On July 15 and 16, 2006, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) made history in Cleveland, Ohio by holding the first National Truth Commission on Poverty in the United States of America. The National Truth Commission was held in Lincoln Park, in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. Years in the planning and modeled after similar commissions in Africa and Latin America, the National Truth Commission brought people from all across the U.S. and the world to bring to light the actual suffering and economic human rights violations that many Americans endure on a daily basis. Nearly 500 people came to listen and be heard over the course of the weekend. Social movement leaders from all over the nation and world converged on Cleveland to hear testimony and serve as Truth Commissioners. These included Dr. Arjun Sengupta, Independent Expert on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights for the High Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations and a member of Indian Parliament; Nora Morales de Cortinas, one of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo from Argentina; and Peter Weiss from the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York. They and the other commissioners will convene before the end of the week to strategize appropriate responses to all the gripping testimony they heard. In their closing comments, all of the commissioners stated how touched they were by the testimonies and committed to documenting all that they had heard and learned. People from communities across the U.S. presented testimony detailing economic human rights violations that they have experienced. Testimony was presented in six broad categories, or panels, including: •Right to Health Care Panel •Living Wage Struggles Panel •Right to Housing Panel •Right to Water and Basic Utilities Panel •Right to Education Panel •Unjust Child Removal Panel Each panel featured individuals who were adversely affected by the policies of this administration. Union representatives from UNITE-HERE spoke alongside the unemployed about the right to a living wage. Donn Teske from the Kansas Farmers Union talked about the experiences of small farming families struggling against big corporate agriculture. Lori Smith from Nashville, Tennessee spoke about being dropped from her health insurance plan after being diagnosed with Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. Mailon Ellison from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania testified about his struggles trying to make a home for himself and his family while continuing to battle to remain sober. DawnMarie Fucile from Cleveland, Ohio told us about how her child was taken away from her simply because she is deaf and poor. Maureen Taylor from Detroit, Michigan testified about massive water shut offs in Detroit. Two young men from New Orleans spoke eloquently about the realities they face in what was once their hometown. J.R. from Chicago’s Cabrini Green Housing Projects described the position held by Chicago housing officials that the best way to deal with Chicago’s poor residents is to forcibly evict them. The individuals who testified at the National Truth Commission spoke the truth about what is really happening to people in communities all across the United States. And each of the individuals offering testimony played an important role in helping the Truth Commissioners understand the difficulties of their plight and all of the obstacles they face. Later this year the PPEHRC plans to release a publication featuring the testimonies, as well as the findings from the National Truth Commission. The National Truth Commission was also unique in that it provided an important forum for artists and musicians to discuss their work trying to shine a light on economic human rights violations and tell the world about poverty in America. Hurricane Katrina survivors, performers from the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, and other cultural workers discussed strategies to use arts and culture in the movement to end poverty. These deep and powerful messages, incorporated into art, music, theatre and dance, remind us that we are not alone. The soulful songs and amazing performances at the Truth Commission inspired and united us. The poetry of Ernie Perez and other artists from Rock-a-Mole remind us all of the importance of creativity when addressing the difficult issues surrounding poverty. The Truth Commission was an enormous success. The testimonies of the brave individuals exposed the numerous human rights violations that many in America face. We cried together and got angry together as we created a space to tell the truth and inspire one another from our struggles. Given this huge success, it is important for each individual who attended or read about the National Truth Commission to spread the word in their own communities. Take the time to speak to your neighbors and friends about what you know to be the reality of poverty in America. Prepare yourself to read the findings of the Truth Commissioners and to take action in your community. We can not do this alone and are hopeful that individuals like you will continue to support us and join us as we fight for all of our economic human rights. More information about the PPEHRC and the National Truth Commission, including photos, videos, and transcripts, can be found at www.economichumanrights.org.