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CONFERENCE

Who are the Poor?
UNIVERGJTY OF NOTRE DAIUE

MEMORIAL LIBRARY

i-t B 15 1979



(Note.Teachers should take the pre-test before reading further.)

TEACHER OVERVIEW:

There is much misunderstanding of who is really economically
poor in the U.S. In addition, there are many misconceptions
about welfare recipients. The following are typical falsehoods

which many Americans cherish.

FALSE:

1. All Americans have an equal chance of being rich or poor. It

all depends on their personal efforts.

2. Most people on welfare are Black.

3. Most of the poor are Black.

4. A large number of the poor receive welfare assistance.
5. Most people on welfare could work if they wanted to. They

are just shiftless if they are not working.

TRUE:

1.

The following are the incidence levels of poverty in the U.S.:

White 10% incidence level of poverty

Black 33% incidence level of poverty

Spanish Speaking 25% incidence level of poverty

Indian 90% incidence level of poverty

2. Since the white population of this country exceeds the

non-white population by 6.1 times, there are far more whites

who are poor. In reality there are about 2.1 times more poor

whites than poor non-whites.

3. Most of the people on welfare are unable to work.

The welfare statistics are these:

49% — children
20% — over 65 years (not handicapped)
16% — indigent
15% — handicapped (includes some elderly not

counted above)

4. 60% of the poor are not on welfare.

5. Less than 1% of the men on welfare would be capable of

self-support at this time, if they were trained.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To sift out (by pre-test) pre-existing bias and ignorance

concerning who is really economically poor.

2. To study the actual statistics of economic poverty.

3. To examine the discrepancies between beliefs and facts about

economic poverty.

4. To try to find the reasons for our ignorance of the truth.

5. To study the significance of the statistics of economic poverty

in the U.S.

6. To redefine our attitudes about economic poverty and the

poor.

Cover photo: Student art work provided by

St. Angela Hall High School, Brooklyn, New York © 1971 U. S. C. C.
X 400



7.

To personally commit individuals to the elimination of the

injustices involved in the causes of poverty. (This is to be

accomplished by personal involvement in specific activities.)

TIME:
It is expected that about 2 months will be needed in which to

give this module careful study and implementation.

PRE-TEST:
1. Of the following, which group has the highest percentage of

poverty?

a. Spanish Speaking c. Indians

Americans d. Whites

b. Blacks

2. Two out of every three poor people in this country are
a. Spanish Speaking c. Indians

Americans d. Whites

b. Blacks

3. What percentage of the poor in this country are receiving

welfare assistance?

a. 100% c. 40%

b. 90% d. 10%

4. Of those men in the U.S. who receive welfare assistance,

what percentage could be self-supporting now, if trained?

a. 1% c. 70%

b. 20% d. 99%

5. Which of the following groups represents (by far) the largest

number of people on welfare in the U.S.?

a. children d. severely handicapped

b. people over 65 (blind, etc.)

c. indigent adults

6. Of the following who are most affected by unemployment?

a. teen-agers d. non-whites

b. adults e. a and d

c. whites f. b and d

7. In the past year or so (1970-71) unemployment in the U.S.

has

a. increased c. remained stable

b. decreased

8. If poverty in the U.S. were evenly distributed, we would

expect to see

a. 8 times more poor whites than poor non-whites

b. 6 times more poor whites than poor non-whites

c. 4/5 as many poor whites as poor non-whites

d. 1/2 as many poor whites as poor non-whites

9. Of the following, the most important statistical factor which

2



accounts for much of the poverty in the U.S. is

a. religion c. insanity

b. unwillingness to work d. race and ethnicity

10. The most recent (July 1970) U.S. Census Bureau definition

of the poverty level is

a. yearly income of not more than $3,970 per family of 4

(non-farm)

b. yearly income of not more than $4,000 per family of 4

(non-farm)

c. yearly income of not more than $4,500 per family of 4

(non-farm)

d. yearly income of not more than $4,800 per family of 4

(non-farm)

11. In the U.S. today the number of old people is

a. decreasing c. stable

b. increasing d. unimportant

12. In the U.S. today, the largest percentage of heads of families

who hold more than one job are most apt to be

a. whites d. female

b. non-whites e. a and c

c. male f. b and c

13. At present the federal minimum wage in the U.S. is

a. $1.50 per hour c. $2.00 per hour

b. $1.60 per hour d. $3.00 per hour

14. The median income of whites is presently how far above the

median income of non-whites?

a. 10% c. 50%

b. 33% d. 68%

15. Anyone who is willing to work does not have to be poor,

a. True b. False

16. We could completely solve the problem of poverty if we
could put enough money into poverty areas and poor people.

a. True b. False

17. Malnutrition can cause brain damage,

a. True b. False

18. A head of family of four, working 40 hours every week, at
$1.60 an hour, would have a yearly income that would put him

below the poverty level.

