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The Faces of Poverty in North Carolina: Stories from Our Invisible Citizens
These are the faces of poverty in North scores of homeless men, women, and children take refuge in makeshift camps, barely hidden in the woods near some of our most affluent neighborhoods. Hundreds wait in lines hours long to receive basic health care at underfunded free clinics. In large cities and small towns, children--especially children of color--rely on meals at their schools to keep hunger at bay, while parents struggle in jobs that fail to pay living wages. While many in the Tar Heel State enjoy unparalleled prosperity, those born into poverty have lower odds than ever of climbing the ladder of economic upward mobility. Today, more than 1.5 million North Carolinians live in poverty. More than one in five are children. Behind these sobering statistics are the faces of our fellow citizens. This book tells their stories.
Since 2012, Gene R. Nichol has traveled the length of North Carolina, conducting hundreds of interviews with poor people and those working to alleviate the worst of their circumstances. Here their voices challenge all of us to see what is too often invisible, to look past partisan divides and preconceived notions, and to seek change. Only with a full commitment as a society, Nichol argues, will we succeed in truly ending poverty, which he calls our greatest challenge.
Since 2012, Gene R. Nichol has traveled the length of North Carolina, conducting hundreds of interviews with poor people and those working to alleviate the worst of their circumstances. Here their voices challenge all of us to see what is too often invisible, to look past partisan divides and preconceived notions, and to seek change. Only with a full commitment as a society, Nichol argues, will we succeed in truly ending poverty, which he calls our greatest challenge.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published December 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 4, 2020
If you're looking for an in-depth look at poverty in America, specifically in North Carolina, you need look no further than The Faces of Poverty in North Carolina. It is exceedingly well-researched, covering numerous topics such as lack of health care, hunger, homelessness, race, and education in a state that has seen its number of impoverished rapidly increase over the last decade.
It is a book that will anger you even if you are already aware of the steep inequality in America and the growing problem of poverty. I found it interesting and informative though also tedious. There are copious statistics, mixed in with numerous stories of individual people and their unique struggles. There was a lot of overlap and so at times I found my attention waning. Still, due to the amount of research the author obviously did on the subject, and the number of issues he covered, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this all-too-common problem in America.
Though with some books I get annoyed when there are a lot of human interest stories instead of just the facts, for this book, it worked. I appreciated getting to know, briefly, some of these people. People for whom the American dream has not worked, through no fault of their own. I appreciated putting a face to these struggling Americans, camping outside in the winter because they cannot afford rent, going without medications or other health care because they have no insurance and need to first feed their kids.
If you think people who are poor deserve to be poor, that they're lazy or just not trying hard enough, you need to read this book. You will learn it's not a problem of laziness but a problem of gross inequality. The problem is companies that do not pay a living wage even while they're making billions in profits and not paying federal taxes. It's America's dwindling social welfare programs to help those who are most vulnerable. If someone works a full time job, they should have, at the very least, enough money to pay all their bills and feed their children. But sadly, too many people have to work at jobs that make them choose between rent and food, electricity and medication, running water and a car that runs so they can get to work.
Growing poverty, lack of health care, children going to bed hungry at night... they are just a few of the ways America is broken. And it's not getting any better, as is evidenced by the soaring number of impoverished in North Carolina. As Republican-controlled governments are working to increasingly move the tax burden to the poorest workers and away from the wealthiest, the gap between rich and poor is ever widening, and the numbers of poor are ever rising.
In 2016, "almost 13% of Americans over 40 million, fall below the federal poverty threshold, about $24,339 in 2016 for a family of 4". 18% of American children live below the poverty threshold. It is worse for people of color, and 30% of Black and Latinx children living below the poverty threshold. North Carolina fared worse, with 15% below the federal poverty threshold and 22% of children.
