Maureen Taylor
Detroit, MI
As State Chairperson of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, it is my privilege to help lead this grassroots group in the struggle for social justice for low-income populations. Specifically, I am engaged in the battle to stop the mass water shutoffs occurring in Michigan.
Marginalized populations are targets for “austerity” campaigns as economies shrink around the globe. I wanted to be a voice for that population and to stand in that gap demanding justice for the poor.
The most recent victory came as a result of organizing seniors and other low-income persons in a set of demonstrations against water shutoffs that produced the first ever 21-day moratorium against this draconian practice in Detroit.
Seasoned workers have value, experience, expertise and credit cards! We have lived long enough to be smart, and we have made enough errors to now know what works. More mature workers have a place in society and want to serve for the common good if allowed.