a. True b. False

19. A head of a family of four, working 40 hours every week, at
$2.00 an hour, would be considered in the middle-class income

range.

a. True b. False

20. The head of a family of four, working 40 hours every week,

at $3.00 an hour, would be considered to be in the

upper-middle-class income range.

a. True b. False

3



ANSWERS:
1. c 5. a 9. d 13. b 17. a

2. d 6. e 10. a 14. d 18. a

3. d 7. a 11. b 15. b 19. b

4. a 8. b 12. e 16. b 20. b

NB: Statistics used on the following pages were computed from: (1) U.S. Census

Bureau figures; (2) fact sheet of Program Development, U.S.C.C. Task Force on Urban

Problems; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) the New York Times. These figures are

significant approximations. Exactness is impossible for the following reasons: (1) the

U.S. Census Bureau does not keep figures on all Mexicans and Puerto Ricans (estimates

in the case of these minorities have been made from sample Bureau surveys); and (2)

people from extreme minority groups often live in areas where it is difficult to locate

them or even to know of their existence.

PROBABILITY OF POVERTY:

1.

Q. What probability is there that you will be poor if you are

an American?

A. One out of every three Americans is poor or deprived as

computed by U.S. Census Bureau figures.

Poverty Level - Family of four earning

less than $4,000 yearly (36 million

people in U.S.).

Deprived - Family of four 'earning from

$4,000-$6,000 yearly (30 million

people in U.S.).

2. Q. What probability is there that you will be poor if you are

white?

A. One out of every ten whites is poor.

3. Q. What probability is there that you will be poor if you are

Black?

A. Three out of every ten Blacks are poor.

4. Q. What probability is there that you will be poor if you are

a Spanish Speaking American?

A. Almost three out of every ten Spanish Speaking

Americans are poor.

5. Q. What probability is there that you will be poor if you are

an American Indian?

A. More than nine out of every ten American Indians are poor.

4



6. Q. Poverty, then, is not equally distributed among the
various racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

A. True, as computed by the U.S. Census Bureau.

APPROXIMATELY
8.6 out of every 10 persons in the U.S. are white.

1.4 out of every 10 persons in the U.S. are non-white.

If poverty were evenly distributed without regard to race,

we would then expect 6.1 times the number of poor
non-whites to be poor and white; or

WE WOULD EXPECT
8.6 out of every 10 poor in the U.S. to be white.

1.4 out of every 10 poor in the U.S. to be non-white.

BUT
Poverty is not directly proportioned to all the people in

the U.S. If all U.S. poverty is analyzed by race,

WE SEE
6.8 out of every 10 U.S. poor persons are white.

3.2 out of every 10 U.S. poor persons are non-white.

THIS MEANS
2-1/3 times as many non-whites are poor than would be
so if poverty were equally distributed among the U.S.

population.

THIS MEANS
Poverty in the United States is related directly to racial

and ethnic bias.

WORKERS AND POVERTY
Some poor people cannot find work. The unemployment rate is

higher for non-whites, both adult and teenagers, than for whites.

The New York Times (June 6, 1971) reported the following
figures:

Unemployment Rate

TEENS (16-19)

Non-white

ALL WORKERS
Non-white

5



It is to be noted, too, that unemployment has grown steadily

more serious in the period from 1966-1971.

POVERTY AND FULL EMPLOYMENT:

Q. Who is poor;
A. Those who have only part-time employment.

Factors: 111 health

Poor sanitation

Lack of medical and dental care

Influence of drugs, violence, hopelessness in ghetto

NON-POOR FAMILIES POOR FAMILIES

Family heads who work a full year. Poor family heads who work a full year

80% of heads of families work a full year 40% of heads of families work a full

year. Even so, they are poor in spite of

the fact that they are willing to work,

and do!

POVERTY AND KINDS OF JOBS:

Q. Who is poor?

A. More blue-collar than white-collar workers. More farmers and

laborers than blue-collar workers.

WHITE-COLLAR JOBS BLUE-COLLAR JOBS

Office workers, teachers

27.7.%

Factory, maintenance, mechanics,

operators, miners, drivers

26.4%

($4,000 or under yearly) ($4,000 or under yearly)

6



FARMERS AND LABORERS SERVICE WORKERS

62.5% 68.9%

($4,000 or under yearly) ($4,000 or under yearly)

POVERTY DEPRIVED

% at salary under % under $6,000
$4,000 yearly

WHITE-COLLAR JOB

BLUE-COLLAR JOB

FARMERS AND LABORERS
SERVICE WORKERS

BUYING POWER:
Some working poor have low

prices and buying power.)

