Lake Providence, LA-The most unequal place in the country
- Thread starter jsupop33
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96lioness
QUEEN LIONESS!!!
When I take & pick up my oldest daughter from Southern, I always take US Hwy 65S/N, all the way down past Tallulah, which takes me through Lake Providence. A couple of times I'd detour through the city, just to see. Like most cities in the US, you have your more affluent areas and more impoverished areas, but Lake Providence.......WOW! When I first traveled through Lake Providence, I was on my way to a UAPB/SU game (before Bri was a student at SU). Coming from Arkansas, I drove through the North side first. I saw nice buildings, well kept structures; going out of the small city, I had to drive through the South side.......worn down homes, shacks, a lot of abandoned structures, brothers & sisters walking the streets, some sitting out in front of "shotgun" homes; less business properties.
It really is like driving through the town of the "Haves" and the Have Nots".....
It really is like driving through the town of the "Haves" and the Have Nots".....
buckwheat
Well-Known Member
Man that is bad. I knew LP was a poor town, but I didn't know it was that bad. I had a roommate from LP when I was at Grambling. He said a lot of people there sold drugs.
The Founder
Well-Known Member
Lake Providence once had to relieve their entire police force and utilize the National Guard as police officers. It's really sad because a former Congressman is from Lake Providence.
There was also a time Budweiser would not deliver to Lake Providence because these people would rob and take the entire truck. The police at the time were dealing drugs. People made their money from drop houses were drugs were stored...it was really ridiculous.
There was also a time Budweiser would not deliver to Lake Providence because these people would rob and take the entire truck. The police at the time were dealing drugs. People made their money from drop houses were drugs were stored...it was really ridiculous.
jsupop33
Loyalty & Respect
Had a close homeboy in college from LP and he was deep in that game. I used to beg dude to leave them streets alone.
JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
LP is William Jefferson home town. LP is the perfect example why the North should have completely destroyed the economic wealth of the South during and after the Civil War. With the private high school mascot being named Rebel, Whites in LP had long set the stage to keep things completely divided and the wealth to themselves.
Jax
Chief Trolling offICEr
When I take & pick up my oldest daughter from Southern, I always take US Hwy 65S/N, all the way down past Tallulah, which takes me through Lake Providence. A couple of times I'd detour through the city, just to see. Like most cities in the US, you have your more affluent areas and more impoverished areas, but Lake Providence.......WOW! When I first traveled through Lake Providence, I was on my way to a UAPB/SU game (before Bri was a student at SU). Coming from Arkansas, I drove through the North side first. I saw nice buildings, well kept structures; going out of the small city, I had to drive through the South side.......worn down homes, shacks, a lot of abandoned structures, brothers & sisters walking the streets, some sitting out in front of "shotgun" homes; less business properties.
It really is like driving through the town of the "Haves" and the Have Nots".....
Wow. I saw the clip from CNN.
SUJagFan
Well-Known Member
You can't destroy land. If the North had destroyed every material thing Southerners had and every Southern institution, the landowners would have gone right back to planting. People have to eat. People need clothes. There is always going to be a need and a demand for food, clothing and shelter. Thus, the landowners would have gained everything they lost back in due time.
This story is really about ownership. The disparity of ownership of land, businesses ... the means to leverage the work of others to produce wealth for yourself. It's about knowing the key to moving to the north side of the lake is not a job. Not really education. The number of people in this country who are wealthy due to their job is very small. Will Smith. Michael Jordan. Oprah Winfrey. The majority of the wealth is going to people who own the means of production. Even among the middle class, the wealthiest are the owners. Small businesses. Farms. Investments. Something. Own something that produces wealth for you. That's what we have to learn.
jsupop33
Loyalty & Respect
SU Jag 79
Jaguar ALUM
You sound like my dad with this statement!
JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
When I say destroy the economic wealth of the South, I meant the North should have redistributed the wealth from plantation owners to those that were less fortunate. Sherman destroyed a lot during his march to the sea, which destroyed the livelihood of many White Plantation owners in Georgia and South Carolina. Also, it was Sherman's idea to remove land from Southern Whites as a punishment for slavery and give each freed Black family 40 acres and a mule. This country's biggest mistake was when it didn’t complete the works of Reconstruction and left control of all the land and economic wealth in the south amongst those who started the war. Due to political reasons, the Union allowed the South to go back to it old ways, which is why there's such a vast economic dichotomy between Blacks and Whites throughout the South. At 5:10 minute mark of the video, it briefly talks about LP's history when White plantation owners got rich by forcing slaves to pick their cotton crops. Although things have changed, White families still own the land and control the economic wealth in LP. Blacks in LP were never given the opportunity to experience the economic wealth their White counterparts experienced since the days of slavery. When people are born with land and wealth, they are already light years ahead of those that do not have neither. The vast dichotomy between Blacks and Whites in LP is a prime example of how slavery still hunts America today.
