information document By Occupy San Antonio Press

The campaign was to dramatize the economic plight of poor people and to compel the government to act. He called on people of all walks of life to join him in Washington, D.C. for the summer of 1968 or to have simultaneous protests throughout the country. Saying that it would not be a mere one-day march and that it was not a sit-in, but a live-in. In a statement given

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t a l e n t , h e l p .

In this age of technological wizardry and political immorality, the poor are demanding that the basic need of people be met as the first priority of our domestic programs.

1968

TODAY
Who are the poor? Studies show that between 1/4 and 1/3 of all Americans live The poorest Americans are 46.2 million persons (the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been kept) who do not have enough money for a decent life. The government says they fall below the poverty line, earning less than $22,314 a year for a family of four, or $11,139 for an individual. Rich People and poor people. According to Congressional Budget Office data from 2011, Why are people poor? Poor people are kept in poverty because they are kept from power. We must create Poor Peoples Power. those in the top 1% of the economic spectrum saw their incomes grow 275% over the last 30 years. Those in the bottom 20%, saw their income rise only 18%. In 1980, the average CEO made 50 times more money than the average worker, while today the average CEO makes almost 300 time more. What happens to poor people? Poor people do not get decent jobs, decent incomes, decent housing, decent schools, decent health care, decent government, decent police. Poor people do not even get respect as human beings. Can America end poverty? Yes. Many nations that are poorer than rich America provide What do poor people do? Most poor American adults work hard every day but are not paid enough for a decent life for their families. Unemployment is a severe problem, where currently there are four unemployed people for every one job opening. These soaring unemployment rates have led to a Great Recession. Currently, there are 1 in 6 Americans depending on some type of government aid. Enrollment in Medicaid and food stamp programs are at record highs, while unemployment insurance rolls remain at elevated levels. decent incomes and services for all poor people. American spends 27.4 cents of every dollar on the military (excluding veterans benefits), while only spending 3.5 cents on education. The government subsidizes big companies and farms, and gives tax favors to rich people, but punishes the poor. America has lost 3-4 trillion on the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, $725 billion to tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%, and more than $700 billion to bailout the financial industry. All the while the war on poverty is neglected. The 400 taxpayers with the highest income have seen their income grow 392% between 1992 and 2007, yet their tax rate decreased by 37%. paycheck to paycheck and could not afford their mortgage or rent payment if they lost their job. They are one paycheck away from homelessness.

1968

TODAY
HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
You or your local group are welcome to join the massive Occupy Movement. All Americans concerned about income inequality, corporate personhood, campaign finance reform, collusion between corporations and politicians, financial crisis, bailouts, corporate accountability, tax fairness, lack of jobs, lack of healthcare, lack of education, lack of housing, lack of funding for social services -- rich and poor, black and white, young and old. You can occupy.