RISE IN CONSUMER
PRICE INDEX, 1960-1970

Index: 1957-1959 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics,

U.S. Department of Labor

27.7 44.8

26.4 45.9

62.5 77.6

68.9 83.7

1960 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

Nov.

THE SLUMP IN WORKERS’ BUYING POWER

(After-tax weekly earnings of average non-supervisory worker in private employment)

Based on weekly take-home pay, after federal taxes, for worker with three dependents.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

POOR PEOPLE AND WELFARE PAYMENTS:
Only four out of every ten poor persons accept welfare

payments. Of these, nearly one-half are children, and nearly

7



one-quarter are elderly people. The following outline lists the

categories of persons who receive most Welfare benefits.

WELFARE RECIPIENTS:
1. Children under 18 (1/5 of these, 14-18 years; 4/5 of these,

under 14).

2. People over 65 (mostly women).

3. Severelyhandicapped (blind, etc.).

4. Indigent parents.

POVERTY AND HOUSING:
Q. Who is poor?

A. Those who can’t afford to buy adequate housing.

To buy the average house, you need $10,000+ income.

But the average American income is: white, $8,937;

non-white, $5,360.

Full-time employment (without vacation or illness) at the

federal minimum-wage level earns a yearly salary of $3,328.

Are we surprised that the poor have substandard housing, rats

and filth? What else can they afford in this economy?

“The average wage-earner has been effectively priced out of

the new housing market. The median sales prices of new homes

sold in mid-1970 was approximately $24,000, according to the

Department of Housing and Urban Development. You need an

income of about $10,000 a year —and possibly more — to afford
this kind of price tag on a house.

“In fact, with rising property taxes and mortgages in the 8

percent bracket
,
HUD Secretary George Romney has estimated

that it takes close to $300 a month to finance the median new

home today
,

including mortgage payments
,
maintenance and

utilities.

“While labor costs often are blamed for high prices of homes,

the fact is that construction costs, which include both labor and

materials, actually have risen less sharply than the price of land,

interest and other contractor costs and overhead. Construction

costs rose 22 percent from 1964 to early 1970, compared to the

increase of 29 percent in the median sale price of the houses.

Construction costs of publicly-owned housing increased even

less — about 14 percent in that period.
“Even middle-income families now often need help in the

way of subsidized housing, especially younger families seeking

their first homes. It has been estimated that the building or

financing of perhaps half of the dwelling units built in 1971 will

be subsidized in part by various federal programs such as the

Emergency Home Finance Act of 1970. ” 1

iReprinted from the AFL-CJO American Federationist, January 1971.

8



POVERTY AND HEALTH:
Q. Who is poor?

A. Those who can't afford medical costs or medical insurance.

Costs:

The United States spends a greater percentage of its gross

national product — 7 percent — on health than any other nation.
The total expenditures amounted to $67.2 billion in Fiscal 1970,

or 12.2 percent more than the previous year. Since 1950, costs

have risen 400 percent. Broken down, these figures mean:

• The average per capita health expenditure in 1970 was

$324 per year — an increase of $33.
• Hospital costs increased at a greater rate — 15 percent —

than any other cost and totalled $12.9 billion.

• The cost of physicians' services totalled $12.9 billion or

an increase of 9.5 percent.

• Medical care costs are increasing twice as fast as other

consumer costs.

• The largest governmental health program is Medicare —

$7.1 billion in 1970. But Medicare covers only 47 percent of the

total personal health care expenditures of the aged.

• Medicaid, primarily medical care for the poor, cost $5

billion in 1970— with about half paid by financially-strapped
state and local governments.

The U.S. is first among industrial countries in what it spends

for health care, but it doesn’t receive the kind of medical care it

pays for.

FACTS:*

Average per capita health expenditure in 1970 = $324 per year.

Health cost for family of four = $1,296.

Full year’s salary at minimum wage = $3,328.

THE POOR CAN’T AFFORD HEALTH CARE:
Background:

Even with more than 1,000 health insurance companies crowding

into the field, approximately 16 percent of those Americans

under age 65 have no insurance. And the types of coverage

provided those with insurance is spotty, at best:

• 34 million have no coverage for hospitalization.

• 38.5 million are not protected against surgical costs.

• 55.3 million receive no benefits for doctor visits in the

hospital.

• 64 million pay their X-ray and laboratory bills out of

their own pockets.
• 103.5 million don’t have insurance coverage for doctor

office and home visits.

^AFL-CIO Legislative Department, National Health Security 1971 Fact Sheet No. 1.

9



3 MEASURES OF THE ECONOMIC
POVERTY LEVEL:

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

$6,969 yearly income for non-farm family of four.

