School hosts Desmond for discussion on Poverty, by America

The School of Nursing hosted Matthew Desmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, to discuss his latest book Poverty, by America at an event April 5 at Northrop. In his new book, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, he reimagines the debate on poverty, making the argument that poverty continues to exist in the United States because wealthy people benefit from it.

“We can no longer ignore the broader economic and social determinants of health while focusing on the care we provide,” said Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP. “That is why we are driven to host this event to learn what we can do - not just as caregivers, but as community members.”

In Desmond’s presentation about Poverty, by America, he uses research, data and examples to show how tax breaks, laws and policies bring more benefit to wealthy people than they do to poor people.

“Poverty is experienced as an exhausting piling on of problems. Poverty is chronic pain on top of tooth rot on top of debt collector harassment on top of eviction. It’s the supplication of your talents and of your dreams, it is death come early and often,” said Desmond. “Far from a line, poverty is a tight knot of humiliations and agony, and its persistence in American life means that millions of families are denied safety, security and dignity in one of the richest countries in the history of the world.”

Desmond calls for investing in families by rebalancing the safety net, empowering people in poverty by reining in exploitation, and building inclusive and open communities. “Our walls, they have to go. What are we teaching our children when they plainly see us barring the doors of opportunity for other children and doing it in their name,” said Desmond.

After his presentation, Desmond fielded questions from the audience, moderated by Steve Rudolph, director of communications and marketing.

Event sponsors included Carlson School of Management, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota Libraries, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, School of Dentistry, College of Education and Human Development, College of Continuing and Professional Studies, College of Biological Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, Medical School, Extension, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science and Engineering, College of Design, College of Liberal Arts, Graduate School, Hue-MAN and Minnesota Housing Partnership.