Because the author uses statistics from 2016 and previous years, I imagine they are now dated, and the problems afflicting the poorest have worsened. It was infuriating to read how North Carolina, once a moderately progressive state, became one of the most conservative and how their Republican-controlled government has vastly increased the suffering and poverty in their state. From discarding the EIC tax credit for the poorest workers, to slashing unemployment benefits to a third of what they previously were, to making it illegal to raise the minimum wage.... in this book you will see why there are so many North Carolinians who are homeless, going hungry, dying from treatable diseases. People who have worked their entire lives and then lost their jobs because they became ill. People who work 40+ hours a week but are paid less than enough to live on (and more and more jobs are paying an unlivable wage). You will learn that the impoverished are rarely poor through any fault of their own; they are poor because our country is broken.
And it could happen to any of us. At any time.
This November, keep that in mind.
It is a book that will anger you even if you are already aware of the steep inequality in America and the growing problem of poverty. I found it interesting and informative though also tedious. There are copious statistics, mixed in with numerous stories of individual people and their unique struggles. There was a lot of overlap and so at times I found my attention waning. Still, due to the amount of research the author obviously did on the subject, and the number of issues he covered, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this all-too-common problem in America.
Though with some books I get annoyed when there are a lot of human interest stories instead of just the facts, for this book, it worked. I appreciated getting to know, briefly, some of these people. People for whom the American dream has not worked, through no fault of their own. I appreciated putting a face to these struggling Americans, camping outside in the winter because they cannot afford rent, going without medications or other health care because they have no insurance and need to first feed their kids.
If you think people who are poor deserve to be poor, that they're lazy or just not trying hard enough, you need to read this book. You will learn it's not a problem of laziness but a problem of gross inequality. The problem is companies that do not pay a living wage even while they're making billions in profits and not paying federal taxes. It's America's dwindling social welfare programs to help those who are most vulnerable. If someone works a full time job, they should have, at the very least, enough money to pay all their bills and feed their children. But sadly, too many people have to work at jobs that make them choose between rent and food, electricity and medication, running water and a car that runs so they can get to work.
Growing poverty, lack of health care, children going to bed hungry at night... they are just a few of the ways America is broken. And it's not getting any better, as is evidenced by the soaring number of impoverished in North Carolina. As Republican-controlled governments are working to increasingly move the tax burden to the poorest workers and away from the wealthiest, the gap between rich and poor is ever widening, and the numbers of poor are ever rising.
In 2016, "almost 13% of Americans over 40 million, fall below the federal poverty threshold, about $24,339 in 2016 for a family of 4". 18% of American children live below the poverty threshold. It is worse for people of color, and 30% of Black and Latinx children living below the poverty threshold. North Carolina fared worse, with 15% below the federal poverty threshold and 22% of children.
Because the author uses statistics from 2016 and previous years, I imagine they are now dated, and the problems afflicting the poorest have worsened. It was infuriating to read how North Carolina, once a moderately progressive state, became one of the most conservative and how their Republican-controlled government has vastly increased the suffering and poverty in their state. From discarding the EIC tax credit for the poorest workers, to slashing unemployment benefits to a third of what they previously were, to making it illegal to raise the minimum wage.... in this book you will see why there are so many North Carolinians who are homeless, going hungry, dying from treatable diseases. People who have worked their entire lives and then lost their jobs because they became ill. People who work 40+ hours a week but are paid less than enough to live on (and more and more jobs are paying an unlivable wage). You will learn that the impoverished are rarely poor through any fault of their own; they are poor because our country is broken.
And it could happen to any of us. At any time.
This November, keep that in mind.
December 12, 2025
Impactful and informative book!
August 27, 2024
Important book by a great human.
December 30, 2019
Gene Nichols is a well-known figure in the Triangle of North Carolina as he was head of the University of North Carolina’s Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity until it was closed by the new Republican Board of Governors (all older white men) which was appointed by the later-found-to-be unconstitutional gerrymandered state legislature. He had won the Order of the Long Leaf Pine the highest honor bestowed by the state on it's citizens. He spoke at the local JCC about this book and I read it prior to his talk.
