.syr.edu. >> austin kocher, thanks for your time and discussion. yes: thanks for having me. host: that is it for "washington journal." happening right now on this network is the poor people's campaign. that program is just about to start. >> oh my. i don't want them to hear that out there.

today, we are here to announce that on march 2, 2024, in 32 plus states that you will hear more about later, we will be holding the mass for people's low-wage workers -- part of the 42 weeks organizing mass mobilization of poor and low-wage voters across the usa to touch more than 15 million infrequent voters. between now and november. and to announce that in june, on june 15, we will also be marching on the united states congress to launch our summer initiative to continue to push to mobilize these 15 million poor and low income voters and

low-wage workers. it is time for a resurrection and not an insurrection. and we, this year, are in the 60th anniversary of freedom summer. freedom and justice is that which one must continue to fight for. we want to introduce this first by way of our promo video. that the whole nation might see and join in with us. at this time, the promo video. is it up?

[silence] [indiscernible] ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> i have been struggling to pay my bills since i've been working

at 16 years old. i work full time, 64 hours a week, seven days a week. i'm exhausted. >> our government finds it necessary to ban abortion to say that they are saving our children. but more children die as a result of poverty in this country. >> we should not be cornered and forced to pick one necessity over another. >> these are the consequences that we face. so what our people say is that we are fighting the oldest people. >> no matter how you call the holy, all of our sacred text compels us to create a world in which there is enough for us all. in the face -- >> in the face of a distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism, we are whose

silence is -- we declare silence is betrayal. >> we -- [speaking another language] all who have believed, be persistent, standing firm in justice. >> hope comes from the bottom. from those most directly impacted by the profound evils of america. -- are not a show of support. they are demands. >> we will raise our cry and we will call for change because nothing less would be a betrayal of our sacred commitment. >> we are here.

>> [indiscernible] until living in peace is more important than blowing up the world, we won't be silenced. if we have to march, we will march. if we have to engage in nonviolent direct action, we will engage. if we have to ask workers -- [indiscernible] we will do it. but until then, we won't be silenced or unseen or unheard.

[indiscern >> we must engage poor and low wealth people to change the political landscape. i want to talk about the power of poor and low income and low-wage voters in this country. for far too long, extremists have blamed poor and low-wage people for their plight while too often ignoring poor people to cater to the middle class. we are here today to make one thing clear. poor and low-wage brothers and sisters have the power to determine and decide the 2024 election and elections beyond. during the 2016 election, there were 34 million poor and low

wealth people who were eligible to vote but did not. these voters make up more than a quarter of the entire electorate. our study that was done, unleashing the power of poor income americans in 2020 by robert paul, along with shelley gupta barnes, we found a major reason poor people are not voting is because political campaigns do not talk to them or speak to their issues. we found out in our election cycles, sometimes we have 15, 20 debates for president and not one of those, not 15 minutes, not 30 minutes, not 10 minutes is given to raising questions about how the policies of that particular party or politician will impact nearly 50% of the electorate in this country. most americans recognize we need

a third reconstruction. the only way we are going to do it is by changing the political landscape. and the only way we are going to do it is by mobilizing poor and low income, low-wage voters. poverty is now the fourth leading cause of death in america. a moral crisis. taking the lives of 800 people every day. and this is before covid and after covid. we can no longer accept that over 135 million of our neighbors are poor in this country. while they are disproportionately black, 55% or 22 million plus -- of 22 million plus people, but nearly 60 million are our white brothers and sisters as well. we must address these issues. these are not marginal issues. these are issues that must be at the center of the narrative of a democracy in our country if we are serious about saving the

democracy. saving the democracy cannot just the some philosophical term. saving the democracy must be a third reconstruction where people are paid a living wage. where people have health care and where public education is fully funded and where voting rights are protected and expanded. the hard truth is in 2021, 8 so-called moderate democratic senators [naming names] voted with the extremists in the senate, republicans, against raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. $15 an hour, which was called for in 1963 at the march on washington when they wanted to increase the wage by 75% to two dollars. the minimum wage has not

been raised since 2009. many of them were essential workers but they feel like they are being treated as though they are expendable. these poor and low-wage workers are saying it's time for us to mobilize. that's why we are launching this campaign on march the second, 42 weeks to mobilize 15 million poor and low-wage workers who have been in frequent voters. we are saying it's time to be in frequent no more. according to the exit polls, 72% of americans say they would prefer a government run health care plan. over 70% of americans support raising the minimum wage. including 62% of republicans. in florida, the $15 an hour minimum wage referendum got more votes than either presidential candidate. we declare today that poor and low-wage voters coming together with religious leaders and moral advocates to say our votes are demands.

