Diane Sawyer travelled back home on Friday night to the central Appalachian mountains. ABC’s 20/20 aired her primetime documentary titled: “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountain�. Read more, photos and videos below.
Diane Sawyer
As a young reporter in Louisville, Kentucky, Diane Sawyer often reported on the struggles of the poor coal mining community that resides in the central Appalachian Mountains. Last night on 20/20 Sawyer’s documentary brought back to light the current plight of these American’s that are often forgotten. From the NYDaily News:
“I think sometimes we can’t imagine our ways into their lives,” Sawyer says. “We can read the numbers and statistics, but you don’t know what it means when you get up in the morning and sleep in a truck, and are the king of football in Appalachia.”
Sawyer has that story, about a young football player who keeps his toothbrush in the glove box of his truck. She also has the story of a young girl whose mother is in a battle with drugs, and the story of a young man who, when his girlfriend gets pregnant, goes to work in the local coal mine.
The Appalachian Mountains span from Mississippi all the way up into Canada. With the region of Appalachia being that which goes from Mississippi up into New York; within this mountain range lies a vast supply of America’s wealth, coal and the people who have worked in a dangerous industry to give us that resource.
Sawyer says she feels especially close to the people of Appalachia, because she grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She has been doing a series of documentaries over the last couple years to highlight poverty in America.
This region is in the news today as well because of the decision handed down by the 4th circuit court of appeals, which allows the Army Core of Engineers to issue Clean Water Act permits for mountaintop removal coal mines without more thorough reviews.
More photos and a video of Sawyer are below.
Name-of-Person Photos
Faces of Appalachia Video
Appalachian Region – Map
Photos: WENN.com
February 14th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I don’t think I realized that Appalachia was such a large area.
I saw this interview last night. I do not doubt the abject poverty in this region. It has always been that way and I’m all for something that will turn that around.
Having said that, and at the risk of being called a mean-spirited rube, how does an extremely poor mother afford to buy drugs? The answer I guess is that she denies her daughter the basic necessities of life. And the young man who goes back to work in the coal mines WHEN HIS GIRLFRIEND GET PREGNANT!!! That one leaves me speechless.
February 14th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
well it doesn’t surprise me that Pennsylvania is in large part appalachia. The allegany mountains, the surrounding towns, the outlook and temperment of the people etc, the history of the great depression, poverty etc, do have a somewhat distinct feel.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I can’t begin to express how this story effected me. During the night I was awake thinking of these people and what could I do to try to help. My husband and I have discussed a canned food drive or donating a vehicle or trying to help Shane Grimm to get a job and full ride scholarship at a college close to where we live. I was so proud of the young mother that walked 8 miles everyday to classes for her GED and then received it! I am hoping that they will be able to make it as a family and keep their new rental home.
I admire the young man that went to work in the mine and is showing responsiblity for his family and was able to purchase a home. But my heart still aches for the little girl who refuses to give up on her mother who will not give up the drugs. She is an unbelievable young girl that we could all learn so much from. It shocks me that this is happening within 300 miles from me and I really didn’t realize it until last night. I hope to see a follow up on this story and have done something myself to try to make a difference in at least a few of these peoples lives.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I am a teacher of 7th grade Geography in Bartlesville Oklahoma. My mother told me about Ms Sawyer’s story on the Appalachia. My class is currently studying this geographic feature. I would love to put a face on the area and provoke thoughts about poverty and what that really means in America. How can I find the story to record?
February 14th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I think when your in poverty you aren’t really aware of it if you never lived better. You make do. You might even make do doing illegal things to get by and get caught up with some really bad people. But that would be felt as the normal course, though it would wear and tear at you and your family. You might even feel at war with staid society who seem to live a million miles away. you might just drink a lot or whittle wood. If you’re young you might join a gang, or the police or military. You might get a scholarship to a state college and be one of the lucky ones to get a profession. Its doubtful you would have ended up on wallstreet though.
