About the University

The University of the Poor is concerned with the unity and development of the leaders of a growing movement to end poverty, led by the poor as a united and organized force. Since its inception, the University of the Poor has shared education tools with grassroots anti-poverty groups across the nation, has helped link media professionals, performing artists, social workers, members of the religious community and labor organizers with the movement to end poverty, and has facilitated the exchange of knowledge between poor people and their allies across the globe.

HISTORY

The University of Poor was first conceived of in October of 1999, when over 50 poor people’s groups came together for the March of the Americas, a month-long march from Washington DC to the United Nations in New York City. We recognized that each group had complimentary experiences, skills and knowledge that we needed to share.

The University of the Poor was formed in 1999 with Willie Baptist and Liz Theoharis as its Co-Coordinators and subsequently served as the educational arm of the Poor Peoples’ Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) for nine years. Throughout our history, the University of the Poor helped organize the educational component of PPEHRC activities including the workshops at the 2001 Poor People’s World Summit to End Poverty, the educational schedule of the 2000 March for Economic Human Rights at the Republican National Convention, the 2002 New Freedom Bus Tour: Economic Human Rights for All!, the 2004 March for Economic Rights, and Bushville at the Republican National Convention and 2006 National Truth Commission.

The University of the Poor has performed hundreds of Economic Human Rights Organizing Schools with grassroots organizations all across the country. These schools, based on the current needs and struggles of each community, make available the lessons drawn from the unique body of experiences accumulated from the movement to end poverty- thru train-the-trainers sessions, roundtable discussions and providing specific, action-oriented tools such as videos, books, etc.

In 2005, the University of the Poor organized the first Leadership School for 8 days at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, PA. This school was organized by over 40 low-income leaders and involved more than 150 participants. The University of the Poor organized the 2nd Leadership School in the summer of 2006 at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.

As of May 1, 2008, leaders and founders of the University of the Poor resigned from the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC). We are currently reconstituting the University of the Poor as an independent organization. We wish to retain friendly and comradely relations with the PPEHRC including remaining an educational resource for member organizations. The University of the Poor’s work and mission as an education and leadership development institution for a broad movement to end poverty, led by the poor as a united social force, remains.

The urgency of our task is great – people are being evicted at alarming rates, more people are dying from the lack of health care than ever before, poverty and inequality are at record highs, and our economy is on the verge of a serious downturn. Struggles are breaking out across the country, including the struggles on the Gulf Coast in the wake of Katrina, the struggles against water privatization and for health care, the struggles of the unemployed and homeless in the Rust Belt, etc. The intensification and spread of the struggles of the poor underscores even more the need for education, organization and leadership development, particularly from the ranks of the poor.

Please join us in educating and developing leaders for a broad movement to end poverty, led by the poor. For more information, contact us at: info@universityofthepoor.org

“University of the Poor” is a registered trademark.