He is a former college football player and is huge with a very large head. He speaks eloquently in a staccato rhythm.
The book is not an easy read. He said that when people come up to him and say that they enjoyed his book he knows they did not read it. He make the point that the poor are largely invisible to most of NC.
A few statistics from the book:
- 18% of US children live below the poverty line, 33% of children of color
- We have the greatest income inequality since 1928 with the top 1% owning 39% of the national wealth and the bottom 90% claims only 23%. To find matching inequality you must go past all of Europe, past India and Turkmenistan down to Mozambique and South Sudan.
- A recent study ranked Lumberton and Roanoke Rapids as 2 of the 3 poorest cities in the US.
- Charlotte an economic boom town has the lowest economic mobility of any major city in the US.
- Many poor live in food deserts where they must pay more for lower quality food.
- A baby born in the US is 3 times as likely to die in the first year as a baby in Iceland or Slovenia.
- Most of the people using food banks in NC are working. They may make minimum wage but that is not enough to support a family.
- Mexico comes nearer to universal health care than the US.
- of the 35 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) the US routinely places 35th in access to health care.
- The US government spends $5,960 per person on health care the largest amount by far of any country in the world. The US citizen already pays the highest amount in the world in health care taxes they just don't get the health care. We are the only country in the world that spends more on health care than on social services. While 33M are left uninsured.
- There are nearly 400k undocumented people in NC and yet only 27 are enrolled in the 17 state universities. The others drop out to get jobs or get in trouble.
I asked Nichols at the talk what practical steps would help with the poverty in NC.
1. Raising the minimum wage. If people could make enough to buy food and shelter they would be much better off. The money spent would go directly back into the economy for food, shelter, clothing.
2. Expanding medicare. This is a no-brainer. The NC Republican gerrymandered legislature has refused to expand medicare. They give no reasons and I can only assume that it is because it was proposed by an African American president. 90% of the cost would be paid for by the Federal Gov. and it would expand employment and business with the influx of those health care dollars. Many rural hospitals are closing in NC because of the lack of funds and Nichols said that many have indicated they would make up the difference in the cost just to have it. At present NC tax dollars are going to other states to pay for their Medicare expansion.
It's a pretty depressing and dry book but very eye opening and at least it is short. The individual stories about poor families are heart rending. This kind of poverty should not exist in the richest country in the history of the world and is a indication of our sick politics.
He is a former college football player and is huge with a very large head. He speaks eloquently in a staccato rhythm.
The book is not an easy read. He said that when people come up to him and say that they enjoyed his book he knows they did not read it. He make the point that the poor are largely invisible to most of NC.
A few statistics from the book:
- 18% of US children live below the poverty line, 33% of children of color
- We have the greatest income inequality since 1928 with the top 1% owning 39% of the national wealth and the bottom 90% claims only 23%. To find matching inequality you must go past all of Europe, past India and Turkmenistan down to Mozambique and South Sudan.
- A recent study ranked Lumberton and Roanoke Rapids as 2 of the 3 poorest cities in the US.
- Charlotte an economic boom town has the lowest economic mobility of any major city in the US.
- Many poor live in food deserts where they must pay more for lower quality food.
- A baby born in the US is 3 times as likely to die in the first year as a baby in Iceland or Slovenia.
- Most of the people using food banks in NC are working. They may make minimum wage but that is not enough to support a family.
- Mexico comes nearer to universal health care than the US.
- of the 35 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) the US routinely places 35th in access to health care.
- The US government spends $5,960 per person on health care the largest amount by far of any country in the world. The US citizen already pays the highest amount in the world in health care taxes they just don't get the health care. We are the only country in the world that spends more on health care than on social services. While 33M are left uninsured.
- There are nearly 400k undocumented people in NC and yet only 27 are enrolled in the 17 state universities. The others drop out to get jobs or get in trouble.
I asked Nichols at the talk what practical steps would help with the poverty in NC.