not merely votes for personalities but votes for policies. votes are demands. and if people want these votes, talk to this block of voters like you have never talked to them before. we must wake up the sleeping giant. our campaign will educate, mobilize and organize. we've been working since 2018 building a movement in more than 42 states. and now around this country on march the second, in 30 states. alabama, arizona, california, delaware, florida, georgia, illinois, kansas, kentucky, massachusetts, maryland, maine, michigan, missouri, north carolina, nebraska, new jersey, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, rhode island, south carolina, tennessee, texas, vermont, washington state, washington, d.c., vermont, and west virginia, we will be mobilizing for 42 straight weeks.

and then in washington, d.c. on june the 15th. we are not an insurrection but you better believe we are a resurrection. a resurrection of justice and love and righteousness and it is time for us to come together. if you want to know even more, for those of you who are listening, what the power really is. for instance, when the margin of victory was near or less than 3%, low income voters accounted for 34 to 45% of the voting population. in arizona, 39%. in georgia, 37 percent. in michigan, 30 7%. in north carolina, 43 percent. in pennsylvania, 34 percent. in wisconsin, 39 percent. it's political suicide not to care about this block of voters. when you look at the fact that across this country, poor and low wealth voters, there's is not a state where low income,

low-wage and low wealth voters do not make at least 20% of the electorate. in michigan, in 2016, the margin of victory in the presidential election was 10,000 votes. in 2016, 900 80,000 poor and low-wage eligible voters did not vote -- 980,000 poor and low-wage eligible voters did not vote. it would only take one 1000 of those voters to overcome the margin of victory. in north carolina, the margin of victory was 170,000 votes. in 2016, 920,000 poor and low-wage eligible voters did not vote. it would only take 18.9 percent of voters to --

we have power. it's the time to use it. there is no turning back. march 2, we mobilize for 42 straight weeks to shift the political electorate in this country. [applause] at this time, i want to invite the co-chair for the poor people's campaign, reverend dr. liz theoharis to come. and then following her, celinda lake will talk as well, making clear why this is a critical issue that people seeking elected office cannot and must not ignore. -- elected office and change cannot and must not ignore. [applause]

rev. theoharis: we know from the experience of leaders in this poor people's campaign, a national call for more revival, that economic justice and saving this democracy are deeply connected. in this rich nation that has the wherewithal to end poverty tomorrow, where there is a political will, we must not over the look though voices and votes of poor and low income people. and as we have said and will continue to say, we are mobilizing and organizing, registering and educating people for a movement that votes. votes for health care and debt cancellation, votes for living wages and strong anti-poverty programs. votes for spare taxes and the demilitarization of our communities and worlds. votes for immigrant rights and

more. since the last presidential election, there have been at least 1000 voter suppression bills introduced across this country. this attack on our democracy and our voting rights impacts poor and low income people the most. whose votes are most suppressed and what happens when extremists into office and have policies that her the poor -- hurt the poor and vulnerable the most. i know this connection from my home state in wisconsin, a battleground state in this election, home to 1.9 million poor and low income eligible voters. but as we heard, 39% -- or as we heard, 39% of the electorate. between 2020 and 2023, wisconsin has introduced 46

voter restrictive bills. 1.4 6 million -- 320,000 workers received low wage credit. poverty is on the rise prayed it doesn't have to be this way. in pennsylvania, where i experienced homelessness and got involved in organizing, where pennsylvania is home to 3.3 million poor and low income eligible voters who are 30% of the electorate. between 2020 and 2020 three, pennsylvania lawmakers introduced 41 voter restrictive bills. and now, 679,500 people, almost 700,000 people are expected to have lost medicaid

by next month. due to the end of these pandemic policies. if we are going to be serious about addressing the problems of low wages, the lack of health care, inadequate housing, a tax on education and more in this impoverished democracy, we as a nation must listen to the demands of the poor, who are dying. who are dying from policy. who are calling for the -- who are pushing and will continue to push political candidates and elected leaders to lift from the bottom so that everybody can rise. people are dying. but we know that it doesn't have to be this way. and so, we are calling on everyone to join us in this poor people's campaign, a national call for more revival and join us in the 42 weeks of mobilizing

