[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING HANNAH FREEDOM SCHOOL

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                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 2015

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Hannah 
Freedom School's Resolution on Childhood Poverty, which seeks to end 
childhood poverty by 2030. Introduced by the Hannah Children's Defense 
Fund's Freedom School's 2015 Scholars--a group of 50 children ages 7-10 
in Marin City, California--this resolution promotes equal access to 
opportunities for all children. In recognition of the scholars' 
commitment to combating poverty in our community and beyond, it is 
fitting that I submit the following resolution.

         Hannah Freedom School Resolution on Childhood Poverty

        As part of the Children's Defense Fund's Freedom School 
     Family, we are taught that we can make a difference in 
     ourselves, our families, our communities, the nation and the 
     world. In order to be all that we can be, we have learned 
     that all children everywhere deserve a Healthy Start, a Head 
     Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start and the 
     support of caring families and communities. But we also have 
     learned that not all kids get what they deserve. Global 
     poverty denies children these important opportunities. In as 
     much as:
        In America, 14.7 million children live in poverty. That 
     means that about one out of every five kids is poor. If you 
     are black or brown, the number is closer to one in three--
     even in families where parents are working.
        If you are poor as a child, you have a lesser chance of 
     graduating from high school or going to college, but a 
     greater chance of going to jail or being in a low paying job, 
     which means you have a greater chance of becoming a poor 
     adult, suffering from poor health, and becoming involved in 
     the criminal justice system.
        Poverty has no face. It can be anybody. It can be 
     anywhere. Not just homeless people. Not just kids in hoodies. 
     Not just in urban areas. It is even in Marin. There are 
     21,000 poor families in Marin who live on less than $24,000 a 
     year, while most families in our county earn more than 
     $80,000 per year.
        Children living in poverty, almost 2,000 in Marin, often 
     struggle in school to keep up with their classmates in math, 
     science and language arts.
        Poverty is not safe. It is not healthy. It is not fair. It 
     is wrong. It must be ended.
        We, the students of Hannah Freedom School commit to work 
     toward ending childhood poverty in our lifetime, joining the 
     global initiative to end poverty by 2030. Therefore, Be It 
     Resolved that:
        Being poor is like being on punishment. It means that you 
     have to go without. You have to go without good and 
     nutritious food, decent housing, healthy neighborhoods, or 
     schools that address your needs or celebrate your culture. It 
     amounts to `cruel and unusual' punishment that must be 
     abolished.
        Childhood poverty can be ended globally by 2030.
        We as children are using our voices, now it's time for the 
     adults to use theirs.
        We call on our lawmakers to imagine ending child poverty 
     in our county, in our state, in our nation now.
        Ending child poverty means that we will be able to stop 
     the cradle to prison pipeline, we will be better educated, 
     and we will be better prepared for a peaceful world.
        As Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the 
     Equal Justice Initiative, stated: ``The opposite of poverty 
     is not wealth . . . the opposite of poverty is justice . . . 
     and opportunity.''

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