The topic of income inequality is certainly heating up across the country. One reason for this is the movement surrounding former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich's documentary, Inequality for All.
Earlier this year, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty, the team behind the film partnered with concerned citizens, advocacy groups, churches and others to organize the 50-State-Capital Screening Tour. This was followed by a nationwide webcast at colleges across the country last week and over 700 watch parties scheduled to show the film this week.
As Reich notes in his documentary, "of all developed nations, the United States has the most unequal distribution of income." Income inequality in big cities exceeds the national average, and in San Francisco, this is more evident than almost any other major U.S. city. A recent Brookings Institute report lists San Francisco as having the second greatest income inequality among U.S. cities, where the city's wealthy households have much higher incomes than in any other major city.
This Thursday, Democracy for America has organized Inequality for All to be shown at over 700 watch parties in 49 states followed by a strategy call with Secretary Reich and Senator Elizabeth Warren aimed at changing the dialogue on income inequality. Several watch parties are being held in the Bay Area, including one at the Mutiny Radio studio in San Francisco's Mission District.
"We make the rules of the economy -- and we have the power to change those rules." -Robert Reich