February 14th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Another blogger (GrainOSand) on a diff website said it best:
It is not the poverty. Poverty is solved by income. It is the mindset that prevents access to income, and the history and the choices of horrific ignorance that come to bear on psychology…that in many cases operates to prevent taking the actions that allow for access. When the spirit is broken, life is basically over.
February 14th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
don’t forget pennsylvanians make up for it by producing scrapple, which comes in blocks and you saw off a piece and grill it up on your stove or hot cookery and then use it with eggs and bacon and use the gravey from the bacon to cook in the eggs for added flavor along with golden grilled slivers of cornmeal mush, hot, steamed, and delicious.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I don’t understand what this is doing here. I didn’t think there were any poor people. I thought that they were “all on a diet.”
Let’s make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and repeal the Capital Gains tax. That ought to help ‘em out. Heaven forbid we would ever GIVE them something.
The only reason this is here at all is because you are on the side of the coal industry. You don’t care about these people. They’re just fodder. If we mined more coal, would they get any of the money from it? Huh? Who would get the money? Huh?
Here is a clue: it is our last President’s “base.”
February 15th, 2009 at 8:30 am
It’s a disgrace that someone as known as Diane Sawyer , would feel the need to exploit the good people of Eastern Ky , just for the purpose of profiteering. The group that she featured is so very small that I am surprised that she could do a complete documentary, because this group makes up less than 3% of the population.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Ok, Arch is clearly an idiot. Our last president’s “base” was to keep us safe…and he did.
Why would we “GIVE” them something. I agree, heavens forbid we do. Here’s a concept, how about people EARN what they get.
I guess it doesn’t matter as Capitolism is on its way out and Socialism on its way in.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Being from Appalachia all my life I watched this w/ some excitement and some trepidation. These shows usually portray the worst examples of poverty in our region. Some thoughts:
1. Diane Sawyer improved on Rory Kennedy’s work American Hollow. Her focus was on mountain folks’ dignity and the challenges of breaking the cycle they’re caught up in rather than some pseduo-marxist babble about our victimization… Mt. Dew being a slight exception.
2. The show did make clear that there are two Appalachia’s. The one many find themselves trapped in that’s shrouded in poverty and bad lifestyles and a better one that’s more like mainstream America. This is important b/c Appalachia is not monolothic. We do get advanced degrees and find jobs and thrive. But we do have a class of people at the bottom who’re trapped. It’s important to understand that complexity. I just wish someone would make a show someday about the better off in Appalachia so folks would understand this issue.
3. These people need non-material help most. Shawn showed us that. Despite a scholarship to a nice school he found the cylce of poverty and bad lifestyles too powerful to break out of. A book in recent years by William Fogel about the next egalitarianism would be a good start for folks concerned about this. We have to impress upon these very poor people their self worth and ability to do better things w/ their lives. That’s the hardest problem of all in the hills.
I could go on, but that’s enough for now. Thanks for this story and for all the people who love E. KY and Appalachia.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:05 am
FYI… the book I mentioned is:
The Fourth Great Awakening and the Future of Egalitarianism.
Here’s a snip from Amazon:
Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago economist Fogel (Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery) ambitiously tries to integrate the history of American religion with the history of social reform and the move toward equality. Fogel says that 18th- and 19th-century America experienced three large religious revivals–or Great Awakenings–each bringing about social reforms. The first awakening began in 1730 and laid the groundwork for the American Revolution. The second began in 1800, and inspired abolitionists and temperance workers. The mandate of the third awakening, which began in 1890, was the welfare state, which culminated in the 1930s. And we are now, Fogel suggests, in the middle of a fourth awakening, which began in 1950. Fogel argues that the egalitarian platforms of the third awakening have been more or less implemented–the condition of the poorest families in America, he suggests, has improved dramatically; the labor reforms that Social Gospelers called for have been written into law; many people have access to decent health care. In order to make America even more egalitarian, says Fogel, we will need a new agenda. Leaders in the fourth great awakening, he suggests, have emphasized spiritual, rather than material, equity–they are interested in redistributing “spiritual resources” and in helping Americans of all ranks become self-actualized (he identifies spiritual assets as “a sense of purpose, self-esteem, a sense of discipline, a thirst for knowledge”). Fogel applauds the democratizing of self-realization, and he emphasizes the need to provide an education for all; he is especially keen to see more Americans pursuing higher education.
