In an interview last month, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson made some comments about poverty that have led to intense backlash. Carson called poverty “a state of mind,” saying some people are poor because they have the wrong attitude. But that wasn’t all. He continued to say that efforts to help people in need may backfire if those people don’t have the right outlook on life.
His comments ignited debate about grit theory and what people in poverty truly need. Our guests discuss the facts, the misconceptions, and local efforts to reduce poverty. In studio:
- LaShunda Leslie-Smith, executive director of Connected Communities, Inc.
- Ann Johnson, senior director of ACT Rochester at the Rochester Area Community Foundation
- Paul Whitehouse, executive director of 441 Ministries
