Martin Luther King Jr. day, a day to remember the hard work and accomplishments of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and everyone else who fought for the civil rights movement.

The civil rights movement ended in 1968 when Martin Luther King was assassinated. This movement resulted in a variety of social and political change to benefit American citizens of color.

“Martin Luther King’s dream of equality didn’t stop with ‘we can make sure blacks and whites can go to the same school’. It was really bigger than that.” Fort Dodge community leader Charles Clayton said in an interview with the Fort Dodge Messenger.

The efforts of leaders of the Civil rights movement’s goal was to create an equal opportunity for African Americans by giving them equal opportunities in all aspects of life.

The Civil rights movement resulted in a lower national poverty rate for African Americans. According to Iowa Watch, the national poverty rate in 1960 was 56% compared to 34% in 1970, a 22% decrease over ten years.

According to Iowa Watch, a non-profit unbiased journalism program in Iowa, the African American poverty rate in Iowa has been increasing compared to the national average which has been decreasing.

In 2000, the Iowa African American poverty rate was at 31 percent in contrast to the national rate of 26 percent.

The National average poverty rate of African Americans in 2010 was 27 percent as compared to the Iowa average poverty rate of African Americans, which was 43 percent, the highest it has been dating back to 1960.

In Iowa Watch’s research they found that African Americans usually hold lower end jobs and have insufficient wages, which are directly related to the lack of education and job training. These factors contribute to the higher poverty rate among African American citizens.

In efforts to combat poverty among all people, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed the issue in his State of the Union speech in 1964. He introduced the Economic Opportunity Act, which was a plan to support all people living in poverty.

This act introduced work-study programs for students attending college, enabling them to attend school and work part time as well.

“Partly because of the War on Poverty, we cut the poverty rate in half during the 1960s and early 1970s,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World in a statement about poverty. “But we haven’t made much progress since then, mainly because reducing poverty hasn’t been a national priority”.

According to report on poverty from Bread of the World, President Obama has made a new address focusing on income and opportunity.

President Obama hopes to reduce poverty, something covered in the patient Protection and Affordable Care Act often referred to as Obamacare. An act which focuses on reducing poverty by providing healthcare for those who cannot afford it.

Many Iowa newspapers, including the Fort Dodge Messenger, the Hawk Eye, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Gazettes and the West Liberty Index attributed to the report published by Iowa Watch.