Why is poverty invisible in the US?
The Nation and On The Earth ProductionsAccording to the US Census Bureau, in 2010, 46.2 million Americans lived below the poverty line, which means that nearly one in six Americans lived in poverty. As poverty in the US has skyrocketed—it is now the highest it has been in fifty-two years—the issue continues to be rarely talked about in public. Why is poverty invisible in the US?
In this video, recorded at the 10th Annual Fighting Bob Fest in Madison, Wisconsin, Senator Bernie Sanders attributes this detrimental invisibility of poverty to the lack of leadership at all levels from the grassroots to the White House and the deliberate media blackout on this issue.
This segment is part of a new video series produced by Video Nation in collaboration with On the Earth Productions featuring progressive thinkers and leaders such as Cornel West, Jim Hightower, and Thom Hartmann. Check back each Wednesday for a new video in the series, and go here to watch the series introduction.
—Jin Zhao
The NationTwitterFounded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.
On The Earth ProductionsOn the Earth Productions (OTE) is a media production company that is dedicated to informing the public about important educational, environmental and political issues that affect our everyday lives. Our Educational Video Series is available from any library in the world through WorldCat.org. The series is housed at UW-Madison. The team at OTE is led by owner, Karen Rybold Chin.