30% of U.S. population is estimated to be poor by this measure.

BASIS: actual cost of living in the U.S.

2. Heineman Commission (Presidential commission on poverty):

$4,835 yearly income for non-farm family of four.

22% of U.S. population is estimated to be poor by this measure.

BASIS: V2 median income of all U.S. citizens; 80% of this for
farmers.

3. Office of Economic Opportunity:

$3,970 yearly income for non-farm family of four.

12% of U.S. population is estimated to be poor by this measure.

Poverty

Levels

Minimum

Wage

Yearly

Earnings

at M.W.

Comparison of

Yearly Earnings

with Poverty

Level

To reach Poverty

Level, Minimum

Hourly Wage

Needed

BLS $6,969

HC 4,835

OEO 3,970

$1.60 $3,328

BLS (-$3,641)

HC (- 1,507)
OEO (- 642)

BLS $3.35

HC 2.32

OEO 1.90

Presently any person working full-time at the minimum wage
must be poor by any standard.

Consider the following minimum wages necessary to reach the
3 measures of the POVERTY LEVEL.

$1.90 $3,970 OEO
$2.32 $4,835 HC
$3.35 $6,969 BLS

How adequate would you consider any or all of these minimum
wages to support four people for a year?

What do you think of the present minimum wage of $1.60 per
hour?

What do you think our federal minimum wage should be in
order to be realistic in our present economy, and in order that

the worker might have an adequate standard of living?

THE POVERTY LEVEL

An Arbitrary Standard
“An arbitrary line must be drawn if poverty is to be

measured
, but where and how ? After several years of

experimentation
,
the federal government has developed a poverty

measure by which families are called poor if their incomes are

below a specified level prescribed by the Social Security

10



Administration. This level takes account of such factors as family

size
,
number of children , and farm — non-farm residence , as well

as amount of family income.

“The poverty level is based on a minimumly nutritionally

sound food plan (the ‘economy ’ plan) designed by the

Department of Agriculture for ‘emergency or temporary use

when funds are low.' Assuming that a poor family should spend

no more than one-third of its income for food , the cost of food

included in the economy plan is used to determine the minimum

total income requirements for a given type of family. Therefore ,

a household is statistically classified as poor if its total money

income is less than three times the cost of the economy food

plan. ”3

OEO Line
The Office of Economic Opportunity follows this estimate

closely. By their estimate, the amount of income needed yearly

for a non-farm family of four to be above the poverty level is

$3,970.00 (1971). It is interesting to note that, if a head of

household were to work an 8-hour day, 52 weeks a year (no

vacation) at the current federal minimum wage, he would earn

$3,328 — less than the poverty level! Approximately 25.5 million
persons are now classified as living below this poverty level by

OEO. It is also interesting to note that the federal minimum wage

is inadequate (by $.30 an hour) in providing subsistence living for

a family of four.

POINTS TO NOTE: ACTION OPTIONS
1. Legislation would help many working poor. 25% of all poor

(by the USDA-OEO standard of poverty) live in households
where the head works 50-52 weeks a year! This means 1.5

million working heads of household and families or about 6

million persons, could be lifted (statistically) out of poverty by:

a. Raising the inadequate minimum wage.

b. Making the work of these poor subject to minimum-wage

requirements.

c. Training these people who want to work to obtain better,

more skilled jobs.

2. Another 1.4 million heads of household, who work less than

50 weeks a year, are in poverty. This means 2.9 million heads of

household (more than 50% of all families in poverty) work, or

want to work, full time. This means 11.6 million people in

poverty could be (statistically) lifted out simply by providing

them full-time employment with an adequate wage. These people

are not hopelessly incapacitated. They are poor because they

have no opportunity even though they want it.

^Herman P. Miller, Rich Man, Poor Man. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1971, pp.
117-118. Copyright 1971 by Thomas Y. Crowell Co., Inc.; reprinted with permission

of the publisher.

11



3. 45% of America’s poor are in households of working poor!

The statistics mentioned above are even more distressing in

light of the fact that the USDA-OEO standard of poverty is

widely considered inadequate.

Herman Miller, Director of the Census Bureau, states in Rich

Man
,
Poor Man

:

“The current poverty index has several serious shortcomings.

First, the relationship between food expenditures and the total

budget is based on information obtained in 1955. A similar study
conducted in 1 965 showed that families, on the average , spend

28% of their income on food rather than 33%. On this basis, the

cost of the food budget should be multiplied by 3V2 instead of by

3, and the poverty line should be set at a considerably higher

level This change has not been made. Second, no allowance is,

made for regional variations in the cost of living, and the farm-

non-farm differential of 85% is quite arbitrary. Third, the food
items on which the poverty line is based were developed for

“temporary or emergency use ” and are inadequate for a

permanent diet. Finally, and perhaps most importantly
,
a fixed

standard is used for measuring poverty... The essential fallacy of

a fixed poverty line is that it fails to recognize the relative nature

of needs....

