Tavis Smiley and Cornel West spent three hours talking with Philadelphians about education, "decarceration," jobs and housing at a Baptist Church in North Philadelphia Friday.
"The poverty numbers in this country are abysmal," Smiley, the PBS late-night television host, told the crowd filling the pews at Tenth Memorial Baptist Church.
Smiley said that unless properly addressed, the high rate of poverty "will threaten our democracy and become a national security issue."