Everybody's got a right to live

from the Poor People's Campaign

Everybody’s Got the Right to Live

Education, Living Wage, Jobs, Income, and Housing

Leader: Everybody’s got a right to learn. Everybody’s got a right to housing. Everybody’s got a right to love.

People: Everybody’s got a right to live.

Leader: When wages have stagnated over the past 50 years although the economy has grown and there are 62 million workers who earn less than a living wage, we must speak with one voice.

People: Everybody’s got a right to living wage jobs and the right to organize.

Leader: When three individuals in the U.S. have as much wealth as the bottom 50% of all Americans combined, we must speak with one voice.

People: Everybody’s got a right to thrive.

Leader: For the 44 million Americans who are carrying the burden of $1.34 trillion dollars in student debt, we must speak out.

People: Everybody’s got a right to learn.

Leader: When 3.5 million people are sleeping in shelters every year and 7.4 million are on the brink of homelessness—the majority of whom are white and up to 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQIA—we must speak with one voice.

People: Everybody’s got a right to housing.

Leader: When 38% of American households—primarily black and Latino families—have a net worth of zero dollars, we must speak with one voice.

People: Everybody’s got a right to a quality education. Everybody’s got a right to living wage job. Everybody’s got a right to safe, affordable housing.

Leader: Our nation’s guiding documents, written by our forebearers, state: “All [people] are created, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”

People: All of our religions sacred texts affirm the dignity of every person.

Leader: “We carry [the children of Adam] on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them…” (The Qur'an)

People: “You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger…” (Jewish scriptures, Deuteronomy 24:14)

Leader: “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me…When you did it unto these, you did it unto me.” (Christian scripture, Matthew 25:34-36)

All: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness means the right to a quality education, purposeful work that pays a living wage, and safe affordable shelter for self and family. Everybody’s got a right to learn. Everybody’s got a right to housing. Everybody’s got a right to live.