Imagine living on only $2.50 every day. As a student, one may be thinking, “No big deal, I do that every day.” Yet, if you take transportation, food, and any other daily expenses into consideration, you’ll realize how difficult it actually is to go through the day getting by with a mere $2.50. I apologize in advance to anyone who lives this reality because, according to Global Issues, in the year 2013, more than half of the world’s population actually does live on $2.50 a day. Living in poverty is unfair. There are people all over the world who are occupied with problems such as obtaining food for the day rather than who will win the football game this afternoon or what what new iPhone is being released. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. These children live in villages around the world that are being quieted and isolated. Many people choose to ignore the fact that children are dying. And, it’s easy to turn and look the other way because these villages are far removed from the consciousness of the world. Due to the silence associated with these villages, no one hears the cries of these poor villagers for better education. More and more children are born and raised without a proper education because their parents find it more convenient to put their children to work. This causes children to be under qualified for professions other than low paying jobs. As a result, villagers are unable to read and write and the cycle of poverty continues. Ronald Reagan once said, “We fought a war on poverty and poverty won,” and based on our current situation, it seems to be that he’s right.
In the year 2015, fourteen percent of the US population have been reported to be living below the poverty level. Although it is an improvement from 2012, when sixteen percent of the population lived in poverty, this level of poverty is still of concern. With the decline in the country’s poverty percentage, the median household income is now at $51,939 which is far away from the $56,436 in 2007. Throughout the US, the people living in poverty live in parts of the cities with an abundance of low-skilled labor and and a high population of minorities. Many minorities in this country emigrated from their country to America, and their lack of education forces them to work in jobs with little requirements, meaning a low paying job. The problem with the government is that, “Much of the public safety net is focused toward urban centers” according to Ann R. Haskins, an assistant professor of sociology at Cornell University. One in four black Americans and one in six Hispanic Americans live and work in high-poverty neighborhoods, which is a big difference from one in fourteen white Americans. The segregation in neighborhoods is obvious when you look at the neighborhood schools, which reflect the level of segregation in the neighborhood and city as a whole. Peter Edelman, a professor of law at Georgetown University, believes that, “The first thing needed if we’re to get people out of poverty is more jobs that pay decent wages.” Half of the population, majority of which are minorities in impoverished neighborhoods, earn annual incomes below the poverty line.
Even in a powerful, economically advanced city like Chicago, poverty resides the streets. In the winter, the homeless can be found sleeping on the CTA, beggars are seen asking for food or money while sitting on the sleet covered concrete, and the shelters are filled with women and children in need of a warm home. Although these forms of poverty can all be seen throughout our city, poverty can also go incognito. You may not know that the person sitting next to you in AP Comp has no heat in her home. The boy walking past you in the hallway does not have electricity in his house because his family couldn’t afford to pay the electricity bill. According to Dr. Kenner, 35% of the students attending our school are victims of poverty. This percentage involves students that need financial help to get free/reduced lunch, college applications completed, and other school-related fees. After informing our peers about the percentage of Whitney Young students living in poverty, the reactions shared a common trend. Astonishment. “This isn’t something that I was aware of at all. That’s a surprisingly high number and it’s really sad to realize that striving to be such a diverse school also means such a high poverty rate for us. At the same time, I’m glad that we have people at our school from all over the city because I think it has helped everyone become more well rounded,” says Lydia Alvarez, a Whitney Young senior. Senior, Kim Calica, adds, “While the number is surprising I’m not at all surprised because high quality students have no correlation with wealth of students. Poverty rate is still pretty high, and while resources and financial support are integral part in education, dedication and determination are more important.” Throughout the year, Whitney Young hosts several fundraisers in order for people to donate their time and money to get us to the financial goal for the school year. Be sure to look out for fundraising events and join the movement to end poverty. A small donation can make a great impact in the lives of others.