2007 - 12.5% of all people, ^[34]including

- 10.5% white people ^[35]
- 24.5% black people ^[36]
- 21.5% all Hispanic people of any race, ^[37] lived in poverty.

Obama's inauguration and future presidency is a huge step for America, but I don't believe Dr. King's dream has come. Nevertheless, we are marching in the right direction. 

Speaking of marching.....(see that transition?). Two important American issues are immigration and gang violence. I bring these up because 1) they're inextricably linked to economic injustice and 2) I have the best picture of me with some mexican ninos and a burro. See figure 1. and 3) I have a funny story about both...how you ask...

It was the summer of 2008. The hotest it had been in days. Bern & I had a double date in Venice with some hipster roomates. But there was a conflict of interest. 

Our community in solidarity, Boyle Heights, was marching from the Dolores Mission to CIty Hall in Los Angeles protesting the ever-present gang violence that threatens the neighborhood on the same day. 

So, we did what any self respecting socially aware women would do...we lied to the boys and said we were sick. Both of us getting sick at the same time you ask? Yes, friends can often get each other sick because of the close proximity to one another. And so we were free. Free to march with our bothers and sisters of LA. Free to tell the city government that we would stand for this violence no more. Free to look fear straight in the eye and say "You have no hold on me". 

And as we arrived after a 12 mile march to city hall, we were prepared to do just that. But lo and behold it was much more of an immigration rights march to be sure. Not exactly what we had intended...but I consider myself pretty go with the flow. 

So, as a child of a staunch republican family who prays for a wall to be built around our country, I felt invigorated. Sure it wasn't exactly what I had intended to march on...and sure if I hadn't had some elementary spanish knowledge I might have never known we were ill-informed...but something in me was moved that day (bern...I think you know what movement I'm talking about...bahahaa).

And that's how I was tricked into marching in an immigration rights protest on hot day in LA. 

Figure 1