Have you ever heard of the "Poor People's Campaign"? In the tail end of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. shifted his focus from purely racial issues to the major concern of widespread poverty. To him, these two issues were far more connected than anyone realized. Although MLK was assassinated before he could achieve his goals, Meridian shows us what would happen if one woman tried to conquer poverty all by herself. In a world where the poor are treated like animals, where the rich live in the lap of luxury, and where minorities are forced into poverty, our humble heroine has got her work cut out for her. But you know what? That's exactly how she likes it.
Questions About Poverty
- What does the story of Wild Child tell us about life in poverty?
- In what ways do college students and poor workers differ in their approaches to the Movement?
- Why does Meridian chose to live in poverty herself?
Chew on This
Meridian is unique among her radical intellectual peers—she sincerely believes that wealth is evil, while people like Anne-Marion simply wish that they were rich themselves.
Ultimately, Meridian is able to win the trust of the communities she visits because she chooses to share their struggles by living in poverty herself.