During his time in office, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a war on poverty that unfortunately greatly exists today. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2015), 14.8%, or 46.7 million, people lived in poverty in the United States in 2014 (p. 12). Focusing on children under the age of 18, the U.S. Census Bureau (2011) identified that Black and Hispanic children were the most impoverished in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups, with poverty rates of 38.2% and 32.3%, respectively (p. 4). Poverty significantly impacts many aspects of childhood development, and it is the knowledge and experiences gained during childhood that shapes children into the adults they will become. Anna Santiago (2015) remarked the following:
Poor children today …show more content…
Many people believe that schools serve as an equalizer, helping poor students overcome the inequities of poverty. However, the truth is that “the fates of generations of poor children are largely sealed before they even set foot in a classroom, suggesting the current K-12 school system is ineffective as a springboard for opportunity” (Caucutt, 2015). Schools are primarily funded by property taxes, causing the schools located in low-income neighborhoods to have poor facilities and limited resources. Many critics have voiced their opinions on this matter and raised public concern. For instance, Christopher Ingraham (2014) expressed that “for the richest country in the world to also have one of the world’s highest childhood poverty rates is, frankly, an embarrassment.” Furthermore, Marian Edelman (2014), the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, asserted, “It is a moral disgrace that child poverty in the U.S. is higher than adult poverty, higher than for children in almost all other competitor nations, and higher than our country with the world’s largest economy should ever allow.” Clio Chang (2014) viewed poverty in an interesting way, noting that “Despite the fact that "Hunger Games" is a heavily dramatized fictional blockbuster, the film underscores several things that are also true of the state of poverty in America.” In both the dystopia of Panem and the reality of the U.S., innocent children have no voice and suffer the most. A significant number of other people are also concerned about the magnitude and consequences of poverty, making it a social problem. Poverty is a unique and prominent social problem, as it can
Poor children today …show more content…
Many people believe that schools serve as an equalizer, helping poor students overcome the inequities of poverty. However, the truth is that “the fates of generations of poor children are largely sealed before they even set foot in a classroom, suggesting the current K-12 school system is ineffective as a springboard for opportunity” (Caucutt, 2015). Schools are primarily funded by property taxes, causing the schools located in low-income neighborhoods to have poor facilities and limited resources. Many critics have voiced their opinions on this matter and raised public concern. For instance, Christopher Ingraham (2014) expressed that “for the richest country in the world to also have one of the world’s highest childhood poverty rates is, frankly, an embarrassment.” Furthermore, Marian Edelman (2014), the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, asserted, “It is a moral disgrace that child poverty in the U.S. is higher than adult poverty, higher than for children in almost all other competitor nations, and higher than our country with the world’s largest economy should ever allow.” Clio Chang (2014) viewed poverty in an interesting way, noting that “Despite the fact that "Hunger Games" is a heavily dramatized fictional blockbuster, the film underscores several things that are also true of the state of poverty in America.” In both the dystopia of Panem and the reality of the U.S., innocent children have no voice and suffer the most. A significant number of other people are also concerned about the magnitude and consequences of poverty, making it a social problem. Poverty is a unique and prominent social problem, as it can