and organizing because we are going to get it done. rev. barber: it's so critical in this moment that we dispel so many distortions. poor and low wealth white people vote against their own interest. poor and low-wage folk don't have power. the margins, they can't make a difference. people are only not voting -- the reason people are not voting is because nobody talks to them. that's what our research has found. we can't change this. yes we can. one jobs report means you should just be quiet. because everything is getting better. a jobs report is a snapshot in time. it is not talking about systemic change that must take place. even if you have wages that go up a little bit in a period of

time, that still does not change the law that makes the minimum wage $7.25. and for people who are in the the restaurant industry, $2.13 plus tips. 350,000 people died from covid due to lack of health care. it's important to know when we march on these state capitals, why are we marching? because that is where so much of the current day political insurrection is going on. in state capitals. when we march on the state capitals, each of these marches will include a meeting from both sides of the aisle, taking out demands of policies. and demanding those state assemblies to do what they can do. the state assemblies have something to say when it comes to voting rights in that state. when it comes to living wages. when it comes to funding public

education in that state and health care in that state. and so, our issues are very specific to what state assemblies can do. when we come on june 15, the congress will be focused on what the congress can do. but we are focused on what state assemblies can do now. in a little bit, i'm going to introduce you to our co-chair for strategy and mobilization on june 15. we talked the other day and you said this. as a person, come and talk to the american people about why this group, this powerful flock of voters cannot, must not, should not be ignored. [applause]

>> it is a great honor and very humbling to be here. you know, it's not the polling data that should drive this campaign. it's the moral authority and the need. but in this case, the right thing to do is also the smart thing to do. in 2024, the election is going to be about mobilization. there is no question that the biggest contest between the two parties is going to be who can get their voters out to vote. democrats have an enthusiasm gap today. the progressive alliance have fissures within their constituency that makes getting out to vote even more important. the biggest block to potential voters by far is low income and low wage voters. increased participation by even

minuscule percentages, the ministers -- minuscule changes could be game changing in terms of the margin. it is a massive voter engagement that is unprecedented that is being started here today. what i say as a practitioner is it combines the essential elements of getting out there early. we are not coming in on october 31 and saying god, save the nation. we are grassroots engagement. charismatic national leaders which you see and powerful, local leaders which you see on the board and a powerful agenda. this is an agenda, again, that is not controversial with the public. democrats, independents and republicans support this agenda. whether it is child tax credit, raising the wages, one fair wage. medicaid expansion, medicaid

expansion is wildly popular with the voters pray they don't know they are supposed to be against it. they are wildly in favor of it. let's go to the policies. you heard these numbers but let me share a couple with you. where the margin was less than 3% and where it is projected to be less than 3% in 2024. 30% to 45% of the voters are low wage incomes or low income family. reverend barber gave these numbers already but in arizona, 40% of the voters are low-wage. the percentage of victory was .03%. georgia, early 8% of the voters. 0.2%. michigan, 39%. the numbers could go on and on. the turnout among low-wage workers and low income voters, dr. hartley has done a magnificent report, 20% to 22% below the average turnout.

this is a huge block of voters and they vote 58% to 60% at minimum progressive, no matter how conservative the state. whether you are talking about nevada, arizona, wisconsin, pennsylvania, north carolina, you are talking about a huge number. game changing number of voters. the question is, what i love about polling is that conventional is him is about -- conventional wisdom is about 95% of the time. as reverend barber said. in georgia, 39,000 nonvoters forgot not to vote in 2020 and that was three times the margin of victory. you don't have to be very good at math to realize these numbers. a lot of americans are not too good at math but everybody gets

this ratio. in arizona, there are more than 280,000 projected nonvoters in low income households. the margin of victory was 10,000 votes. in georgia, 500,000. the margin of victory was under 12,000 votes. in north carolina, we lost by 74,000 votes. 480,000 low income families projected not to vote in 2024. finally, wisconsin, in honor of your home state, 240,000 low income families projected not to vote. the margin of victory was 21,000. this campaign is a great honor to be part of because it's the right thing to do. you'd have to be a more on not to put dissipate in this and most elected officials are not complete morand's. -- participate in this and most elected officials are not complete morons. rev. barber: that's exactly right.