February 16th, 2009 at 5:35 am
[...] Originally Posted by HelloDollyLlama Thousands of people in rural Alaska face freezing or starving to death. Some are surviving on nuts, berrries and squirrels like prehistoric man. Sarah Palin and her government can’t even figure out how to declare a state of emergency. Even with all the federal pork and oil subsidies, they will need even more help from the federal government. Just think, she wants to be president and bring all this joy to the whole country. Can’t wait! In rural Alaska villages, families struggle to survive – CNN.com Damn conservatives, won’t stop talking about Palin……. Diane Sawyer Appalachia Poverty Appalachian Mountains » Right Pundits [...]
February 16th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Why do these people keep breeding? Are they too ignorant to realize that they don’t have the resources to provide for their children? I understand that people can be extremely poor through no fault of their own, but there is no excuse for living in filth and breeding like rabbits when they can’t care for their children.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I agree with Dana, how the story opened my eyes for these folks. I to would like to see Shane Grimm get back his scholarship and I would even send him money to live on the extra expenses that come along with living away from home. He deserves an education just like anyone else. I admire the young girl who stays with her mom who is doing drugs, she is brave and loving. I pray that her mom would wake up and see that her daughter is growing up to be a beautiful, caring, and compassionate young lady.
What I don’t understand is that they get money from welfare, but they rather spend it on Mountain Dew for their babies instead of milk?
All the other commits that I have read, you should be a shame, we should love these folks, encourage them and pray for them. We all make mistakes in our lives that we may regret and hopefully we learn from them. These folks are in a cycle and yes sometimes it’s all they know from previous generations. I am from the southern part of Kentucky and they have poor folks as well. Look in your back yard people and think of someone else be sides yourself. It’s not about us, we are a rich country and there is no reason why we should have poverty in this country of ours. I apologize if I sound like I am preaching. You can’t blame the last President, it has been going on for many past Presidents.
Thank you Diane Sawyer for opening our eyes on doing this story to have our country think what our neighbors are needing, if our children’s friends need food or clothing. I just ask everyone one of you who wrote an e-mail that you think of someone else and pass on the goodness and wealth that you have.
I as well hope to see a follow up story on Eastern Kentucky and see how it has affected our viewers.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Most of the folks in these counties work, raise their children properly, have well-kept homes, and many have at least some college education. Diane Sawyer didnt show the multimillion dollar Harlan county high school recently build, the convention center, the new justice center,the ATV tourism, the community college that ties in with 4 year colleges. This is for rankings, people. Those sorry asses that will not work, will never work except to have learned to work the government. Yes, the children suffer from those situations but handouts will not help. And by the way, I understand from a friend of the family of the football boy that he is already back in school…but they didnt show that did they? This was onesided and exploited so badly that again the stereotype moves forward. I lived in Harlan Conty most of my life. I never heard of mountain dew mouth. Theres so much giveaway and handouts as it is that there is no excuse for bad dental hygiene except sorryness (sp). I could go on and on but theres just not enough time in the day.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Like many of you, I watched the Diane Sawyer interview and became deeply sadden. I was shocked and dismayed that people are allowed to live at this level of poverty in this GREAT country. As Americans, “we should be ashamed.” My heart goes out to the young man who could not attend college simply because he could not afford to feed himself, and the young girl who is forced to become her mother’s guiding angel while the mother address her illness of addiction.
