Column: Poverty in rural Georgia-Think well outside of I-285
The mainstream media (MSM) has been successful at defining the narrative on poverty and what it looks like in America. Much of their narrative centers on the inner cities; however, there is a broader sense of how this looks nationwide. As much of the MSM, along with their left-leaning counterparts in academia, would like to own the definition of poverty’s portrayal, it does not discriminate, and it does not play victim to one group of people. The MSM’s narrative in Georgia often pits this misconception to the public frequently. The rural areas of the country are profoundly affected by poverty and have suffered more so under this anemic economic recovery in the last eight years. Narrowing this understanding to Georgia, the lens with which the MSM views poverty is mischaracterized as ‘redneck’ with a plethora of ‘privilege’ with opportunities abounding. I do not see many of these people feeling the Bern nor did I see any Hillary signs in their yards. Nowhere is this mischaracterization found more so than in rural Georgia, particularly in the southern part of the state.
I grew up in rural southern Georgia where most of the jobs were agricultural. We did not have a county-911 system put in place until the mid to late 1990s. I remember vividly of the people I use to attend elementary school in this rural community. Many families lived miles away from grocery stores and hospital access – sometimes it would take a 30-minutes drive to get to the nearest hospital. I will never forget a family that lived on Highway 82. Our bus driver, Ms. Mary Woods, would pick up all the children who lived on that rural route before stopping at the Smith’s (not actual name of the family) and finalizing our journey before getting to the school house. The Smith family was white, and definitely not privileged, contrarily defined by today’s media and social justice narrative. From the Smith’s driveway, one could make out, what we in the south call a shotgun house. One could see right through the front door and through the inside of the entire house. Also, the home did not have windows to protect the family from the elements.
Upon arrival at the Smith home, everyone had firsthand exposure to their poverty which gave some of us an education each day – talk about a hidden curriculum for second graders in rural Georgia. There were five Smith children – two older girls, and three boys. The boys were closer to my age. As the children would enter the bus, we could smell them as they did not take a bath regularly and the boys often had wild hog or opossum blood on their clothing. One of the boys, Keith, was in my grade and I would always ask him why he had blood on him. Keith, always smiling, told me that they had to go hog hunting each morning to make sure they had food to eat at home. Over the school years, I got to know Keith and the other children and noticed their truancy from school. I finally asked why, Georgy-Ray, Keith’s brother, was always tardy. Keith informed me that Georgy-Ray was not allowed to go to school until he successfully killed a wild hog that morning.
As a child growing up in rural South Georgia, this lifestyle was not uncommon. The people who lived in these conditions found ways to survive and make the best of each day and never wanted you to feel sorry for them. Their plight is prideful but antiquated to fit their own success within the rural culture. Access to services, even in the late 20th century, were not apparent in the rural areas as seen in the urban areas.
Recently, I had to help a family in Brantley County, GA. The grandfather needed some health insurance assistance. I drove up to the home, and it was a typical rural scene in South Georgia of families in poverty. The grandfather was in a wheelchair, and in my best judgment, would be a candidate for nursing home care. The home was not ideal, and the grandfather lived in the travel trailer welded to the main portion of the home. The conditions were not set up for wheelchairs except for the ramp leading up to the main house. The grandfather had to be lifted by his son out of the travel trailer to place him in the wheelchair. As we entered the home, I noticed many adults and children. The adults were in their 20s to 40s and apparently healthy enough to work. The children were school aged, but instead, were at home. The home smelt symptomatic of poverty, and there was only one phone, which was a landline – sometimes it did not work. There were no cells phones, computers, internet access, much less lights in the home. They used flashlights for lighting. These scenes are still prevalent today even in some cases where dirt floors are covered only in small rugs leading to common areas within the home. These people do not have the same conditions as urban housing, where federal standards must be met, but nonetheless, can still be poor. I helped the grandfather and was sometimes assisted by the children in the home, as they knew more about the public assistance procedures than I did in some cases.
The mainstream media cannot define the perception of poverty (MSM) and nor should it. The MSM’s misrepresentation of America was rejected in the past presidential election cycle because they choose to not report on issues facing all Americans. Our education system is a critical springboard to making sure poverty does not have to be an option in rural Georgia. Glossing over the facts about poverty and economic opportunity centralized within the I-285 doughnut is not Georgia at all, and this unilateral economic plan will not help correct the issue. The answer boils down to leadership in this state. To all the candidates who want to be the next Governor of Georgia, you should submit a plan that encourages more economic development allowing more opportunities for able-bodied people who choose to live freely in rural Georgia.
Sent from my iPhone
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