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Poor and low-wage people joined Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign Tri-Chairs Savina Martin and Vaughn Allen Goodwin; partners 1199SEIU, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Greater Boston Chapter, Massachusetts Peace Action, Housing = Health, and others; the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and faith leaders from other denominations; and advocates and allies from across the state for a mass assembly at the 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common (across from the Boston statehouse) to launch a 40-week effort to mobilize poor and low-wage voters in Massachusetts, and demand legislators take immediate action to end the crisis of death by poverty in the United States. The Boston assembly was one of more than 30 coordinated efforts across the country.

During Saturday’s mass assembly, a powerful fusion coalition, including impacted people, poor and low-wage voters, faith leaders, and social justice advocates, gathered to declare their votes are demands for living wages, voting rights and other policies to combat poverty and save lives. As part of the assembly, poor and low-wage voters shared testimony of how poverty has impacted their lives and why politicians need to champion the issues that matter most to poor and low-wealth individuals. 

“I am one of the 1.3 million poor and low-income eligible voters in Massachusetts. I work for MassHealth as a PCA. I take care of people with disabilities and who are sick but I do not have health insurance myself! I’m called an essential worker but live paycheck to paycheck and am forced daily to make choices about whether to pay for gas, or put food on my table, or pay other bills. It shouldn’t be this way. It does not have to be this way. We have got to flex our power as poor people and register our votes as demands! That is why I am organizing with the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign, to raise our voices and our votes,”  said Janice Guzman of Worcester, who is an activist and member of 1199SEIU, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Greater Boston Chapter, and Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD).

Poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In a country with so much wealth, poor and low-wealth voters are refusing to accept the myth of scarcity and instead are declaring that their votes are demands for living wages, voting rights and other policies to save lives, and save this democracy. At each mass assembly, poor and low-wage voters shared powerful testimony and put politicians on notice: if they want their votes in November, they must address the crisis of death by poverty.

Making up 43% of the country, there are over 135 million poor and low-income people in the United States. In Massachusetts, there are over 2.3 million poor and low-wealth people, making up over 34% of the population, including 1.3 million  poor and low-wealth voters, accounting for nearly one quarter of the state’s electorate.

“The Poor People’s Campaign is mobilizing today to wake up the sleeping giant of low-wage voters who have been ignored for far too long. Do not listen to those who say poor and low-wage voters are apathetic about politics or marginal to election outcomes,” said The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, national co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign and co-chair of the 2024 mobilization. “Poor and low-wage voters have the power to change electoral outcomes up and down the ballot in November. We are putting politicians on notice: if you want our votes, you must legislate to end the crisis of death by poverty in America.” 

On February 5, national Poor People’s Campaign leaders launched a major effort to mobilize 15 million poor and low-wage voters in more than 30 states ahead of November’s election. On March 2,in a coordinated day of action, local leaders across participating states hosted simultaneous mass assemblies to amplify the voices of poor and low-wage voters, and detailed their upcoming local voter mobilization efforts, spanning states across the country including Massachusetts.

There are approximately 85 million poor and low-wage eligible voters in this country who represent at least 30% of the electorate. In so-called battleground states it’s close to and over 40%. 800 people die each day as a result of being poor and low-wealth. These deaths are completely preventable and unnecessary. High percentages of poor and low-wage voters don’t vote because politicians fail to enact policies or address the issues that affect their lives.

On Monday, March 4, advocates reconvened at legislative offices in Boston to deliver a comprehensive package to legislators on both sides of the political aisle documenting the conditions poor people are facing in their state and the bold actions that can be taken to address these crises. 

“We know the power that state houses have in impacting policy, which is why we are here demanding that we abolish poverty and have full, free, and expanded voting rights. We gathered here today – a fusion movement of poor and low-wealth people, faith leaders, advocates and allies from across the state – to say we do not accept poverty as the fourth leading cause of death in America. We are here today making our voices heard, and on Monday, we will be delivering our demands to every member of the Massachusetts Legislature,” said Tri-Chair Savina Martin of Boston. “We are making history today with our collective efforts across the country, and we will make our power felt from the State House to the White House, we will wake the sleeping giant, and we will be a resurrection, not an insurrection.”

— Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign