The national leader of the revitalized Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. William Barber, will lead a rally in Frankfort on Monday.
“Reverend William Barber has gained national attention leading a revitalized civil rights movement aimed at galvanizing a diversity of citizens around a few major issues that include – poverty, health care, voting rights, systemic racism and environmental devastation.
Rev. Megan Huston is pastor of First Christian Church in Bowling Green and says Monday’s rally with Rev. Barber kicks up the pace of the Poor People’s Campaign in Kentucky. The original Poor People's Campaign was created by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Every single week we’ve been up there lifting up these issues of poverty and racism and ecological devastation and the war economy. You know, we’re up there and we’re having speak outs, affected people are talking about how these issues are affect their lives and I think Reverend Barber has seen what we’re doing down here and wants to come lift it up with us.”
Huston says about 350 people are expected at the Frankfort rally, including about two dozen from Bowling Green.
She says Monday’s rally will focus on healthcare and the environment.
“In Kentucky there are over 271,000 people who are uninsured. So we’re talking about healthcare, but we’re also talking about ecology and access to clean water and clean energy and the way these issues are affecting our state and the way they overlap with one another.”
The rally on Monday will take place on the steps of the state Capitol beginning at 2 o’clock
The event is part of “40 Days of Action” leading to a national march in Washington, D.C. on June 23.