Realizing the Dream is launching a national program to empower citizens to take charge of their lives and the life of their communities. Programs will address health, education, employment, housing, economic development and community capacity. The strategy recognizes that the challenges that confront disadvantaged communities are mutually reinforcing. It responds by amalgamating and leveraging resources in cities strategically targeted to achieve maximum impact. The first initiative will address barriers that prevent distressed and underserved communities from connecting to the broader regional and national economies.

 

The Realizing the Dream Poverty in America Initiative (the Initiative) is a national call to leadership aimed at fueling local efforts to ignite sustainable private investment in communities carrying the legacy of the King name. It is a strategy tightly focused on empowering local citizens to take charge of their lives and the life of their communities. By linking coherent and comprehensive plans to the “place” where citizens find pride and a sense of ownership, the Initiative can catalyze sustainable community and economic development, while building community capacity and social capital in order to make “ownership” more than a dream.