The Faces of Poverty in the Black
Belt Region
In the Shadows of Poverty
“Strengthening the Rural Poverty Research Capacity of the
South”
Memphis, TN
July 21, 2003
Sokoya Finch, ED, Florida Family Network, Inc.
What is Poverty
 The condition of having little, or no wealth or
material possessions
 Destitution
 Deprivation
 Vulnerability of exclusion from society
 Victim of every disparity
 Being without
 A status that increases the wealth of others who
have
Poverty in the Black Belt
Region
Economic ~ Education ~ Social ~
Housing ~ Demographic Conditions ~
Access
 How different is the face of poverty in 2004
than in 50’s, 60’s 70’s?
 Is the Southeastern region better off in 2004
than in previous history of U.S.?
A View of the BBR
 The BBR is made up of 623 counties in 11
Southern states
 BBR has 30% of all Americans and 34% of
the nation’s poor
 BBR is connected by clusters of poverty –
they are among the most impoverished in the
nation
The Dismantling of Persistent
Poverty in the BBR
 The involvement of University of GA
 The Tuskegee Study – A Community Based
Perspective
 The value of participatory research
 The look of poverty was the same across the
region
What does it Really Mean - The
Impact
 Health
 Housing
 Economic Development
 Local Infrastructure
The Results
 Empowerment
 Federal Commission



Broad representation – inclusive of low-income
representative- Constituency Representation Board
(CRB)
CRB will administer 20% of Authority’s total
appropriation
Input from community strategic planning priorities for
local communities
Redefining Poverty – “The
Data Belongs to the People”




Start to look at poverty and data in different ways
Whose owns and control the data?
Allow communities their voice and to be heard
What how you imply, infer, concur the meaning of
their words, families, communities, life, etc
 Be inclusive – find a way to celebrate their
greatness versus being driven by the disparity
 Forging relationships
The Face of Poverty