By JakkiJustSaying
In America, it’s not as simple as that people don’t want to work it’s that the rules keep changing depending on your zip code, skin tone, income bracket, and level of desperation.
The promises of the American Dream have become a whispered myth in the ears of the working class. While the wealthy accumulate more through tax breaks, market investments, and insider advantages, millions of hard-working lower- and middle-class Americans struggle just to keep their heads above water.
Despite modest gains on paper, the reality is that inflation, reduced social programs, and biased hiring practices have tipped the scales, making survival feel like warfare for the rest.
The Reality Check: Not Everyone Starts from the Same Line
Middle-class families are squeezed by rising rent, grocery bills, healthcare costs, and gas prices. Meanwhile, the lower class is pushed further toward economic collapse as safety nets like Medicaid and SNAP are slashed or made harder to access.
Add in minimum wages that haven’t kept up with inflation, especially in states with no livable wage 6 the battlefield is far from fair.
Let’s not forget the elephant in the room: Hiring bias. Whether it’s based on race, zip code, age, or lack of experience, countless qualified individuals are shut out before they’re even interviewed. And those who do get in often face wage gaps, limited promotions, or a toxic work culture where silence is the price of a paycheck.
Realistic Strategies to Survive and Rise
1. Reclaim Power Through Skills (Even Free Ones)
If the system won’t train you, train yourself.
– Use free platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and edX to build in-demand digital or trade skills.
– Focus on transferable skills like communication, sales, digital literacy, bookkeeping, project management, or coding.
– If you’ve raised children, cared for family, or led in church-ministry, you already have skills. Package them. Promote them.
2. Hustle Smart, Not Just Hard
– Microbusinesses are thriving. Selling digital products, offering cleaning services, tutoring, or delivery driving (DoorDash, Instacart) can build backup income.
– Partner with others. Shared babysitting, community gardens, or bartering services (i.e., hair for help with taxes) builds economic ecosystems that support everyone.
– Use community libraries for free internet, resume help, and networking.
3. Know the Laws and Your Rights
– Many companies violate Fair Labor Standards and EEOC laws without being challenged.
– Document everything: interview questions, pay stubs, job descriptions, and denied promotions.
– Seek local legal aid or nonprofits that offer free employment consultations.
4. Demand Equity: Politically and Personally
– If your state has no minimum wage increases, vote in local elections that influence wage boards.
– Use your voice on social media. Collective exposure to toxic employers has created change before.
– Advocate for hiring transparency. Ask for pay ranges. Don’t be afraid to say, “Thank you for the opportunity, but this offer does not match the value I bring.”
5. Build Credit. Build Leverage.
Credit is often used against the poor. Rebuild it to use it:
– Start with secured credit cards, pay monthly utilities through Experian Boost, or join a credit union with financial education.
– Good credit = better housing, lower car payments, and access to tools the rich use daily.
6. Mental Fortitude and Faith Must Be Fueled
– The system is spiritually and emotionally draining. Don’t just work to survive heal to live.
– Surround yourself with people who speak life, not fear.
– Stay grounded in scripture, prayer, and personal growth. Your mindset is your foundation.
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9, KJV
What the Government Isn’t Telling You…
While the Trump administration continues to prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy and deregulation for corporations, many policies directly harm everyday citizens. These include:
– Cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs
– Barriers to disability and unemployment claims
– Weak protections for wage theft or toxic work environments
– State-by-state disparities in healthcare and education access
These are not accidental oversights they are systemic reinforcements of inequality. And yet, we press on.
Final Reflection: Survival is Resistance
To be poor in America and still get up every day is resistance. To raise children with faith in a future you don’t yet see is resistance. To budget, bargain, and believe while others belittle your effort is resistance.
We can’t always control the battlefield, but we can choose the armor we wear and the purpose that fuels our fight.
Self-Reflection Prompt:
Am I living in reaction to struggle, or am I being proactive with what I can control?
