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The gap between the rich and everybody else has grown
wider than ever before.
The differences between the lives
of 20% of the population with comfortable jobs in large
institutions and the 80% of the population with lower incomes
and less stable jobs is becoming stark and painful to behold.
Quality education, the closest thing to a ticket to class
mobility, is available to the wealthiest Americans while
moving out of sight for others. Funding for public higher
education has decreased, squeezed out by massive increases
to corrections funding. The U.S. incarceration level
is the highest in the world, with over 3.2% of the population
behind bars, or on probation or parole - wasting away,
often for reasons connected to poverty.
Class divisions, along with those of race and gender,
are keeping the United States from being the fully actualized
country it could be.
The human resources available are
staggering. The creativity, the energy, the sense of
community that could be developed and tapped is awesome.
Too many poor people are working themselves to death in
multiple jobs while many wealthy people, consumed with
material goods, are isolated and feel overwhelmed with
the responsibility of so much wealth.
Our democracy is suffering from the undue influence of
those with big bucks. People who are marginalized
are not heard. Their ideas go unheeded in a time when we
need new approaches to our societal challenges. Class divisions
and classism, the institutional and internalized rulebooks
of class, diminish our capacity as a nation to live into
our legacy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Racism and sexism have been discussed and explored since
the 1960's and before. A movement for social change has
grown out of these discussions that has actively changed
conditions and consciousness that affect women and people
of color. Discussions about class and classism however
have remained dormant in the public domain. Class and classism
remain a taboo topic.
We believe that each of us derive strengths as well as
limitations from whatever our class position. Because of
the intense class segregation in the U.S. we don't benefit
from each others' strengths and grow past our limitations.
Class Action's goal is to bring class issues into the
realm of public conversation and exploration with the assumption
that as consciousness is raised and language found to describe
their experiences, people across the class spectrum will
move to change a system that is at odds with basic democratic
values of equity, justice and liberty for all.
 Time and
time again social change movements have been born from
people gathering and sharing their thoughts, feelings,
and experiences in small groups, only to emerge with strategic,
creative plans for actions that create the world we want
to live in. We are compelled by the belief that
this country and world will be stronger and more compassionate
when class barriers come down, when we can deeply understand
each others' challenges and gifts and together live into
a better world.
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