appalachia culture, poverty & ministry training
DESCRIPTION
This is an Appalachia culture training where I tell a story of the history of the southern coalfields of West Virginia and the poverty that started there and is there today.TRANSCRIPT
Appalachia Culture TrainingPresented by Malcolm Lanham
What is Appalachia?
How to pronounce it
Ap·pa·la·chi·an [àpp láychee n, àpp lách n] adjective
Ap·pal·a·chi·ans [àpp láychee nz, àpp lách nz]
Ap·pa·la·chi·a[àpp láychee , àpp lách] noun
What is Appalachia?
•A 200,000 sq. mile region•Includes parts of 12 states and all of West Virginia•23 million people live here•Divided into three sub-regions•Central region, where we minister is characterized by extreme poverty, coal mining and high illiteracy rates
How did it all start?
Pocahontas, VA & Pocahontas Coal
Bramwell, WVCapital of the West Virginia
coalfields and home to millionaires
Bramwell, WVHow to say it
It is not Bram-well...
It is Bram-ull...
History of Bramwell
Coal Mining & Camp Life
Their valuesReligionBeing oneselfFamilyNeighborlinessIndividualismPatriotismSelf-reliancePrideSense of humorLove of placeSense of beautyModesty
Diversity of the Coal Mines
Immigrants &
African Americans
Working in coal mines
AccidentsHealth Issues
Long hours
Company store concept
The GoodThe BadThe Ugly
Poverty in Coal Camps
& TownsNo Justice
Started Generations AgoOrganized slavery
Rampant CorruptionDisasters & Crisis
Reasons for Poverty
•There is no one cause of poverty, typically you will have 5- 7 causes of poverty
•Here you have the same thing...•Cultural norms•Corrupt political systems•Unfair wage and labor
systems•Lack of education•Disasters, Crisis•Personal decisions
What did the churches do?
1960’s War on PovertyAttitude toward poverty was simplistic: if a region is destitute, give it goods, services and infrastructure
JFK initiated and planned the War on Poverty in 1963
LBJ launched the program in McDowell County
War on PovertyThe Community Action program sent volunteers into the region
The Federal government poured money into the region
Social programs such as welfare relief, public works projects and subsidies to industries were implemented
Poverty wins the war
Federal aid was used to finance more consumption and more children
Welfare and state aid become dominant source of income
The Federal government has spent $6 trillion on a war, where poverty has stayed the same or gotten worse
Coal town life today
Poverty todayMcDowell County, WV
McDowell County, WV
This area is the gateway to poverty...
McDowell County is the poorest county in WV and the fifth poorest in the United States
37% of the county is living in poverty
65+% of all the adults have not graduated from high school
Highest teen pregnancy rates in West Virginia
McDowell County, WV
The highest drug death per capita in West Virginia and Virginia combined
70% of the county's housing is listed as substandard
85% of McDowell County is still owned by coal mine companies
Improper water & sanitationMass exodus of population
McDowell County, WV
Coal mines have abused the residents
In some communities, 90% of the children are living below the national poverty line.
75- 85% of the children in public schools are eligible for free/ reduced lunches, depending on the school.
Ministry here in the Hills &
Hollers
Factors that affect our ministry
Appalachian culture- this is a cross- cultural experience for people. Education levelDistrust of outsiders- “furriners” Exodus of populationAutomationUnion and Politics
“Leave your union, political and religious views at home.”
Factors that affect our ministry
EconomicsChangeReligious cultureRespect the family
How are we doing it?
Food & Hunger ReliefMeet the immediate needs of the
communityCommunity development &
supportChurch support
Appalachia Culture TrainingPresented by Malcolm LanhamContact Info:email & google talk: [email protected]: [email protected]: malcolmlanham