Generations Of Living In The Hood Or The Holler

A myth held by some Americans proclaims that we do not have “real poverty” in our nation, and that real poverty is only present in Third World countries. However, we can easily dispel this myth by simply visiting the homes of generationally impoverished families whose daily nightmare is one of living forever trapped in deprivation.

As a social service consultant, I have visited these homes for nearly three decades, and I am still incredulous as I witness the struggles faced by these Americans.

According to the Census Bureau’s, American Community Survey (ACS) Briefs: Poverty 2008 and 2009, there are 42.9 million (18.9 percent), Americans who currently live at or below the poverty line. These statistics support my personal and professional observations. The percentage of people with an income less than 50 percent of their poverty threshold increased from 5.6 percent in the 2008 ACS, to 6.3 percent in the 2009 ACS. Even the poorest among us are now poorer. As those from the middle class who recently slid down the short and slippery slope into poverty will attest, poverty is hard, no matter whom you are, but this is not news to the generationally impoverished families who have lived this way for the past century.

However, money is not the only necessity missing from generationally impoverished families. A dearth of emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical support makes sure that those who are down stay down. Although these universal commonalities consistently exist in impoverished communities, the culture and environment of the community tends to dictate the survival skills needed to navigate it. While visiting inner city homes in the “Hood,” and rural families who live in Appalachian “Hollers,” I marvel at the different brands of entrepreneurial ingenuity people use to survive.

The Hood is a crowded place where peace and privacy are nonexistent. The noise of the streets and the neighborhood constantly bombard the residents and create a low-level tension that never seems to go away. Barter is strongly depended upon to get one’s needs met, particularly since the Welfare Reform Bill passed in 1996, http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/humanservices/welfare/welfare.aspx. With a three-year limit on welfare benefits, and few private sector jobs available, residents of the Hood trade babysitting, laundry services, rides, and food to get through each month. Since everyone in the Hood seems to know the specific resources of their neighbors, bartering offers a quick way of getting short-term needs met.

For long-term needs, residents often turn to operating unlicensed businesses such as hairdressing and barbering services at kitchen tables, as well as manicures, tattooing, and bartending. “Shade tree mechanics” fix your car for a reasonable fee, and home grocers buy in bulk at the local Sam’s Club, and sell popular items from the shelves that line their living rooms. Computer owners visit Goodwill stores and yard sales, then market their bargain finds on E-bay.

In sharp contrast, the poor who dwell in the hills of Appalachia tend to live in isolation. The nearest neighbor might be a mile or more away, so while some bartering still exists, self-sustaining activities are more common. Cutting wood to heat your mobile home, farmhouse or log cabin, and carrying muddy water up from the ditch that runs along the road to wash clothes, bathe and cook becomes part of the daily routine. Families that lack electricity spend hours weekly making sure there is fuel in the generator.

Selling homegrown fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, and eggs at roadside stands, and local organic grocery stores provide a seasonal source of income. Growing and selling marijuana to dealers from the North is also popular. Catering local events with home cooked food, or selling baked goods, and home crafted items at local flea markets allows one to make money and catch up with friends and neighbors.

Trash hauling, grass mowing, woodcutting, furniture making, and making and marketing moonshine are among the means available to make a living. However, trying to make it through the winter when income is harder to come by is the tricky part.

No, the poor who live in the Hood and the Holler are not lazy. They are not faint of heart either. These brave Americans depend on their wit and wisdom daily to simply eat and keep a roof above their family’s head. Their poverty is very real to them, and it should be to the world.