America…come on…we can do better!!! I am motivated to do what ever I can to bring a sense of dignit and basic human rights to this forgotten part of this wonderful place:AMERICA.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
well this is stupid i live in the montain && these pictures must of been took years ago because where i live little babys are clean && have all the toys && food they need. and i hate to tell all of the people that read this but the montains aint tht olny place tht has drug problems && povety levels.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
hi,im elise taylor,im 14 years of age,and i am from the appalachia.i would like to state that we are not all the way we are precieved like on that video.im mean of course we drink moutian dew,but some brush there teeth,and no offense but america did not do this to those people,they chose it theirself.and if they have enough money to buy cigs.and pop.why cant they buy there children more food.and if you would drive down the highway you would see not everyone lives that way.you have to go back in “the hollers of the hollers” to find trash like that.and no we are not all incest,that had nothing to do with us.and if diane sawyer thinks we’re all so down and out,why doesnt she lend us some of her money, since she made alot out of making fools of us.and people do want to get out of here,and the moutains aren’t holding us back,she had no problem getting out of here.and neither do most of us.so i thought i would just speak my peace.
thanks
February 18th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I am a semi-retired veterinarian and I am very interested in moving my mobile clinic into the region Ms.Sawyer covered in her report.
Can anyone pls. provide me with relevant contact information on the area and who and where a mobile vet clinic might be of use.
Thank you,
Dr.Jim Dinsmore
Director
WARM
February 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Dr Dinsmore. Please call 606 573 2600 and ask to speak with the Harlan County Judge Executive Joe Grieshop. Or you can call 606 573 1313 and ask to speak to Marvin Lipfird, the Harlan County Sheriff.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:13 am
This is for Elise~ you are right on the button! I’m sure you are a little embarrassed and have every right, but let me tell you this documentary affected a lot of Americans and I just hope and pray that people just don’t sit back and forget!! This is a very serious matter~ I feel there is no hope for most of the adults the doc pointed out ~ because they are stuck in there ways, but as far as the children go they do not deserve to be brought up this way and taught these values!!! It’s a cycle that must be broken and these children need to have the access to EDUCATION!!! That is the reason most of these families are the way they are. Education is the key to all of our children’s future and if we as parents don’t enforce this ~ then that makes you just as bad as any Hillbilly demonstrated on the show!!
March 4th, 2009 at 10:21 am
There is a difference between being poor and being (in their own vernacular) “Sorry”.
I lived and worked in Eastern Kentucky for many years. I recognized some of the landmarks from the program. I found a large percentage of the locals to be hard-working and truly good-hearted people. However, there is a certain percentage that has an extremely poor work ethic and a general “entitlement attitude”. For example, when our factory was going full blast and overtime was available some of the workers could get in their 40 hours by Thursday and rather than take advantage of the OT would call in sick on Friday. We called it “calling in fishing”.
The locals told me the best weekend to have a Yard Sale is the first weekend of the month because the SSI checks come out.
The federal and state governments have poured money into the region and they have some of the finest school buildings anywhere. Not having school-age children I cannot attest to the quality of teachers, but I did have school teachers as friends and they were fine, upstanding people.
Both federal and state grants have been made to build factories and create jobs, yet job turnover remains high.
There were examples of both the best and the worst in this program. The best have overcome the poverty of their youth to become contributing citizens. The worst have languished in their situations and become burdens to society.
March 16th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I watched the documentary that Mrs. Sawyer did, and honestly I don’t feel as though there’s a need for anyone to be offended. I do not feel as though it was Diane’s objective to exploit these people, there’s no reason for that. Rather, I feel as though she was bringing light to a horrible and drastic situation. She never once reffered to these people negatively, and she did her job the best she could. She did not claim that all of the mountains were like this. Rather, I feel as though she did her duty as a citizen by bringing light to those who need help within America, so that all of us can come together as a people and help them.