I wish to address the "War on Poverty" which was introduced by President Lyndon B. Johnson as a form of legislation included in his State of the Union Address on January 8, 1964.
"Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope--some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity. This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort" (Robert Siegel).
President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced this "War on Poverty" on January 8, 1964 in his State of the Union Address upon his succession to the White House, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Thereafter, poverty was made a national concern and various programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, were implemented to remedy and alleviate the problem. The fruits of his legislation were beneficial to the standard of living for Americans during the 1970s, but since then poverty as an issue has fallen to the wayside on the nation's agenda. Sparked by the recession, the poverty rate and number of Americans living in poverty soared to an all time "51-year high in 2009" accompanied by 46.3 million poor people, which was an increase from the last year's head count of 39.8 million (IPR Poverty Dispatch).
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| SOURCE: Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice |
Objective:
The purpose of my website is to, first and foremost, to inform the viewers of the current conditions and problems created and associated with poverty. I would like to generate awareness that will ultimately inspire people to become involved and work towards a solution to this social problem. As the creator, I would like the website to include an interactive component where viewers can directly contribute information through discussions and comments and further the collective effort.
Goals:
1. Provide the historical context and background information on the "War on Poverty".
2. Divide the website into two sections dedicated to environmental justice and budget legislation.
3. Display information and statistics that are nationally related to current data.
4. Encourage and illustrate ways to become involved within your own local community.
Audience:
I am targeting Internet users as a whole to create a general awareness, but more specifically undergraduate and graduate students. As I am completing my first year in college, I now have experience in the undergraduate process and I can use that to connect with my peers and students from other universities. I would also like to utilize my website to connect with people who are already advocates for this particular issue.
Mission Statement:
The lack of knowledge regarding the existence of environmental injustice creates a disparity in the recognition of the root of poverty as a social problem and thereby continues to greatly impact a certain demographic within the United States. In addition, policymakers are proposing and passing legislation that counteract the "War on Poverty"
and programs that provide relief and assist the less fortunate in society.
Resources:
Siegel, Robert. “Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.” National Public Radio.
National Public Radio, 8 January 2004. Web.
"Who is poor?." Institute for Research on Poverty.
Institute for Research on Poverty. 26 October 2010. Web. 1 April 2011.