“We must recognize that the use of a constant standard

exaggerates the improvement that is made over time. If the poor

are identified by a constant market basket
,
no allowance is made

for a rise in the standard of living among poor families. The

standard of living of the average family , however, goes up each

year because its income is going up. By using a constant standard

many people are moved above the poverty line each year
,
but

their position relative to others is unaltered. They continue to be

unable to afford many of the goods and services that are widely

enjoyed by others. Their status in the census tabulations is

changed from poor to non-poor, but their feelings of deprivation

remain unchanged. If this definition remains in use long enough ,

poverty will in time be eliminated statistically
,
but few people

will believe it — certainly not those who continue to have
housing

,
education

,
medical care and other goods and services

that are far below the standard deemed acceptable for this

society. ” (pages 122-123)

In our society, we believe in equality of opportunity. In the

Campaign for Human Development we speak of integral human
development. The standard of poverty used in the estimates

above is materially unrealistic, and it does not take into account

the needs for transportation, communications, leisure, and

education required now to generate a decent living, political

representation, and personal fulfillment.

12



Heineman Commission Line

Another standard of minimum income for a family of four

has been developed. The Heineman Commission (President’s

Commission on Income Maintenance Programs) suggested, as its

standard for an adequate income, an income equal to one-half

the median family income for the United States ($9,670 in

1971). Thus, according to this standard, the poverty level would

be $4,835. With this standard, the minimum annual wage would

be:

$4,835

-3,328 Minimum wage for 2080 work hrs/year (52 weeks,

40 hrs/wk)

$1,607/year or $.76/hour; minimum wage is inadequate.

Too low! Moreover, with this standard, not 25.4 million but

44,990,000 persons are living below the poverty level!

GENERALIZATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
DRAWN FROM STATISTICS

1. Poverty affects every race in the United States.

2. The U.S. population is approximately 85% white.
3. The majority of poor people are white.

4. There is a greater percentage incidence of poverty in

minority, ethnic and racial groups. The incidence of poverty is

not proportionate to the number of people in a minority.

5. Unemployment is higher among non-whites and teen-agers.

6. Less than half of the poor (40%) are on welfare.

7. Almost 50% of those on welfare are children. 20% of those

on welfare are ov£r 65 (mostly women).

8. Only 1% of all men on welfare are employable.
9. The Consumer Index (1957-59 = 100) has risen by almost

40% since 1959.

10. The buying power of the dollar is decreasing at the same

time as weekly earnings increase.

11. The federal minimum wage is totally inadequate when

measured by any standard or scale.

12. By merely raising the minimum wage, several million people

would be lifted out of statistical poverty.

13. Median incomes are 68% higher for whites than for

non-whites.

14. There is a greater percentage of 'poverty among blue-collar

workers, farmers, and service workers than among white-collar

workers.

15. The poor are mostly not jobless.

16. The poor cannot afford adequate housing.

17. The poor cannot afford health care and insurance.

18. The causes of poverty may be found in a complex

combination of economic and social factors.

13



WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?
Q. What has been done?

A. Something. For one thing:

Hydaburg Smokehouse

The 214 residents of Hydaburg in southeastern Alaska are

95% Haida Indians who are skilled fishermen. During the past ten

years, this small “second-class’ incorporated city on Prince of

Wales Island has lost 15% of its population, mostly young men.

The chief cause of this drop in residents is the depressed

economic condition of the community and lack of jobs.

For the past year the city council and the Hydaburg

Cooperation Association have joined forces to purchase and

reactivate a fishery compound. This plant, has been inactive for

the past four years pending attempts by the government and

private industry to effect mergers with fleets of other cities.

The reactivation of the plant, will include a smokery unit

which will enable the residents to process their fish for market

and thereby create additional job opportunities in the area of

management, marketing and processing.

More important, however, is the fact that Hydaburg

residents have shared their problems and their hopes for strong

family life, and have worked together to effect an immediate

local change. From this small beginning on Prince of Wales

Island, larger repercussions may be felt at levels affecting greater

legal protection and financial assistance for many Alaskan

communities. (The Hydaburg Smokehouse received funding from

the Campaign for Human Development.)

