On Thursday, February 8, Reverend Dr. William Barber spoke to the campus community in Memorial Chapel about disability awareness and the impoverished conditions facing our country.
Dr. Barber is a minister, social activist and Professor of Public Theology and Public Policy at the Yale Divinity School. He is also a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the author of White Poverty, a book about race, myths, and American democracy.
Barber noted that we live in interesting times; the times we have found ourselves in have led to much hatred and division present around American society. According to Barber, we must promote the general welfare and ensure domestic tranquility for everyone.
The talk focused on liberal, pro-choice values and their connections to religion, such that Jesus said nations will be judged by how they treat the homeless and the poor.
Barber spoke on the marginalization of 135 million poor people, and at the end, emphasized how the poor hold the power to change elections. In this way, Barber’s message of the power of the rejected and the poor rings true as speaking to the testament that the poor hold weight and influence in America. It is the ability of the poor to come together to rally on common causes that explain their significance to Barber.
As a result, the case is clear to Barber that America must engage in radical change to change the landscape and notion of poverty in America and fight back against the lack of policy on the issue.
Barber discussed a range of topics: from Jesus, to Caesar to Donald Trump. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Barber referenced many texts — including biblical stories about goodness related to Jesus Christ — as well as how the 14th Amendment aspired to be a document that lived up to the values and creations of everyone in society.
- Barber argued that poverty is a form of policy violence and that those in poverty are not at fault for what the government does to corrupt them. He spoke about Caesar and narcissistic powers and how this relates to now. Most of the people he said God used were misfits.
- Barber also claims that racism comes first and then race develops after it. He noted that telling the truth is one of the most radical things one can do.
- He also discussed the significance of Donald Trump as well as the connection between what Trump represents and the harrowing direction America is heading toward.