these are serious numbers. i get so tired of people writing off those counties and not recognizing. i've been poor all my life. i was born in it. people have been writing it off, the very place where just a little bit of change could fundamentally shift the power in the state. let me recognize our senior advisor to the poor people's campaign who is in the room. let me recognize miss dorothy jackson, who's going to be working with us as the executive director strategist. these numbers are serious. and so, we don't have to just die. we can come alive and shift this democracy. we are not just starting this year. we tested this in 2016 and 2020.

we took about 400 people, trained and touched over 2 million voters in seven states and we have the metrics. if you pull out the number of people we touched in georgia and help them to the polls, i'm going to ask the attorney and the reverend to take 1.5 minutes on a particular speech and we will go to the powerbrokers of this movement who are the poor and low-wage. they don't mind me saying that. if you don't say it, nobody will pay attention to you. you have to say it to make them pay attention. >> good morning. i wanted to share a few more numbers about georgia, which we have heard already. as an example of the kind of power that voters have unleashed

and will continue to unleash, there are about 2.4 million poor voters in georgia. in 2020, a little more than half of them cast their votes and they still accounted for nearly one quarter of the votes cast in the election. it was just half of the block of voters. yet, most voting drives don't pay attention to them because the conventional wisdom, which is not very wise, is that they don't care about voting which isn't true. in 2020, they targeted this segment of voters in several states. in georgia, as we heard, our outreach helped bring 39,000 of

those eligible nonvoters who had not participated in 2016 but chose to participate in 2020. our reach was part of the effort that brought them into the voting electorate. that was three times, three times greater than the margin of victory in that state. and we went back in 2020, reaching out to every low income voter in georgia, who we know. we saw it in 2020 and 2022 and we will see it again in 2024, not only in georgia but across the country. that these voters can be organized to take action together. around an agenda that speaks to their needs. an agenda that must be pro-poor and confront systemic poverty and systemic racism and confront the denial of health care and programs that are lifesaving. it has to confront militarism and the war economy, all of which harm the poor first and worst.

alongside those 2.4 million people in georgia, there are another 80 million, 80 million of these voters across the country who are part of a population of 140 million people who need to see this agenda carried forward. it's time our political system started dating -- taking these voters and people seriously. [applause] >> you've been hearing a lot about the facts and the figures. let's be very clear, we are in a moral crisis right now. we are in a moral crisis in this country that has been festering because of the systemic injustices that we have heard do not have to be this way. it's a policy choice. we are in a moral crisis when we have poverty being the fourth leading cause of death in this country. we are in a moral crisis when we have 52 million people earning

less than $15 an hour. we are in a moral crisis when we have 46 million people who don't even have access to safe drinking water. we are in a moral crisis but we have the power. we have the power across this country to turn every election around. we have the power in this country because in 2016, we saw that over one third of the states, the margin of victory for over one third of the states were less than 100,000 voters. we have the power and we are going to show them our power. not just on march 2, on june 15 and definitely at the polls. we have the power and we will be making it known that these elections, they are going to be one step. but we know that it's the first step on a long road to change every one of those policies so all can move forward together. [applause]

rev. barber: i think it's very clear that our politicians running need to talk to these voters. your conventions need to talk to these voters before the convention. if you want these voters, talk to them. you talk about saving the democracy, here is the power. to talk about that, we have some people coming now who represent that power. i ask them to stand together. matt rosen, keep me on time. veronica burton from wisconsin. shanice boozman from massachusetts. mike from maryland. linda from alabama. and we also have, on zoom, out of north carolina, shaundria

armstrong. out of georgia. come up to the podium at this time. >> hey, everyone. my name is matthew. i'm from lancaster, pennsylvania. i'm part of the poor people's campaign. i was denied treatment for years. i was looked at as a criminal and not someone with health care needs. it took 20 years of fitting into this society to receive the health care that i needed. i served nine years altogether in prison. i was told by correction officers i was not allowed to

vote. i assumed they were right. i never looked into it. i was 40 years old when my wife told me i had the right to vote. i'm tired of companies and billionaires buying these politicians and driving workers deeper into poverty and debt. the thankless toll of minimum-wage retail jobs and backbreaking construction jobs i have worked. in pennsylvania, there are 19 billionaires that have $92 billion altogether. they pay the same taxes that i do. right now, because of my criminal record and the amount of money we have, our cars still won't run. we are struggling to find a place to call home. we are living in a place with a friend. we want to have a roof over our head. basic rights of a human.

