Opening comments

Cheri Honkala
Executive Director, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Philadelphia, PA

The rain couldn't stop us. The fact that my sisters and brothers are sitting up on the second floor right now because the simulcast system hasn't been set up yet, won't stop us. The 18 people who were sick on a bus with a broken toilet... The bus where people froze because the bus driver kept turning the bus up so we were freezing... the 94 degrees in the air-conditioning that went out in the bus yesterday couldn't stop us... So forgive me, Lord, but no damn sound system can stop us today!

As some people said to me today walking over here, "Aren't you afraid of losing the press, coming over here?" And I say today, some of the most important people in the United States of American are in this room and can hear me today! They haven't been telling how our sisters and brothers are dying; that's why we had to launch an economic human rights campaign in the first place!

Hello, New York, hello, America, hello, our world. I bring you greetings from the New Freedom Bus, the new Freedom Riders, who are amongst all of you here today. These are true soldiers, committed to nothing less than ending poverty in our country. We set out on a journey a month ago in fact, on June 1, in front of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. We didn't know exactly where this journey would take us. It took us to the mountains of West Virginia, it took us to the streets of Philadelphia, it took us to the borders of El Paso, Texas. It took us to the tears of children, the rage of our teenagers being told that they don't matter. And to the hearts who cry of the loved ones who have lost loved ones because they didn't have money. Because they didn't have the right to a job at a living wage. Because they were thrown off of public assistance and told to just exist with no job. Because the media said that somehow they had less values, less work ethics, and less concern for their children, and somehow they were simply just less.

During this month, one more person was cut off of welfare. During this month, more people were denied health care. Another mother - several mothers - lost their sons, lost their fathers, and lost their daughters, during this month. Our journey during this month has forever changed us. Inn exchange, we are forever committed to changing this world. We must do what we are afraid to do and haven't done in our lifetime. Because, the time, if ever before in history, the time is now. The foundation of this movement has been laid, and we must commit ourselves to build this movement each and every day for the rest of our lives. we will put an end, in our lifetime, to poverty, unemployment, hunger, and homelessness.

The journey we took this month was long, but I took it with the most amazing soldiers that anybody would have the honor of riding with. Who are truly alive, and who will not rest until all of us can wrap ourselves in the abundance of our country. And then, and only then, will we as a people in this country be free.

Introduction - Dottie Stevens