Poor People’s Campaign to launch bus tour in Charleston SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The Poor People’s Campaign is launching a national bus tour of poverty-stricken areas to bring attention to what campaign leaders call the “real crises” facing the country including systemic racism, poverty and voter suppression.

Saturday, national campaign co-chairs Rev. William Barber II and Rev. Liz Theoharis will kick-off their `National Emergency Truth and Poverty Tour’ in Charleston.

More than 30 states will be participating in the bus tours.

Organizers say Saturday’s event comes 50 years after the 1969 Charleston hospital strike where more than 400 African-American hospital workers protested against poor working conditions and low wages. Charleston organizers for the grassroots movement say they will be honoring some of those hospital strikers.

Theoharis said their campaign is about nationalizing state movements and empowering people to be engaged.