The federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding? This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of experts from across the political spectrum to discuss whether the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing poverty in the United States, what remains to be done, and whether private charitable efforts would be a better alternative to government welfare programs.
John McWhorter teaches linguistics at the Center for American Studies at Columbia University.