we must put people first. people over profits. life over death. and that our voices be heard by our state representatives to do the job they were elected to do. >> i heard that you are going to be mobilized. >> oh yes. rev. barber: come over together and stand together. come on. there you go. >> hello, everyone. my name is linda and i am from birmingham, alabama. i've been on this row a long time. i'm one in 1.9 million americans living in or -- for three years, i worked the assembly lines at amazon in alabama. the work was grueling.

we were expected to work like robots. moving like 1000 pieces an hour. you would risk getting written up or fired. i got badly injured. my left arm, i had two surgeries. i had to get a third surgery but i had no more insurance. amazon, they cut my insurance off by years after. they let me go last monday of october during covid. i was there from the beginning of 2020 up until last year in october. i couldn't afford to get the necessary third surgery because no insurance. they cut my hours. i was only making $180 a week.

$180 a week. i couldn't afford to take my kids out for a decent meal. it was very heartbreaking. amazon let me go. because i was helping organize a union. we didn't get the union in alabama. but i'm going to do every thing in my power. i'm going to stand in solidarity. organizing the union showed me how many people were in the same situation i was. not just in alabama but all over the world. the minimum-wage in alabama is at an all-time low of $7.25. now, i work 16 hours a day, six days a week as a caregiver. i work too hard to have nothing.

47% of the voters are poor or low-wage. getting their vote in is very important. we cannot settle for less. we have to stand up for our rights. we move forward together, not one step back. >> and i heard you are going to be organizing. >> yes. rev. barber: we are proud to stand with you in that fight and we are going to win. thank you so much. come on over, y'all. come on over. >> in the state of maryland, between 2018 and 2020, there were 2.2 million poor and low income people. my name is michael and i count myself among those low income mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. i'm extremely grateful for the job i have and the benefits it provides, but i am only able

-- just able to get by. in the richest nation, ever, there is no reason anyone should not be able to afford to live comfortably and not have to worry about the next emergency. i unfortunately have a residence provided to me but after 17 years, i'm not earning enough to afford housing on my own. especially the i live in montgomery county with a high cost of living. i'm single with no children but i want to have children and with my current income, it doesn't feel possible. my heart goes out to the families with children that are struggling because there are many. i've been with the maryland poor people's campaign for five years. i believe in this movement because no one should earn less than necessary and no child should suffer in montgomery county or annapolis or the eastern shore. we won't be silent anymore. we won't be muted anymore. forward together.

>> not one step back. >> i heard you are going to be organizing. >> most definitely. rev. barber: all right. [applause] >> my name is jenise guzman. i'm one of the 1.14 and low income eligible voters. i take care of people with disabilities and who are sick and who need help with their daily activities. but, i do not have health insurance myself. i have been called an essential worker. the worst of the pandemic in massachusetts, there are 165,000 600 -- 165,600 without health

insurance. i am an essential worker, living paycheck to paycheck. and i have to make decisions every day. do i put gas in my car or do i pay my bills? or do i put food on my table? i'm a proud member of the 1199 sciu. governor haley says she supports pcas. but in her new state budget, she is cutting pcas who work fewer than 10 hours. that means our others and sisters who do less than 10 hours will have no job. and those people who need care will not have anybody. this is why i am organizing with the massachusetts poor people's

campaign. we have got to get our power as people. we are taking back the mic, raising our voices and registering our voters as demands. forward together. >> not one step back. [applause] rev. barber: as you can see, from all around the country, and this is just a few. we have 32 states online right now. have a seat you all. have a seat. they are there online, all over the country. now, we have someone from georgia. come on in, if she is online. >> how are you, reverend barber? >> hey. >> hey, y'all. i'm from the state of georgia. i am a 38-year-old single mom of two.

i was homeless until two years ago with my children. recently, i have been doing part-time work and thankfully, they got me into the job. i've been applying and applying to get b going to way. even if i went to college for four years, i could look to have a middle-class wage. unfortunately, that was not the case for me. it's been 16 years since they have raised minimum-wage. the other day, a few of my friends were at the park and we were talking about support. $7.15 an hour is $4.15 an hour because after they take taxes, that's what we have two deal with. it's going straight to childcare and bills.

