For Immediate Release:
January 16, 2025
Contact:
Rachel Noerdlinger, rnoerdlinger@actumllc.com
Jason Elan, jelan@actumllc.com
NEW YORK (January 16, 2025) – In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on Wednesday, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies issued the following statement calling for a renewed effort across the country to expand access to economic justice and build wealth for Black Americans.
FPWA also released a video featuring Jennifer Jones Austin and her father, the late Rev. William Augustus Jones, paying tribute to the late civil rights leader who proclaimed from the church pew that society must ensure equal opportunity and build financial wealth, and not shutting out those struggling to make ends meet. The imagery weaves together Jones Austin’s speeches at several notable Anniversary Marches on Washington, and intermittently cutting back and forth to interviews and sermons at congregations with Rev. William Augustus Jones.
“A cornerstone of the civil rights struggle is rooted in economic justice, and our fight for equality continues to this day,” said Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA. “Just as Dr. King did through the power of preaching and nonviolent protests, we are mobilizing the forces of compassion to uplift historically marginalized communities, families and individuals who seek nothing more than a fair shot to achieve their God-given potential. We need our elected leaders at all levels of government to join with us, hear our pleas, and turn advocacy into action so that our polices are measured in resources, not just rhetoric.”
The call to action comes as affordability has taken on new meaning amid an affordability crisis that plagues low- and middle-class families. According to a recent survey commissioned by the National True Cost of Living Coalition that was formed by FPWA, over half of Americans struggle to pay their bills and save enough to build wealth or an emergency fund.
About The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
FPWA is a leading anti-poverty, social policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening human services organizations and faith institutions, and advancing economic opportunity and justice for New Yorkers with low incomes. Since 1922, FPWA has driven groundbreaking policy reforms to better serve those in need. We work to dismantle the structural and systemic barriers that impede economic security and well-being, and strengthen the capacity of human services agencies and faith organizations so New Yorkers with lower incomes can thrive and live with dignity. Learn more at fpwa.org.
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