Dear fellow John Edwards supporter,

My name is Heather McGhee and I work on domestic policy for John Edwards. This week, I've been traveling with John on the Road to One America tour. What I've seen has shown me the power we each have to change this country—even where the challenges are the most daunting.

Yesterday, I walked with John and Elizabeth as they continued the Road to One America tour in New Orleans, Canton and Marks, Mississippi, where Martin Luther King, Jr. launched the famous Poor People's March in 1968.

We visited the home of Mrs. Sammie Henley who hosted Dr. King in 1968. Her house was surrounded by flood waters, and Dr. King had to paddle a boat to her front porch. He famously described places like Marks as "an island of poverty" surrounded by an ocean of American wealth. Unfortunately, it certainly still feels that way today.

You can see pictures, videos and stories from the tour at:

www.johnedwards.com/road/day1/

Today, the tour will take us to Cleveland, Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As part of the American "Rust Belt," these cities' economies have risen and fallen with the steel industry. Now, the loss of manufacturing jobs, a wave of foreclosures and falling home prices have made these communities targets of predatory lenders and mortgage brokers.

But in these cities as in the others we have visited, residents and local officials are fighting back and coming up with ways to protect their neighborhoods.

You can follow along throughout the day as we visit these communities and uncover stories of challenge and hope, at:

www.johnedwards.com/road/day1/

Creating that opportunity begins with economically diverse schools that encourage higher achievement among all students. It's simple: If we want to break down divisions and create opportunity in our economy the place to start is our schools.

There are many major steps we must take to truly build One America. But one thing I've seen clearly this week: There are heroes out here, already showing us the way.

Take Anita Grabowski who is organizing poultry workers in Mississippi who are cheated out of wages in one of the most dangerous industrial jobs in America. Her organization, MPOWER, has been organizing low-wage poultry workers to collect the wages they're owed and the health care they need when injured on the job. Or how about "Cafe Reconcile" in New Orleans that has pulled a community together to give at-risk youth the second chance they deserve to build a better life for themselves.

John and his campaign are working this week to uncover the stories that aren't being told about poverty in America and the people on the ground who are fighting to restore economic fairness. But telling the story is only the first step. We need to turn words into action and local solutions into national policies. And to do that, we need your help.

Help spread the word about we're seeing out here on the road, by forwarding this link to your friends and asking them to join us on the road to One America.

www.johnedwards.com/road/day1/

Thanks again for listening. We'll continue to keep you posted from the road.
-- Heather McGhee
   Deputy Policy Director
   John Edwards for President
   Tuesday, July 17, 2007

P.S. All this week, John Edwards One Corps volunteers are organizing local actions to fight poverty in their community. If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and take action, this is the perfect way for you to get involved. Sign up to join a local action near you, or plan your own, at:

http://blog.johnedwards.com/oc/oneamerica