Q. What is being done ?

A. Something.

Military Highway Water Supply Corporation

Most of the residents of the southern parts of Cameron and

Hidalgo counties, Texas, are Mexican American. Except for

several small towns, this area is a rural farm area adjacent to the

Rio Grande River. About 60% of its people are poor. One of the

most serious and chronic problems in the Rio Grande valley is

the lack of potable, safe drinking water. In spite of the fact that

many of the large farms have obtained irrigation from the Rio,

there has never been a system of supplying drinking water to the

small landowners, the Chicano people who work as farm laborers,
migrants, or in nearby towns as craftsmen and laborers, and who
proudly save their small earnings to buy a small tract of land and

build a home out of second-hand lumber. Water-communicable

diseases such as hepatitis, polio and dysentery occur frequently

and the infant mortality rate in this area is the seventh highest in

the nation.

The residents and community leaders have formed a

nonprofit water supply corporation which will seek a long-term

14



loan from the United States government to build a water system

in the valley. Its members shall be mostly the poor rural Chicano
residents of the eastern Rio Grande valley. With seed money
from the Campaign for Human Development, the corporation
can obtain the federal loan, hire a contractor of its own choice,
generate jobs foi the men in the area, organize and build
self-determination among the people. This water system will be a
cooperatively owned project... and the poor will have
policy-making power over their own valley’s development and
their own water.

Q. What has been done?

A. Something.

Voice of Calvary Leadership Development Institute

Simpson County, Mississippi, is primarily a rural county.

Until early in 1960 most Black families in Simpson County

earned their living by cotton farming. Since 1966, however,

Black farmers have received less money from selling their cotton

than they have spent to cultivate and harvest it. Black people

here are also plagued by high food prices, lack of doctors and

hospitals, and poor housing. In some rural areas of the county

90% of the houses are without flush toilets, bathtubs, or showers.

Many people have left Simpson County. Those who remain

are usually very old or very young. Some people in the county

have put their faith in the young.

These people make up the Civic League, a community

organization established in 1964. The Civic League believes in the

cooperative principle that alone one man can do little, but that

together we can create new jobs. A man who can feed, clothe,
and house himself is no longer a slave. Since 1964 the Civic

League has run voter-registration drives, started a housing

project, and established its own cooperative grocery store.

The Civic League has now turned its attention to the young

Blacks of Simpson County and has established the Voice of

Calvary Leadership Development Institute. The purpose of the

institute is to educate the young people to full knowledge of

their rights and potential and “to develop a group of intelligent

Black leaders with spiritual and human values.”

At first the Institute sent its young people outside of

Mississippi to study. When these students returned to Simpson

County, they and the Institute established a summer tutorial

program for grades two through twelve. The summer program

includes courses in English, Black history, mathematics, arts and

crafts, music, Bible, and typing. Recently, the Institute has begun

an evening tutorial program which runs from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

during the school year. This evening program is remedial and is

intended to help those students who are failing in school. These

students often fail because they lack basic skills, because they

15



have no confidence in themselves, and because they often receive

no help at home. Many parents in Simpson County work and

may not have completed the first six years of school.

Through both the summer and evening programs, the

Institute has placed its faith in its young people in the hopes that -.*?

these young, educated Blacks will choose to remain in the county

and to help the Civic League in its efforts for the community.

Q. What has been done?

A. Something.

The Campaign for Human Development has funded other
projects, such as:

Welfare Rights

Pima County National Welfare Rights Organization, Tucson

diocese and city: For extension of the National Welfare Rights

Organization in this area

Appalachian Community Development

Core Appalachian Ministries, Nashville, Tennessee

(Nashville and Wheeling): For three specific projects for

community development efforts of the poor in the

Wheeling-Nashville areas.

Self-Help: Housing, Education, Recreation

Natchitoches Ministry, Natchitoches, Louisiana

(Alexandria): For ecumenical ministry to involve religious groups

in self-help efforts to solve community problems of housing,

education, recreation, etc.

Indians — Alcoholism
Associates for Progress, Belcourt, North Dakota (Fargo):

For building a rehabilitation center for Indian alcoholics .

Inner City, Day Care, Adult Education

The Learning Tree, Inc., Knoxville, Maryland (Wash.,D.C.):

For a day-care center that is community planned and staffed for

children of working mothers. The center also will be used for

adult education in the evenings.Housing, Ethnic Groups, Teens

Housing, Ethnic Groups, Teens

North Central Community Organization, Philadelphia: For

organization of local residents around the issues of housing,

neighborhood improvement, relations with other ethnic groups,

and particularly work with young people.

Community Services for Elderly

Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc., Henderson,

North Carolina (Raleigh): For a community service center for the

elderly.

Health, Self-help

Operation Kelly’s Tank, Princeton, West Virginia

(Wheeling): For a water pipeline project tank to involve

community poor and to stimulate future self-help activity.

Ghetto, Job Training, Community Services

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Crown Heights Neighborhood Center, Brooklyn: For a
training and service project to produce employment training and
general services in the community.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Q. What can you do?

