Income inequality is not inevitable
When Frances Perkins became Secretary of Labor in 1933, she fundamentally reshaped the American economy. As a scientist and social reformer, Perkins recognized that middle-class prosperity is built on intentional policy choices. By authoring the Fair Labor Standards Act and establishing Social Security, she placed structural guardrails on corporate power, raised wage floors and created a safety net that protected working families for generations.
Today, that middle class is under severe strain from soaring healthcare, housing and everyday living costs. Rebuilding the safety net Perkins pioneered requires leaders who apply that same evidence-based, structural approach to modern economic challenges.
Karishma Manzur, a PhD scientist running for U.S. Senate, represents a clear parallel to Perkins’ legacy. Manzur approaches policy with the analytical rigor of a researcher, recognizing that our current affordability crisis stems from broken priorities rather than a lack of national resources. Like Perkins, who refused her cabinet role without a commitment to sweeping labor reforms, Manzur refuses corporate PAC money to remain entirely focused on working families.
We do not have to accept growing inequality as inevitable. Electing leaders like Karishma Manzur who draw from the playbook of Frances Perkins is how we restore economic security to working people.