RALEIGH, N.C. — Dozens protested in Raleigh streets on Monday to end poverty and low wages.

The group, North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, is aiming to create what’s called a "third reconstruction".

They are demanding legislators make tangible policy changes to restructure society from the ground up.

What You Need To Know

  • According to USDA data, North Carolina is the 12th worst state in the country for people below the poverty line

  • The Poor People's Campaign wants to show the power and strength of the 140 million people living in poverty or with low wages

  • The group plans to launch a one-year campaign that will end with a "moral march" at the nation’s Capitol next summer

According to the group, a big part of that is tackling issues like systemic racism, poverty, denial of health care and much more.

Former undocumented immigrant, Iliana Santillan, was at the rally.

She came to the U.S. from Mexico at 12 years old, and her road to legal status was far from easy.

With the help of one of her high school teachers, Santillan got her bachelor's and master's degrees, later teaching as an educator in Sanford and Apex for 10 years.

She’s thankful her 17-year-old daughter can have the opportunities she never thought possible.

“I didn’t grow up having insurance. I didn’t grow up knowing things were going to be OK at home," she said.

Today, Santillan has her dream job.

She’s the executive director at El Pueblo, a nonprofit working with undocumented youth and families.

“It’s really rewarding to work with them, but also it’s hard work because I really wish I had a magic wand and I could just fix everything," Santillan said.

Her goal is that some day, organizations like this one don’t have to exist. She aims to make sure undocumented immigrants are treated with dignity and respect, and are getting the rights they deserve.

“It’s their hands and their labor that we’re capitalizing on, and to just dismiss them and treat them as disposable people, that can build and construct but not humanize them," she said.

Her participation in Monday's protest was to stand in solidarity with the 140 million poor and low wage people nationwide.

Moving forward, she believes it will take more than just a vision. It requires policy changes.

“I think we have to stop thinking that somebody else is going to do it for us. I think it’s time we wake up, and realize we have power. We have a voice," Santillan said.

On June 21, the group plans to launch a one-year campaign that will end with a "moral march" at the nation’s Capitol in the summer of 2022.

The group hopes real, legislative change is on the horizon.