Tens of thousands of workers in more than 25 cities are expected to participate in a full-day strike today as part of the “Strike for Black Lives.” Those who cannot strike for the full day are encouraged to walk away from their positions for about eight minutes — the amount of time a white police officer held his knee on George Floyd’s neck in Minneapolis.
The strike organizers — which include labor unions and racial and social justice organizations — are calling attention not only to police brutality, but systemic racism, systemic poverty and even climate justice as interconnected fights. People working for less than a living wage in the U.S. number 62 million, according to the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, an organization participating in the strike. Strike events are planned in Durham and Asheville today. Host Anita Rao speaks with the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, pastor, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, about the strike and the causes he hopes it will bring to light.