Springfield, IL — The Illinois chapter of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival (ILPPC) will convene a critical press conference at the state capitol, alongside 32 other states across the nation on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
This event will voice a compelling demand to our political leaders to urgently address poverty, the 4th leading cause of death in the world's wealthiest nation. Millions in Illinois face this death sentence. The press conference will set the stage for a mass moral day of action on March 2nd, mobilizing hundreds of poor people and low wage workers to rally for justice, vote their interests, and reclaim their power.
The event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the State Capitol Press Room, 401 S. 2nd St., Springfield, Illinois.
Featured speakers will be The Rev. Susan Phillips, Pastor at Springfield First Presbyterian Church and IL PPC Tri-Chair; Jessica Motsinger, ILPPC Tri-Chair & Disabled Navy Veteran; Bruce Parry, IL Union of the Homeless Activist & Vietnam Combat Veteran and Anam El-Jabali, ILPPC Coordinator & Human Rights Activist.
The press conference will be a focused session articulating our demands to Illinois legislators, followed by a ten-minute Q&A. The conference will underscore the imperative to end poverty and herald the moral day of action on March 2nd, spotlighting a major rally at the Capitol and voter registration drives.
ILPPC members will engage in strategic legislative advocacy, meeting with legislators throughout the day to champion these critical demands.
The Rev. Susan Phillips' statement: "While we need charity to address immediate needs, we must seek justice to address the causes of poverty. The injustices poor and low wealth people experience result from our policies and practices. Therefore, the fact that poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the US can be changed by changing our policies. The Poor People's Campaign calls for leaders to enact just legislation to support voting and workers' rights, access to education and healthcare, to build peace and 'learn war no more.' Poverty in the richest country in the world exists because we have lacked the political will to change our policies. As people of faith, we insist that these injustices must end."
In a state where 38 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty line, the ILPPC asserts that the time for a radical shift in priorities is now. We must forge policies that not only alleviate but eradicate poverty in Illinois, ensuring justice and dignity for all. Join us in this moral revival to transform our society.
