This year’s Justice Forum speaker is Matthew Desmond , the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of ’Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” which transformed understanding of inequity and economic exploitation in America.  

Desmond’s latest book, "Poverty, by America,” investigates why the United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?

The Justice Forum is free and open to the public. The Franklin Watch Party will be held at Macon County Public Library, located 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin. Light food and drink will be provided. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and community members will watch the live-stream of the forum together starting at 7 p.m.

Advance registration for the Watch Party is required, sign up at pisgahlegal.org/justiceforumwatchparty/. For more information about the event, contact Lori Nierzwick at 828-818-5474 or visit pisgahlegal.org/justiceforum.