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St. Paul, Minn.

Is America losing the war on poverty?

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Nearly one in five American children grows up poor
Five decades into the War on Poverty, nearly one in five American children is growing up poor.
Photo by Steve Schapiro

President Lyndon Johnson hired Sargent Shriver to lead his war on poverty in the 1960s. Shriver died earlier this week, but poverty levels in America remain shockingly high.

An American RadioWorks documentary, "The War on Poverty: From the Great Society to the Great Recession," examines the modern face of poverty and asks why LBJ's dream of a Great Society is still beyond reach.

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Nearly one in five American children grows up poor
Five decades into the War on Poverty, nearly one in five American children is growing up poor.
Photo by Steve Schapiro