Anti-poverty group sweeps across Penn

A social movement against poverty is on the rise and sweeping across campus. Willie Baptist, the education director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, led a workshop entitled "Like Slaves to the Auction Block: Contemporary Realities of Race, Class, Gender, and Power" at Logan Hall Tuesday night. The event was part of Poverty Awareness Week, sponsored by Penn's Civic House. About 30 students attended. In a baseball cap, thick glasses and a KWRU T-shirt, Baptist discussed the issues surrounding the social movement to end poverty. Elizabeth Theoharis, who graduated from the College in 1998 with a major in Urban Studies, joined Baptist at Tuesday's workshop. Theoharis founded the annual Poverty Awareness Week during her years at Penn. Both Baptist and Theoharis stressed that the strength of the KWRU comes from the participation of the poor in activism. Baptist, formerly homeless and living on and off welfare for the past 10 years, has experienced poverty first-hand and knows the obstacles that lie in the way of success. He stressed that racism is one of these obstacles, noting that to overcome it, people must realize that poverty is a multiracial phenomenon. "It is not a black problem. It is not a hispanic problem. It is a problem of humanity," Baptist said. The workshop included a video of the poverty protest held during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia last summer. Baptist and the KWRU participated in the tent city for the homeless and the march down Broad Street. Baptist and Theoharis encouraged the audience to get involved in the movement. "Become engaged with the problem," Baptist said. "There are many local organizations, including ours, that are dedicated to this cause. The first step is to get in contact with these groups." "Do whatever it is you want to do," Theoharis added. "Educate your peers and challenge yourself to be active and vocal on these issues." The audience, seated in a large circle, was clearly moved by Baptist's and Theoharis' words. "I think this is really important," College sophomore Risa Turetsky said. "I wish more people were here and that the message was getting out further." Baptist and Theoharis emphasized that events like these are just the beginning. "The American people have to change their minds about dealing with this issue," Baptist said.