My name is not "Those People"

[OneGrassRoot]

‘Those people don’t need homes… We give them turkeys at Christmas and Thanksgiving.’

That statement, made to a group of low-income mothers who had banded together to try to create affordable housing in the early 1990s, inspired Julia K. Dinsmore to write the poem, My Name Is Not “Those People”. It is a powerful poem that challenges commonly held notions about poor people and can be found in her compelling book, My Name Is Child of God ... Not “Those People”: A First-Person Look at Poverty (2007, Augsburg Fortress Publishers).

Building Changes was first introduced to Ms. Dinsmore through her creative work, which was featured in a video presentation at our recent annual benefit luncheon. We have had the pleasure of getting to know her a little better since then, through e-mails, phone conversations and through her book.

Julia Dinsmore has known poverty all of her life and is no stranger to homelessness. As she writes in a poem:

I call myself…
Storyteller, artist, social change maker of twenty-five years,
Working to end poverty and homelessness

http://www.buildingchanges.org/news-room/heads-up/75-heads-up-blog-item/244-a-powerful-voice-weaves-stories-of-change

CHECK OUT HER AWESOME VIDEO! :applause:

http://www.wishadoo.com/videos/id_21/title_My-Name-is-Not-%22Those-People%22/


And please check out these other brilliant DUers' posts on poverty if you haven't already. We need to destigmatize poverty. Indeed poverty is NOT A DIRTY WORD.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9153487&mesg_id=9153487

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9130694

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9143945&mesg_id=9143945 (I am SO not brilliant; I point to my post because of a great link within it and the discussion which ensued)

:hi:

[Starry Messenger]

1. k & r

[laylah]

2. You are always such

a wealth of information and source of inspiration, OGR :hug:

K&R

Jenn

[OneGrassRoot]

5. ...

That's so kind of you...:hug: :hug: :hug:

[TBF]

3. K&R nt

[madmax]

4. K & R

[Scuba]

6. It's not "those people". It's "consumer". "Citizen" is not acceptable in the Corporate States

[w8liftinglady]

7. thanks for sharing,friend.It's time to bring this into the forefront...

[OneGrassRoot]

8. kick n/t

[Dappleganger]

9. Giant K&R

You're doing great work by compiling this and bringing it to the forefront!