The federal government estimates that nearly 37 million people in the United States live below the poverty line, with 9.7% of the New Jersey population and 6.6% of Bergen County residents among them.
To foster dialogue on the issue, Bergen Community College (BCC) is hosting “Poverty in Our Communities Summit” on Wednesday, April 2 at 3 p.m. in the Moses Family Meeting and Training Center (Technology Education Center room 128) at the BCC main campus, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus.
The free summit is open to the public and features Matthew Desmond, Ph.D., author of “Poverty, by America” and the 2017 Pulitzer-Prize winning book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” The summit is presented by the College’s Office of Community Affairs, Equity Council and Common Read Committee.
Studying poverty is a central focus of the academic year at BCC, with Desmond’s “Poverty, by America” selected as the institution’s “common read.” The initiative encourages all members of the BCC community to read the book and participate in various discussions, activities, and projects surrounding the work throughout the year. Faculty also thread the book through coursework and assignments.
Desmond is the Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and founder/director of The Eviction Lab. He started studying housing, poverty, and eviction in 2008.
At the BCC summit, he will discuss his latest book, which offers a multifaceted argument for ending poverty. His concept of “poverty abolitionists” seeks to inspire audiences to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying issues of poverty in the Unites States. Desmond will sign copies of the book at the event.
About Bergen Community College
Headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey, Bergen Community College has campuses in Lyndhurst and Hackensack. The public two-year coeducational college enrolls more than 13,000 students and offers associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs across numerous fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.