1. Raising the minimum wage. If people could make enough to buy food and shelter they would be much better off. The money spent would go directly back into the economy for food, shelter, clothing.
2. Expanding medicare. This is a no-brainer. The NC Republican gerrymandered legislature has refused to expand medicare. They give no reasons and I can only assume that it is because it was proposed by an African American president. 90% of the cost would be paid for by the Federal Gov. and it would expand employment and business with the influx of those health care dollars. Many rural hospitals are closing in NC because of the lack of funds and Nichols said that many have indicated they would make up the difference in the cost just to have it. At present NC tax dollars are going to other states to pay for their Medicare expansion.
It's a pretty depressing and dry book but very eye opening and at least it is short. The individual stories about poor families are heart rending. This kind of poverty should not exist in the richest country in the history of the world and is a indication of our sick politics.
March 3, 2020
Starts off with more of an academic paper feel but quickly evolves into a very readable work. I moved to NC in 2016 and had no idea of how the Republicans had stripped so much of the safety net for people living in poverty in the recent years before 2016. Add that to the 2008 downturn and once again the rich get richer and the poor suffer more. This book is filled with facts and figures so it is not merely a book of opinions. Somehow we have to find a happy solution for both sides of the discussion.
October 8, 2023
It is shameful and frustrating to read how horribly we treat poor people, not only in North Carolina, but throughout the United States. There are some common sense solutions to help alleviate the problem but government is unwilling to do anything. In the meantime, as people become more desperate, crime will increase, children and senior citizens will be starving, people will die early, etc.
I wish Gene Nichols could be back in his former position as he did a lot to help people. I’m glad he is writing books and look forward to hearing his voice again soon.
I wish Gene Nichols could be back in his former position as he did a lot to help people. I’m glad he is writing books and look forward to hearing his voice again soon.
October 27, 2019
A pretty essential read for anyone living in North Carolina. This book puts a face on the millions of struggling people who are not only not being helped, but actively harmed by the state legislature. You'd think the least a government could do is manage to not be cruel, but that's beyond the North Carolina of the 2010s. I'm furious, grateful to have had Gene Nichol as a teacher, and glad I'm building skills that should be able to help.
*This book is slightly underedited. Several interviews are quoted multiple times, which creates an erroneous perception of shallowness*
*This book is slightly underedited. Several interviews are quoted multiple times, which creates an erroneous perception of shallowness*
July 10, 2019
Heavy on statistics and numerous stories of individuals struggling with poverty, this is a stark description of those in NC struggling with poverty and searching for ways out. Heartbreaking to read, this is an eye opener for anyone who thinks that experiences (and opportunities) of all those in the US are the same.
January 17, 2020
Humanization of people living in poverty in our own country, and in my own state, is severely overlooked. Gene Nichol's work of making the actual forgotten voices finally heard, especially ones we live right down the road from, is something we all need to remind ourselves. It shows who we need to help if we actually want to better all of our lives in the society that we have been given.
March 30, 2020
While I was reading this book I was brought aware of the homeless population in NC. This book does a really good representation of the homeless and how our economy in NC is really bad. One thing that I wish was different in the book is that he does really give us a solution to the problem that he points out.
March 8, 2020
I only gave it a 3 because it was like reading a text book and not super enjoyable but the situations in the book ALL need to be addressed. I was disappointed that there was no list of how the reader could help. EVERY politician and political candidate should read this book.
August 8, 2019
eye opening and painful. wish there were more of a list of action steps for those of us with relative privilege but not in policy making role.
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February 29, 2020Powerful stories of exactly what is in front of us in NC.
May 16, 2025
Brutal, and I think accurate, assessment of who we are.
February 24, 2025
One of the best books I've read. The author goes beyond the statistics and writes about the importance of putting a face to the numbers. It talks about poverty that affects Tar Heels from the Western part of our state to the Eastern. I fully recommend the book as poverty continues to affect so many people in our state from urban to rural communities.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews