GBH Openvault

America's War on Poverty; In this Affluent Society

12/16/1994

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Series

America's War on Poverty

Program

In this Affluent Society

Program Number

101

Series Description

In the midst of unprecedented national prosperity in the 1960s, poverty was "rediscovered" by American policy makers, media and the public. This series examines how the poor fared during these years and the resultant evolution of foundation and public sector programs addressing the challenges of poverty. Narrated by actress Lynne Thigpen. 101/In This Affluent Society - During the early 1960s, hundreds of Kentucky coal miners displaced by automation strike out at their former employers, bombing mines to shut down production. Millions of others displaced by machines across Appalachia and the rural South head north to begin a new life in Chicago. This episode reports on these stories of desperation and hope and explores the origins of America's war on poverty. 102/Given a Chance - Early 1965 is a critical period for President Johnson's war on poverty. Community action programs attract strong opposition from local and state governments. The Head Start program is created to provide poor children with adequate nutrition, health care and the educational advantages that other American children enjoy. The program looks at Head Start in Mississippi, America's poorest state. 103/City of Promise - Increasingly, the media and the public equate poverty with inner-city blacks. This program looks at the anger and despair of the poor and the powerless and examines attempts made in Newark, New Jersey, to reclaim the inner city through public/private partnerships. 104/In Service to America - This episode tells the stories of Legal Services and VISTA, two programs that combined individual action with the idea of volunteerism. Lawyers team up with migrant farm workers in California to fight for better working conditions and benefits, and VISTA volunteers and coal miners unite against strip mining companies in the Appalachians. 105/My Brother's Keeper - The Nixon Administration and the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), in a surprising partnership, bring the nation to the brink of overhauling the federal Social Security system and replacing welfare with a guaranteed income for all citizens. Series release date: 1/1995

Program Description

In the midst of unprecedented national prosperity in the 1960s, poverty was "rediscovered" by American policy makers, media and the public. This series examines how the poor fared during these years and the resultant evolution of foundation and public sector programs addressing the challenges of poverty. Narrated by actress Lynne Thigpen. 101/In This Affluent Society - During the early 1960s, hundreds of Kentucky coal miners displaced by automation strike out at their former employers, bombing mines to shut down production. Millions of others displaced by machines across Appalachia and the rural South head north to begin a new life in Chicago. This episode reports on these stories of desperation and hope and explores the origins of America's war on poverty. 102/Given a Chance - Early 1965 is a critical period for President Johnson's war on poverty. Community action programs attract strong opposition from local and state governments. The Head Start program is created to provide poor children with adequate nutrition, health care and the educational advantages that other American children enjoy. The program looks at Head Start in Mississippi, America's poorest state. 103/City of Promise - Increasingly, the media and the public equate poverty with inner-city blacks. This program looks at the anger and despair of the poor and the powerless and examines attempts made in Newark, New Jersey, to reclaim the inner city through public/private partnerships. 104/In Service to America - This episode tells the stories of Legal Services and VISTA, two programs that combined individual action with the idea of volunteerism. Lawyers team up with migrant farm workers in California to fight for better working conditions and benefits, and VISTA volunteers and coal miners unite against strip mining companies in the Appalachians. 105/My Brother's Keeper - The Nixon Administration and the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), in a surprising partnership, bring the nation to the brink of overhauling the federal Social Security system and replacing welfare with a guaranteed income for all citizens.

Duration

00:60:00

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Topics

Social Issues

Citation

Chicago: “America's War on Poverty; In this Affluent Society,” 12/16/1994, GBH Archives, accessed July 26, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D436003FF5644DF4B2C0749B01A694C5.

MLA: “America's War on Poverty; In this Affluent Society.” 12/16/1994. GBH Archives. Web. July 26, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D436003FF5644DF4B2C0749B01A694C5>.

APA: America's War on Poverty; In this Affluent Society. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D436003FF5644DF4B2C0749B01A694C5