People-first economics
āItās time to build our economy from the bottom up and from the middle up, not the top-down.āāPresident Joe Biden In recent weeks the Biden administration has unveiled two major …
People-first economics Read MoreAuthor: Clarence Hightower
A year later: the pandemicās impact on poverty
While jobs numbers are expected to improve as a result of government aid programs, there are still a considerable number of people who have been unemployed for the long-term and the job outlook is bleak for many.
A year later: the pandemicās impact on poverty Read More
We need to reduce child poverty in America
The Child Tax Credit is the second most-widely claimed individual tax break, following the deduction for charitable contributions.
We need to reduce child poverty in America Read More A growing divide
We continue to struggle with an economic recession, increasing COVID-19 infection rates, and related disruptions to daily life.
A growing divide Read More Temporary financial safety net is set to expire on December 31
Many of the available protections and assistance provided by the CARES Act have either expired already or are set to expire on December 31.
Temporary financial safety net is set to expire on December 31 Read More
Thereās no doubt public safety change is needed
While communities debate defunding initiatives, people wonder what would replace police officers.
Thereās no doubt public safety change is needed Read More
Hostility against the homeless is on the rise
Homelessness is a tragedy in and of itself. Locally, the issue has been covered in the news a lot as of late.
Hostility against the homeless is on the rise Read More
Housing discrimination āinjures but does not bruiseā
As I recently reflected on some of the topics this column covered in the past year, I was immediately reminded of the flagrant discrimination and disparities that persist around housing both here in the Twin Cities and throughout the rest of America.
Housing discrimination āinjures but does not bruiseā Read More
The cost is high to be poor
Those living in poverty generally pay more in state and local taxes, contribute a much higher percentage of their annual income toward housing and transportation costs, and often find it difficult to access affordable, high-quality foods.
The cost is high to be poor Read More
Make no mistake about it: Weatherization works
Among the steps performed during this process are: safety and efficiency tests on heating systems and the hot water heater; measuring heat loss; insulation checks; and home energy education.
Make no mistake about it: Weatherization works Read More
Can the Twin Cities dodge the downside of gentrification?
Recently, there have been waves of gentrification in cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Even New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are experiencing this massive trend.
Can the Twin Cities dodge the downside of gentrification? Read More
Studies expose destructive housing inequities
Here in Minnesota, the data suggest housing costs are continuing to rise unabated, which again disproportionately affect communities of color.
Studies expose destructive housing inequities Read More
How digital media is putting a human face on poverty
Americans continue to view people living in poverty with either pity or scorn.
How digital media is putting a human face on poverty Read More Shameful legacies, ongoing neglect
In most American cities throughout the 20th century, people of color, African Americans in particular, were relegated to separate and structurally unequal communities often by means of the practices briefly referenced above.
Shameful legacies, ongoing neglect Read More
Parenting while poor is no crime
In spite of the fact that being poor is not a crime, America tends to treat people in poverty as though it were.
Parenting while poor is no crime Read More
We must stop criminalizing the poor
Beginning in the 1990s, the [United States] adopted a set of criminal justice strategies that punish poor people for their poverty.
We must stop criminalizing the poor Read More
Changing the rigged game that perpetuates inequality
In essence, the concept of the āiron cageā is that people are forced and confined to their social condition based on the āteleologicalā agenda of a government or bureaucracy.
Changing the rigged game that perpetuates inequality Read More
Frequent income ādipsā shown to have adverse health effects
Poverty is the biggest killer on the planet, hands down.
Frequent income ādipsā shown to have adverse health effects Read More
Food insecurity on rise among college students
Students surviving in college on ramen noodles and pizza is hardly new. What is new is that universities are no longer shrugging off the issue. Food insecurity on a college …
Food insecurity on rise among college students Read More
Thereās good news in our efforts to alleviate poverty
As we reflect on the passing of another year and anticipate the unfolding of the new one, I want to strike a somewhat different tone in this first column of 2019. The purpose of this column has always been to shine a spotlight on poverty and its detrimental effects on our communities, state, nation and world.
Thereās good news in our efforts to alleviate poverty Read More