and without financial help from -- i'm on section 8 -- i'm not sure where i would be. it's time to raise our voices and get out and vote. this needs to change. mothers, single mothers are exhausted. we are exhausted and we want to work and provide for our children. >> we need you down in georgia. you are going to be mobilizing, right? >> i am mobilizing, currently. rev. barber: thank you so much. veronica from wisconsin. >> we are short on time. my name is veronica burton. i live right around the corner

from one of the billionaires. i am a family service worker. sometimes i am a tenant on a bus. i only get paid for one position. because of the low wages with no raises, our staffs are short across the country. plus, employees use their personal funds to help programs in our community. minimum wage is $7.25. i have to work two hours to get a gallon of orange juice. i call that shrinks elation -- shrinkflation. i pay $1500 a month for child care. two rent increases during covid. being a family service worker, the pain and concerns are heartbreaking from the families i'm supposed to be helping in the program.

a couple of kids in there had to on enroll -- unenroll because the mom could not pay. i am not alone. the families i work with struggle to get child health care and good paying jobs. that's why we are here. i'm here, mobilizing. i wish i had more time. we are hurting here. mobilize, we are here. >> forward together. >> not one step back. rev. barber: and so america, this is real. real people, real faces, real communities, real stakes. as long as we have so-called moderates and extremists who will join together and vote to deny 52 million people a living wage of $15 an hour, we must mobilize, we must take back the

mic and cast our votes and make change. as long as you can hear the stories, we must mobilize. take back the mic, cast our votes for fundamental change. people recognize our votes are demands. not just for a party but for demands. as long as 800 people are dying a day from poverty and nearly a quarter of a million people per year, we must mobilize, take back the mic and cast our votes in a way that is transformative toward a third reconstruction. as long as the poor are one third of the electorate, 85 million people are poor and/or low income. as longest 58 million people in this group cast ballots making up 34% of the electorate in 2020, we will not be denied. we must mobilize. we must take back the mic and we must cast our votes. as long as 87 million people are

still uninsured or underinsured, we must mobilize. take back the mic and cast our ballots in a way that is transformative and can shake the foundation and the political plans and poles of this nation. as long, as long, as millions of people can't afford to pay a dog on energy bill, we must mobilize , take back the mic and cast votes in a way that shapes up all of the political calculations and demand that we will be heard. we must say to politicians, if you want these votes, start talking to the people and telling them what you are going to do, not in the first 100 days of a new administration but the first 50 days. tell them what's going to happen if in back to you have power --

in fact you have power, this is what power will look like. here we are in this country and this moment in time, where so many people have cried. we have heard them. all during covid, we say they say we are essential workers. essential workers but we did not get paid family leave. 58 senators said no to 52 million people. all republicans and two democrats said no to restoring voting rights. we cannot have that. there are two things you can do. you can sit down, not be engaged and say things are just going to be like that. or, you can do like freedom

fighters before us and decide that there comes a time that you can't be silent anymore. this study says it clearly. it's time to wake up the sleeping giant. in this nation. and flex our power like never before. are you already? -- are you ready? we are going to do this together. forward together. >> not one step back. >> are there any questions from members of the media? yes? >> [indiscernible] >> with the who? >> i wanted to talk about marching on state capitals and reaching out to people on both sides of the political aisles. i wanted you to expand on that and your plans to create bipartisanship. rev. barber: march 2 is not just

a day. it's a launching. we've been planning since june of last year. we committed ourselves to do two things. -- in these 32 states plus the district of columbia. in a few weeks, the delegation of poor and low-wage workers will visit both sides of the aisle to speak with the majority leaders and minority leaders on both sides of the aisle. taking these fact sheets and these demands around living wages, around health care and around voting rights. because so much political insurrection is going on at our state capitol. they will come back on march 2 for this launching. and they will gather together, the key speakers will be poor and low wage people who represent these powerful voters.

