Poverty in Appalachia

The plight of people living in poverty in Appalachia is coming more to the forefront of social awareness in America. However, a common understanding of what Appalachia is and isn’t has yet to be codified into the public’s perception. With mainstream media coverage, such as Diane Sawyer’s "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains," and others, the bleak circumstances surrounding many children and adults in Appalachia are being uncovered to the average American who may lack meaningful knowledge concerning the region.

Many academic papers and research topics discuss the condition known as “Appalachian poverty.”However, these accounts are typically from an impersonal perspective. Many groups and organizations discuss poverty in Appalachia but most are outsiders and won’t have much insight into the mind and morals that guides those individuals that are being talked about when people use the words “poverty in Appalachia.” So ultimately, the true person behind the terms and stereotypes has been left uncovered, a mystery and still misunderstood.

Misnomers about Appalachians

The first thing to understand about people in Appalachia is that they are not ‘a simple people.’ This is a misunderstanding that may immediately put off any future dialog that could take place between someone from Appalachia and someone who wants to understand Appalachians and their situation.

Next, most Appalachians are not hopeless. The condition that Appalachia is in could lead someone to believe that despair would be unavoidable. However, that isn’t the case. Appalachians are not quitters. While there are some in Appalachia who are content to live off the system and do not seek a better life, most people in Appalachia work hard and believe that a better day will come.

Not all of Appalachia is in poverty. There are many areas in Appalachia that are not impoverished. Most of the people in Appalachia work regular full-time jobs in government and private business. Many times, the state of poverty in Appalachia is dramatized for political purposes or to pursue a special interest. While this is sometimes necessary, the extreme poverty in many distressed areas should not be considered the norm for Appalachia in general.

The future of poverty in Appalachia

Marching Mountains hopes to expand the understanding of the people of Appalachia and will continue to explore the people and culture of Appalachia in the future.