Author Archives: Julianne Malveaux

It seems that the term “poverty” has been sidelined from our national discourse, even though 15 percent of all Americans and 26 percent of African Americans experience poverty.
The Fair Labor Standards Act was signed on June 25, 1938, 75 years ago, so perhaps this is a good time to explore the roots of the minimum wage and why its establishment remains important.

Last week I attended a “think tank” conversation with leaders of the Rodham Institute, a newly established center at George Washington University that is dedicated to reducing health disparities in Washington, D.C. This is an important effort, because D.C. is such a divided city.

When George Orwell wrote the novel “1984,” he envisioned a character, a real or imagined “Big Brother” who was a know-all, see-all, omnipotent and elusive presence that intruded into lives because he could. Those who knew about “him” were told that they did not exist, but in many ways, Big Brother may not have existed either. The omnipotence had taken on a life of its own.

Although the overall unemployment rate still exceeds 7 percent, and the official Black unemployment rate is greater than 13 percent, there are some who insist that there is a robust economic recovery in progress.

On May 21, I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional Progressive Caucus meeting on the fact that federal dollars drive inequality by paying contractors who pay too many of their workers very little.