A. Something. (An example)

Income Legislation:

Check" to see what proposals have come before Congress

concerning increasing the federal minimum wage. Or, what

proposals have been advanced toward an annual guaranteed

minimum income. Perhaps you could check into other areas,

such as health, education.

1. Write congressmen and senators, urging them to support

legislation you feel would alleviate poverty.

2. Speak with peers, parents, neighbors, members of your

church. Urge your church, school or local church agencies to

hold educational programs on poverty.

3. Talk about the issues. Spread the word.

or

Volunteer your services at a local hospital or clinic for the poor.

or

Help provide transportation for elderly or poor who need

medical help.

Read! Read! Read!

Get to know the actual problems of the poverty syndrome

throughout the U.S. Read what those “in the know” say, e.g.,

Harrington, Galbraith, Merton, Clarke, Meade. Keep your eyes

and ears open to what is going on in your state, your city, your

community.

Get a First-Hand View

Become familiar with at least one phase of poverty in the

community around you. Visit one of the poor you interviewed in

Module I. Maybe he will broaden your view.

Get Involved NOW!
No one can tell you what your specific involvement should

be. This must be your and your neighbors’ personal decision and

must meet local need.

TEACHER PROCEDURES

1. Take and correct the pre-test yourself.

2. Read Teacher Overview.

3. Tell students the name of the module: Who Is Poor?

4. Administer pre-test.

a. Allow as much time as required.

b. Do not discuss answers or correct papers in same period as
pre-test. (Do not give any answers before next class

period.)

c. Allow enough time to intervene between pre-test and

17



first discussion for students to have questioned each

other outside the classroom.

5. Discuss pre-test results.

a. Return corrected papers.

b. Answers to the test are specific because they are based

on statistics.

c. Allow time for disagreement and discussion of areas of

disagreement.

6. Study statistical data.

a. Pass out copies of statistical data from this module.

b. Discuss the meaning of these statistics in detail. Use the

following headings:

(1) Who is economically poor because of his age?

(2) Who is economically poor in the U.S. according to
racial percentages?

(3) Who is poor according to his kind of job?

(4) Who is poor because of low wages?

(5) Who is economically poor because of decreased
buying power?

(6) Who is poor because of unemployment?

(7) Who is poor by comparison with median incomes?

(8) Who is poor because he needs to work a second job?

(9) What are two measures of economic poverty in the

U.S.?

c. Study Summary Sheet.

7. Study “What Has Been Done ” and “What Can You Do.”

(Much more in this area will appear under Modules IV and V.)

8. Employ visual aids.

a. Bulletin boards should be used by students throughout

this module to:

(1) demonstrate conditions of poverty under discussion

(news clippings, pictures, etc., about wages,

unemployment, etc.);

(2) demonstrate attempts to alleviate economic poverty;

(3) demonstrate student reaction to subjects being

discussed (art, poetry, essays, etc.);

(4) demonstrate student action (what students choose

to do about poverty).

b. Movies. Students should be shown at least 3 pertinent

movies during this module. The following are suggested:

(1) The Game — Story of Harlem. 17 min. (jr. high and
up)

(2) Hunger in America. 54 min. (sr. high and up)

(3) Heritage of the Negro. 30 min. (sr. high)

(4) The Troublemakers
—

Predicted Newark, New
Jersey’s bloody riot which took place 9 months

after film was made. 54 min. (sr. high)

18



(5) The Tenement.
—

Chicago slums. 40 min. (sr. high)

(6) The Forgotten American
—

Indians. 25 min.

(Evaluative discussions should follow — panel discussing
consequences of poverty.) Other possibilities are listed in

Materials About Poverty
,
published by the Campaign for

Human Development.
c. Books. Sometime shortly after pre-test, each student

should be responsible for reading at least one of the

following books about a specific type of poverty in

America (before the end of the module, time should be

given for reports and discussion of these):

(1) The Other America. Michael Harrington

(2) Black Like Me. John Griffin

(3) Man Child in the Promised Land. Claude Brown

(4) Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X

(5) The Jack Roller. Clifford T. Shaw

(6) Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck

(7) Mexican-Americans In The Southwest. Ernesto

Galarza et al

(8) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. D. Alexander
Brown.

9. Long-Range Project: An Injustice Week
This long-range project will require planning and cooperative

efforts by the school staff, faculty and students. The project

consists of an “Injustice Week” in which the problems which

surround poverty are dramatized.

a. Planning for this week should include:

(1) a warning to all participants that the project will

necessitate planning, patience, and understanding.

(2) a warning that the project will involve frustration,

anger, humiliation, and prejudice.

(3) a joint meeting of faculty, staff, and student

representatives to decide areas of responsibility.

