Lake Providence, LA Part 2

More footage from my hometown Lake Providence, LA. No Katrina didn't do this. We are far away from New Orleans. This is what happens we people have an impoverished mentality and government forget about them.
The human faces of poverty for many Americans are the inner-city homeless who sleep on grates, beg on corners and line up, mornings and afternoons, at local parks for a cup of soup and a sandwich. But of the 50 counties with the highest child-poverty rates, 48 are in rural America. Compared with urban areas, unemployment is typically higher, education poorer and services severely limited because people are so spread out.
Lake Providence is historically one of the poorest places in the nation, ranked as the poorest community in the 1990 Census.

Articles:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56070-2004Jul16.html
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3754/timearticle.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/us/05prisoners.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• my
• hometown
• Lake
• Providence
• LA
• LP
• impoverished
• mentality
• forgotten
• government

[handerson8]

Maybe this idiot might want to move into modern times. Cotton hasn't been manually weeded in 20 years. Cotton uses Round-Up (the same from WalMart)to control weeds; not labor. But as always it somebody elses fault.

[hellifikare2]

really, ever been to LP?

[Scorpio0823]

Wow Davien, your video of Lake Providence is very interesting. In response to your statement about what we teach our kids, I have to strongly diagree with you. I,along with others raise our kids with respect, and pride. My husband and I try our hardest to guard our children from that "slave menatlity" you describe as being on wlefare and dropping our of school,and getting pregnant. What are u doing to help the very community you were raised in??? Don't talk about it....Be About it!!!

[hellifikare2]

it was a blanket statement. i apologize if u were offended. my purpose for this video was to give the prospective of someone looking in from the outside. now if i'm wrong. correct me. i figured if enough people see this video, maybe a little change will occur. this is my point of view.

my mom also raised me not to have that "slave menatlity".

[hellifikare2]

as for what i'm doing? i'm making people aware. hopefully this will inspire people still in LP to strive for something better and demand the town and state officials do their job and not just collect a check.

[JazzyJLuvzU318]

Hello I would just like to comment on your video of LP town. That is home for me and I feel you are one of those people who leave home and then think you are better than others. You must remember where you have been. I still have family there and no matter what is not there that is not important when you have family. Remember where you have come from. Do something about the situation if you don't like it.

[hellifikare2]

Why would I think I'm better? Because I wanted more? I still have family and friends in LP. Don't take this as a personal attack... I'M JUST STATING THE FACTS.

And I am doing something about it... this video is a step in that direction, informing those that don't know...

[CBig42]

Beautiful People, I too am from LP and am greatly concerned by the current devastation from the weather, long standing impoverished mindset, and perpetual lack of social efficacy to generate some/anything that would bring worth and value to our hometown. How many times have we shared the same dream of seeing something better for ourselves? I would love to brainstorm to actually make a difference. I'm not looking for debate or discussion, but plans to make a difference. Interested? Hit me back.

[kurlicue]

I still have some family in LP. My grandparents lived on 7th street which is now Jackson street. I grew up in CA and to me LP is a picture of the rural south that a lot of folks probably don't believe exist. General Trass was my mom's high school principal and we always try to see him when we are there. Interesting video.

[starkweather444]

this makes me so sad, this is my hometown. i was born in Monroe in 1972 but my family lived in Lake Providence I havent seen it in over 30 years. To me this is criminal, our country has failed these people we should all be ashamed of ourselves.

[uricehe4]

Am I missing something? That didn't really look like the poorest place in America to me. The first half looked quite poor, but the second half most certainly did not. I've driven through countless small towns that had a similar contrast of socioeconomic areas.

[sk8drumz]

just move to monroe or shreveport

[grgfraiser]

Thats my old house at 4:20 on schneider ln.

[MsAspen101]

i think your video is so wrong im from lake providence and i had a great child hood its not that bad if people only would wake up and see the life still left in the town i love lp and you will never realize it till you leave and this video didnt show the good side of lp only the bad and run down

[1leelei]

And try to make Lake Providence the nice little resort town it should have been by bringing in officials who care. Not ones who say its not that bad. Louisiana is a very expensive state, when we visit its cheaper to bring in grocery from home than to buy at Jongs or WalMart in Oak Grove,so I don't know how the ppl can afford to eat without assistance. Taxes on top of taxes its crazy. LP is too small to be as violent as it is. Something has got to give or that little town is going to disappear.

[1leelei]

It llooks like to town that time forgot & realistically residents of both sides of the lake are to blame.Whites with ppl like Captain Jack who had no problem with wanting blacks to continue living in slavery & blacks who just gave up & moved away, became prosperous & never thought about making a difference in their little towns future.There r blacks living across the lake now & some attending Briarfield Academy but what about the town itself.We as adults black & white should really get together

[1leelei]

Also the black residents had to make do by sending there kids to the fields in the summer to chop cotton for extra money to buy school clothes as well as pick pecans in the fall/winter to sell.There were no other jobs for teens. When they brought Sonics in some teens worked there So to the ppl who were being racist,u try chopping cotton in the hot sun with heavy shirts, heavy boots,long pants to protect yourself from snakes,bugs,poison while our parents worked as teachers, cooks,farmhands,etc.