96lioness
QUEEN LIONESS!!!
Hmmmm..........
I too agree with the latter and I think a lot of us (African Americans/Blacks) know and have learned & understand this concept. But since you don't think education is a factor, how do you propose to own what produces wealth for you without education? Those areas you mentioned (small businesses, farms, investments) all require education. Further still, after you obtain whatever it is, how do you market it to make it work for you without money?
JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
:tup:
For some strange reason, this young generation thinks the playing field is equal at birth. Even with an education, a person still needs the resources/land to make things happen.
97JSULEGEND
Well-Known Member
Been through the town many a time on my way from Little Rock to Jackson...It reminds me of the town I grew up in. Sumner,MS.. Most of the White folks lived close to downtown or on the bayou. My elementary school was in the Rich part of town. Only difference is their was a middle class, with several teachers,lawyers ect in town. We had role models to look up too. Superitendents, principals, politicians.. Also could work in Greenwood, Clarksdale, Casino's and Parchman. So I guess my little delta town was a little better off but you knew all the Rich land owners and farmers. Mostly white folks who obtained that wealth through family name and plantations.. Also white boys went to regular school until about 9th grade then off to private school. Unless they had money. And only poor white trash white girls went to our schools. And even they could qualify for scholarships by 9th grade....Even if we start now with our own businesses and such they have had a 400+ year head start....SMH Still got to keep pushing though...
jsupop33
Loyalty & Respect
Jagfan is not in the young generation, :lol:
I do think access to capital is a big problem that we have failed to address but I do also agree that killing that consumer mindset is something that must be addressed. I went through this conversation with someone yesterday. She was so excited about going to Houston for the SWAC Championship but complained about not having business clothes and wanted to get a Macy's card to buy new suits for work. I asked why not just cancel the Houston trip and buy clothes if they are the bigger priority. The first thought was, I need to go into debt to get something that I need for work instead of prioritizing. My eyes have been opened so much by reading the big short, confidence men, and all these other books about the financial collapse.
I do think access to capital is a big problem that we have failed to address but I do also agree that killing that consumer mindset is something that must be addressed. I went through this conversation with someone yesterday. She was so excited about going to Houston for the SWAC Championship but complained about not having business clothes and wanted to get a Macy's card to buy new suits for work. I asked why not just cancel the Houston trip and buy clothes if they are the bigger priority. The first thought was, I need to go into debt to get something that I need for work instead of prioritizing. My eyes have been opened so much by reading the big short, confidence men, and all these other books about the financial collapse.
96lioness
QUEEN LIONESS!!!
And there you have it! While I agree that we as a race should be more innovative and creative when it comes to earning and amassing our own wealth, I think too many of us don't realize or accept the fact that we were only recently (a few decades ago) given the knowledge and tools necessary to compete and do this; and to expect us to play "catch up" or be on the same level as whites isn't really a fair expectation or a good basis.
True :tup:
JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
Like 97JSULegend stated, there's 400 plus years of disparity. Like Richard Pryor said in this skits. The crossover bucks are a lot more, which means, although there are a lot of minorities, they don't have as much money as one (1) rich White person has.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LRcNswirGUY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
One would have to be totally naïve to think that the problem in LP exist solely due to the mentality of Blacks.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LRcNswirGUY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
One would have to be totally naïve to think that the problem in LP exist solely due to the mentality of Blacks.
buckwheat
Well-Known Member
That's it right there. We are way behind and will never catch up. Slavery and inequality put us behind big time. All we can do is make sure our kids better themselves and have ownership in a business.
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JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
The same way people in Somalia are having babies without food. You are talking about people whose ancestors were slaves and sharecroppers. They are just doing what their parents before them did, who also had no money, but was given the opportunity to live off the land that they were made to work and harvest for rich White plantation owners.
Every time I hear a Black person disregarding the institution of slavery as the main reason for Black people in this country being economically behind, it's almost like I'm hearing Clarence Thomas talking.
jsupop33
Loyalty & Respect
The people in Somalia are not doing good either. High birth rates coincide with poverty. No one denies slavery as the primary cause but it is not the only reason. What is the solution? I think it takes a change of mindset. I see many bad habits among educated, middle class blacks as well.
Slavery was the cause but what is the solution?
JAG89
THE NEW AMERICA'S TEAM
The true solution is to educate and economically empower people to make a living so they can provide a better life for themselves and their family. Educating people is easy, but to economically empower them would be the real battle, because I doubt any of those rich White land owners will be willing to give up any of their wealth to allow Blacks in LP some type shared power.
jsupop33
Loyalty & Respect
They don't need the land to make the money. I would say Technology is a much better asset. Look at how these Indian companies were able to suck up wealth after globalization through outsourcing. Or even owning a business. I meet a good number of Africans who have moved to America and built nice small businesses that they can pass down to their offspring.