Talking About Poverty & Economic Opportunity Today: Three Core Pillars
Poverty and economic opportunity are often difficult subjects for advocates to talk about, especially within today’s political climate. Instead of always refuting (and inadvertently re-enforcing) misinformation and stereotypes about people living in poverty, we need to reframe economic issues through values-based messaging and remind audiences that we can create an economy that works for all. To do that, we compiled the following three core messaging pillars in collaboration with some of our partners. These pillars offer tips for discussing shared values, naming systemic causes of poverty, and addressing common-sense solutions that work for everyone. Click on each pillar below for our suggested messaging language.
- CONNECTIONS: We move forward together. Remind audiences that our destiny is shared, and that we are stronger when we work together.
- SOLUTIONS: We need to remind audiences that our economy and its effects on people are the result of deliberate policies that benefit some over others. We can create an economy that works for all, with our government playing a key role.
- JUSTICE: In the past, powerful interests created and promoted economic policies (and continue to do so) that favored some populations and discriminated against others on the basis of race, ethnicity, and gender. We all have a responsibility to address systemic injustice.
