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Description
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This seemingly happy family was a welcoming exception among poor whites. Like blacks, the poor whites suffered from self-hatred and often reacted violently against their surroundings by, for instance, throwing trash all over. They too have had their intelligence impaired by malnourishment and neglect and could be even more fearful than blacks. When I approach their shacks, they often ran inside and locked the doors. When I go hunting with them and see their cruelty to animals, I realize the source of their violence and abusive behavior was their own early oppression—beaten as helpless children into their insensitive and repressive social role.
Rural Kinston, NC – May 1974
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