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 ~ Economic ~ Education ~ Social ~ Housing ~ Demographic Conditions ~ Housing ~ Demographic Conditions ~

AccessAccess 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