2011 Smiley/West Poverty Tour - YAHOOOOOOOO

Tavis Smiley, PBS Talk Show host and Dr. Cornel West, Princeton University - hosts of the nationally syndicated public radio program Smiley & West from Public Radio International (PRI

"With all the talk about deficit reduction, somebody has to tell the truth about poverty in America and the impact the outcome of this debate will have on the nation's poor," said Smiley.

"We hope to speak truths about the suffering of everyday people, so that poor and working folks are empowered by the legacy of Brother Martin," added Cornel West, one of America's leading public intellectuals.

USA Tour - August 6-12, 2011
The 15-city bus tour will highlight the plight of the poor of all races, colors, and creeds. They are the ones that make up the face of America. These are the Americans that are "by design" and "for decades-after-decades" left out of the benefits that provide quality of life and economic development for sustainability.

They are the folk that work, part-time, handy person, full time, on-call, seasonal, when-I-can, temporary, day work on two and three jobs to just try to get "a paycheck". They are employees and employers. They are also the folk that are discriminated against on a routine basis, they are the folk often demonized because they fall victim to negative ills of poverty. They are the folk that get up everyday hoping for hope through crisis and stress-after-stress. They are the folk wondering why their "hidden" talent and special gifts are so often deferred OR not seen at all. They are the folk that have been exploited throughout the years of work with "unfair" wages and often little to NO benefits; but, believe that their government will do right by them. Yet, they are the present target to have their "saving grace" being wiped-out by those in elected office - federal-state-city.

They are the Americans angered that greed, disenfranchisement and wrong-doing by those in office allow their civil-human-legal rights to be trampled.

This tour will "ring" the bell for the above, especially African American, other People of Color and the Work-Challenged (un-, under-employed; un-, under-skilled; un-, under-neighborhood-level business capitalized, disabled and reentry - those re-entering from the WAR, INCARCERATION, boomerang employment and boomerang retirement).

"We are excited that Tavis and Dr. West have both the will and by-means-necessary to make this happen, said Mary Glass, Chair/CEO, Milwaukee Professionals Association. "We look forward to participating". "It mirrors our All Hands on Deck, WE, Not Me Initiative."

We are pleased to see co-sponsors AARP Foundation, American Association of Retired Person affiliated charity and NEA - The National Education Association step up to and in the public square.

The tour will kickoff with Native Americans on the Lac Coutre Oreilles Indian Reservation near Hayward, Wisconsin.

Yahooooooooooooooo!
All Hands on Deck.