many of whom have not voted but we are committed to touch, and touching 15 million is not even all of them. but we are targeting 15 million infrequent voters and, when they tended to vote, they voted progressive, to take their power. and then we will visit each member of the state assembly. we are saying because this is a moral issue, nobody is let off the hook. because the polls tell us that most of the stuff we are demanding, upwards of 70% of america's want it. -- america wants it. it's not just democrat or republican or independent. it's right versus wrong. we have it down to a form. let me say this. if you organize 200 people in a state who were taught how to

deep dive with technology and old-fashioned doorknocking and calls, and you get 6000 people. if each one of those people reaches 50 people in a five-day week, they could reach upwards of 50 million -- 15 million people in 40 or 50 days. we are serious about this. very serious about this . it's not just a one-day, one-off, screaming outside and it's over. this is a mobilization. this is a third reconstruction. this is a resurrection and not an insurrection. there are people deciding no longer will you discount me. that's what this is. >> can you talk about how religious leaders and poor and low income people, can you talk about how this will be different from the enthusiasm gap?

rev. barber: jesus's first words about evangelicalism was good news to the poor. from the beginning of the poor people's campaign, every coordinated committee has to have a low wage person, a religious leader who has a constituency and an advocate. what was happening is poor and low wealth people are coming together and saying this is the moral. but it can't be just about feeling good. it has to be about transformation. and so, congregations, whether they be christians, are coming together with people and engaging in this mobilization. they are signing up to be one of the 200 or 300 people who will be trained in how to mobilize trade it's not about helicopter

leadership coming in from ohio. it's about dealing power. this power will not just be for this election cycle. it will be there for years and years and years to come. but more and more people are becoming so tired of the heresy of christian nationalism and religious nationalism and are deciding that the prophetic moral voices can no longer stay quiet, stay reserved, stay calm. we must engage free there's a scripture we use in this movement. isaiah chapter 10. it says woe unto those who would legislate people and rob the rights of women and children. god says i'm looking for someone who will shut down the streets and stores and will mobilize and say not now, not on our watch. no, we are not having this.

and we will mobilize. and then it says that remnant can change the country. change this country. all over the bible, there are the stories about people rising up. the stones the builders rejected becoming the chief cornerstone of a new reality. the pentecost happening and people turning around and reaching thousands. these are all political imagery in the scripture that we have to use in this particular moment. andthe time has come. we have tested it before. we have data. this is metric-driven, not just emotionally-driven. pastors, clergy, rabbis, people of faith, emote not of faith

joining together -- people not of faith joining together thing it is time to question two reconstruction. we are mobilizing together. in every community. the numbers tell us it is not even a hard lift if we do it together, but the margins of victory are so small now, 2%, 1%. there is hardly a battleground state in this country where if you mobilize 20% of poor and low wage voters who did not vote in the last election that they could change the outcome. in states like wisconsin and michigan, it is 1%. when we tell people this, they light up. they have been told so long we do not have power.

we are finding out a lot of people are not so strong but that we have not flexed our strength. it is time now to do it. thank you so much. thank you, c-span, for being here. we will see you on the front lines. there are 31 people out there. all right. see you all on the front lines. [applause]

[indistinct chatter] >> today, a conversation on chinese american competition. you can see the event live today on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. ♪ >> in the weeks that lie ahead,

as friedman's television series unfolds, influential men and women will have a lot to say about friedman's view of the society in which we live today and his solutions for the ills of our times. >> saturday, american history tv will air the series free to choose. milton friedman coproduced the series with his wife and fellow economist rosa friedman. the friedman's also wrote a book of the same name. programs in the series to custody locations important to the u.s. and world economies. other topics include welfare, education, equality, consume and worker protection, and inflation. watch free to choose, saturday at 7:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span two.

>> nonfiction book lovers, c-span has a number of podcasts for you. listen to best-selling nonfiction authors on the afterwards podcast and on q&a, hear conversations with nonfiction authors and others who are making things happen. our conversations it regularly feature authors of nonfiction books on a wide variety of topics. the about books podcast takes you behind the scene of the non-book -- nonfiction publishing industry. find all of our podcasts by downloading the free c-span now app or wherever you get your podcasts and on our website, c-span.org/podcasts. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including comcast. >> you think this is just the

community center? no. it is more than that. >> comcast is creating wi-fi so people can get the too they need to be ready for anything. comcast supports c-span, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> now, fulton county, georgia district attorney fani willis discusses the implications of an improper relationship with a special prosecutor. she speaks at bethel ame church in atlanta during part of the congregation's mlk day service. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> [indiscernible]