On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson called on Congress to do something never before done: set an aim not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it. Johnson acknowledged in his State of the Union Address that no single piece of legislation would suffice. With Johnson’s declaration of a War on Poverty and the various pieces of legislation that came after, the administration and Congress acknowledged the complexities of poverty, and the intertwined nature of poverty with racial discrimination, and made a commitment to do better across a wide range of issues for all Americans.
“Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope–some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity.
This Administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty, in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort.
It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest Nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson
State of the Union, January 8, 1964
Since its creation in 1964, Community Action has responded to local needs in every corner of America and helped make America a better place to live. Community Action Agencies (CAAs) have never been tested more than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the startling events and crises of 2020 recede from the foreground, Community Action is presented with a significant milestone: the 60th anniversary of the Economic Opportunity Act, the federal legislation that created Community Action.
Lawrence County Community Action Partnership is a proud member of the Community Action Partnership, which is the national hub that links the nation’s 1,000+ local Community Action Agencies and State Associations to each other and to leaders looking for solutions that connect families to great opportunity.
