General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 9 Ways FDR's 'New Deal' Purposely Excluded Blacks [View all]eridani
(51,907 posts)But Eisenhower expanded Social Security well before 60s activism. This lifeline program is the single most effective anti-poverty program ever, especially for PoC, but for poor people of all colors as well. Unlike AFDC and Medicaid, it is administered federally and therefore not subject to the machinations of southern governors and legislatures. Given the average lower incomes of people of color, there is already affirmative action in benefits assignment. The lower your lifetime earnings, the more you get back per dollar invested.
Bush was not able to succeed in privatizing it, and Obama failed at cutting low income senior's budgets with the chained CPI. And Clinton will fail if she should try to combine adding a caregivers' credit with a raise in the retirement age. Plenty of angry geezers with be defending it on behalf of people who are mostly too busy right now to realize how much they are going to need it.
Maybe it's FDR's fault that the Voting Rights Act no longer means much?