(4) a plan for demonstrating any examples of prejudice

which may exist within the school.

(5) an agreement on the part of all parties to abide by

assignments and regulations.

b. Procedure:

(1) Show the film The Troublemakers on the Friday

before “Injustice Week.”

(2) Establish a series of unjust conditions within the

school, e.g.:

(a) Ice cream will not be sold to anyone over six

feet.

(b) All public conveniences (library, phones,

lavatories, Coke machines) will be prohibited to

certain groups by means of signs.

19



(c) The principal will assign certain tasks (cleaning

up after lunch, recess) to certain groups

(brown-eyed students).

(d) Certain areas of the playground should be

assigned, on an unequal basis, to certain groups.

(e) All red-headed students should be required to

eat at a separate table in the lunch room and to

be served at the end of the lunch line.

(f) Assignments of homework or classroom chores

should be made to certain groups (shorties,

blue-eyed students, doctors’ children).

(g) Exits or stairways should be prohibited to those

groups which have easy access to them.

(3) Part of the fourth day should be spent in

homeroom discussions of reactions to the project.

The class should then plan a role-playing activity to

demonstrate their feelings.

(4) A schoolwide assembly in which the following
should be included:

(a) Role-playing (20 minutes) in which a

representative number of scenes are played by

faculty, staff, and students.

(b) A (10-minute) question and answer period.
(c) A speaker from a local poor minority should

discuss the prejudice which he has encountered

in the area. This speaker might also present

other representatives of the poor to discuss their

experiences in specific types of discrimination

(e.g., housing, employment).

10 . Post-testing. Evaluate what students have learned by some

type of post-testing.

a. True-false test. Discuss the results.

b. Essay test (subjects are given in last pages).

c. Short story on poverty syndrome.

d. Artistic expression (original poetry, music, dance, etc.).

TRUE-FALSE TEST:
Circle T or F
1. Most poverty is due to shiftlessness.
2. Most of the poor receive welfare assistance.

3. Most of the people on welfare are non-working

men.

4. 2 out of 3 poor people in the country are Black.

5. Unemployment is highest for non-white adult

males.

6. About 50% of the people on welfare are over 65

years of age.

T F
T F

T F
T F

T F

T F

20



7. About 10% of men on welfare are employable.

8. There is more poverty among Blacks than among

Puerto Ricans.

9. Blue-collar jobs, on the average, pay more than

farming jobs.

10. Weekly earnings have been decreasing over a

period of some years.

11. People who receive the minimum wage live at the

poverty level.

12. A minimum wage of $2.00 would lift many people
out of actual poverty.

13. The amount of money spent on food is usually

about 20% of a family’s income.

14. Most of the poor are jobless.

15. Most of the jobless are poor.

16. Most Black men who work, work two jobs.

17. The present minimum wage allows for a decent

standard of living.

18. Most of the poor have at least standard housing.

19. If we are willing to pay a high enough price,

money alone can solve the problem of poverty in

this country once and for all.

20. In the U.S. the rich are becoming less rich, and the

poor are becoming less poor.

21. The poor have no human dignity.

22. The poor have contributed to the artistic richness

of this country.

23. The poor are capable of leading themselves in

funded poverty programs.

24. The poor are apt to be inhospitable because they

are ashamed of their appearance and surroundings.

25. For the most part, the poor are unable to “make

do” with what they have.

26. Most poor people feel that the world owes them a

“free ride.”

27. The poor are as intelligent as the non-poor.

28. All kinds of poverty should be cured.

29. The poor have made many contributions to

culture.

30. Everyone who is economically poor is so by virtue

of circumstances, not by choice.

31. The economically poor are incapable of being

educated.

32. It is possible for an economically poor person to

have a great deal of wisdom, culture, and spiritual

“depth.”

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F
T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

21



DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR ESSAY TEST:
1. Discuss the population of the United States according to

race.

2. Discuss the percentage of poverty indices within races.

3. Discuss the U.S. working force, according to kinds of jobs,

race, age.

4. Discuss the minimum wage.

5. Discuss the different poverty levels.

6. Discuss the present state of employment.

7. Discuss the present state of welfare.

8. Discuss the problem of the aged poor.

9. Discuss housing for the poor.

10. Discuss the present state of the economy in regard to wages,

the earning power of the dollar, and the consumer index.

11. Discuss your reaction to “Injustice Week.”

12. Evaluate measures taken by the U.S. to combat poverty.

What measures should be taken in the future?

22



Prepared by the educational staff of the Campaign for Human Development, 1312

Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, in conjunction with the

Curriculum Development Center, Catholic University of America. Design by Irving

Miller of New York; composition by NC Publications, Inc., of Washington.