Poverty in the 1990's

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| Poverty in the 1990’s | | Personal accounts on the slums that were abound in the 1990’s and how the circumstances of the impoverished affected society. | | Poverty in the 1990’s | | Personal accounts on the slums that were abound in the 1990’s and how the circumstances of the impoverished affected society. | Bethanne mccoy May 16, 2011 Bethanne mccoy May 16, 2011 In the 1980’s and 1990’s, America was struck with new substances like crack, marijuana, and other forms of “happiness”. In the two articles inspected, A Welfare Great Grandmother by David Zucchino and Challenges of an Assistant Principal, 1999 by Ann Baker, the true trials of surviving in poverty-stricken areas are shown. The two women portrayed in the documents, Mrs. Baker and Odessa Williams, are faced with drugs, abuse, and pain every day. Yet, through assisted income and the hope of a young child, the strong women are able to rise above and be the influence those around them need. In the first article, author David Zucchino carefully documents the life of fifty-six year old Odessa Williams. Williams is the mother of eight children, and she also has thirty-two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She and most of her eight children are on welfare, and, along with providing for four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Williams often finds herself supporting one of her own children. Williams has had to resort to trash-picking in order to support those she loves, but she does not see it as shameful. Williams believes that every able person should work, so, even though she is on welfare, she does everything she can to provide for her family herself. Trash-picking is a way for her to forget her troubles for a few hours; it gives her a chance to prove she is able. Using this method, Williams is able to stretch her welfare check farther, by trash-picking
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