Yesterday the country celebrated Martin Luther King Day. While Dr. King is well known for his efforts to combat racial inequality, his focus on poverty is less known, largely on account of his untimely death.

Shortly before his assassination, Dr. King turned his attention to highlighting endemic causes of poverty beyond racism, such as persistent unemployment and low-paying jobs that failed to pay living wages. He also noted that more whites lived in poverty and received public benefits than any other racial group, a historical fact that is still true today.