Myth of the Welfare Queen: A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist's Portrait of Women on the Line

by David Zucchino

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Zucchino spent a year sharing the lives of Odessa Williams and Cheri Honkala -- two "welfare mothers" in Philadelphia -- to gain an intimate look at their day-to-day existence. Odessa, supporting an extended family, exhibits almost superhuman strength and resolve. Cheri, a single mother, is a tireless advocate for the homeless. Zucchino beautifully portrays them as figures of profound courage and quiet perseverance, systematically shattering all misconceptions and stereotypes about these women and so many others like them.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism, Sociology, History, Social Work, Cultural

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of your political beliefs, it is hard to argue with the sheer weight of the personal account of two main characters: a welfare grandmother caring for at least a half-dozen grandchildren, and a young affordable housing activist. This book doesn't try to argue why, who, or how much public aid should be given to these women. It just makes its point that these women are not leeches or lazy, nor are they scamming the system or living in luxury--they are simply humans trying to survive.
Zucchino manages to share a lot of socio-political information about the "wrong side" of Philadelphia without sounding pedantic or preachy. He expertly inserts the information within more interesting slices of life, such as activist Cheri's reluctant acceptance of a Christmas party invitation from the local mob boss. Not boring reading!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Americans despise people receiving welfare benefits. Stereotypes abound...they're drug addicts, sluts, freeloaders, con artists, unfit parents. The truth is that most are mothers with children, living on the edge. Every dollar provided is begrudged them. Conservative politicians whip up national hatred against them and seek to eliminate such benefits to "save" budget dollars. But cuts hurt children as well as the poorest Americans. We must strengthen...not destroy...families who have hit rock bottom.

Read this book to discover how a group of mothers in Philadelphia try to cope and live for yet another day. 5 stars!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found "Myth of the Welfare Queen" to be deeply moving, despite the 20 years that have lapsed since its publication. The book is both nostalgic and familiar.

Zucchino provides a vivid portrait of North Philadelphia in the mid-1990s, dutifully tracking the quotidian rhythms of his protagonists' lives. The (perhaps mundane) details of Odessa's days were quite evocative—working odd jobs, "trash picking," fishing for food, etc. Zucchino has answered your question. How did AFDC recipients spend their time? Trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents, of course.

The monumental transformation of the federal safety net belies a sad fact about the city of Philadelphia—far too little has changed for the most vulnerable among us. Philadelphia remains the poorest major city, with 26% of its residents below the poverty line, a sum that includes 36% of its children. This gives the book a surprising immediacy. Many of Zucchino's subjects are still at it. Cheri Honkala, for one, is running for elected office, and the bureaucrats she once lamented are still manning their posts, though certain titles and agencies have been reconfigured to reflect contemporary understandings of urban governance.

So there have been big changes to the support offered to low-income families, but few changes to Philadelphia's staggering poverty rates. This leads to new questions. How would someone like Odessa manage in 2017? Kathryn Edin's "$2.00 Dollars A Day" provides some answers. Indigent women have no choice but to prove their mettle, make do, and if time allows, resist.

[Mirissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

While out of date, this book humanizes those struggling with intergenerational poverty and humbles the reader. It reminds the reader that those on welfare are not lazy but are instead tremendously resourceful, solving problem after problem after it arises. I cannot imagine enduring the challenges that Williams’ friends and families go through let alone finding ways to thrive in these depressed and dangerous areas. I know that things have only gotten worse since this book came out, and I know that I will continue to vote and advocate for social safety net programs to be continued and even expanded.

When it comes to the writing, it was pretty well done but the timeline was a bit odd. The experiences of the two main characters were blended but not chronologically which left me a bit confused from time to time.

[Kate Swoboda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in high school, and I was forever changed. It wasn't that I'd been unaware of the misperceptions of people struggling on low incomes, so much as it was that Zucchino personalized the stories of these women, in their struggles, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. I am both more grateful as well as more motivated to change the privilege paradigm so that everyone has access to basic human resources.

[Becky Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author possesses an acumen for intertwining narratives. The book itself is a bit outdated- published in 95- but the general idea that those on public assistance are deprive of dignity still stands relevant all these years later.

[Whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Adrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and sobering. An important read even 20 years later.

[Didine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it! Welfare mothers are synonyms with resilience and not laziness in case you still wonder. The book is 28 years old but it might resonate even more in 2023.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. If you are one of those people who hate "those bums living it up on welfare" then this is a must read for you. You are wrong, and this book will show you just how wrong and actually stupid you are. People on welfare are not disgusting leeches. Most that I have met were truly pitiful, some of the most pitiful people I have ever met. Welfare "reform" was one of the worst things this country ever did, despite the abuses of the system.

Sure you took the welfare away because you said it made recipients act bad, so now what's happened?They're even poorer than they were when they were on welfare, and they act a lot worse. Welfare in a sense is a good thing because it keeps a lot of low performing people out of poverty and desperation which in turn makes them less susceptible to crime and bad behaviors. I consider welfare a "payoff" to many not so impressive Americans. If we can "buy them off" with a tiny bit of money that keeps them out of poverty and makes them act better as a result, it's better for us, them and the people around them.

These idiots have it all wrong. They see people getting "welfare" and a lot of them are acting rather bad. Idiotically, they conclude that the welfare is making them act bad! So they say take the welfare away and then they will act better. But it doesn't work! You take the welfare away and they act even worse!

Keep in mind what welfare was originally set up for - children. The principle of welfare is this - children must be supported. If the parents are not exactly examplary people, that is not a good thing, but when you take that money away, you hurt that child! Even if the Mom is not a perfect mother, that kid still needs to be supported. By taking welfare away, you say you don't care if that kid lives or dies. That's a kid. They've done nothing wrong. Those kids must be supported either by their parents or by society until they are 18 years old. Anything less and you are hurting and even killing kids, and child abusers and child killers are the worst of the worst, and that is what all you welfare haters are. Child killers.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the vein of "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" but with a decidedly more personal bent, "Myth of the Welfare Queen" examines the daily lives of two exceptionally strong women receiving welfare benefits in drug-infested North Philadelphia during the waning days of the welfare state. Odessa Williams, grandmother and matriarch, is the nucleus holding her large and struggling African American family together, while Cheri Honkala, single white mother and activist, is a tireless and fervent advocate for the homeless. As the executive director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, the KWRU, it was Cheri's mantra that "society had a sacred obligation to care for its poor." As the main support system for her extended and always struggling family, Odessa had one goal: to keep her grandkids safe, out of trouble, fed, clothed, and educated by being as frugal and resourceful as possible. Sometimes heart-breaking, always inspiring, the story of these two urban heroines, reported through their eyes by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist David Zucchino, goes a long way toward dispelling the myth of the welfare queen sitting home watching tv, and milking the government. 4.5 stars; I loved this book.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Every Republican in office (and out) should be required to read this book. Who are they to point fingers when our Senators/Congressmen are welfare people themselves - being paid by the American people for doing nothing and reaping great benefits - good salaries/wonderful healthcare/great retirement. Talk about welfare recipients. This book reads like a novel, a real page-turner. And how they survive is more than I know. Their lives are so hard. If one is not on welfare, one should be very grateful.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it while working at Transitional Work Corporation, a large successful welfare to work nonprofit that helped women like those depicted. There are several parts that I really enjoyed: the story of Cheri Honkala and her attempts to advocated on behalf of people on welfare in Philadelphia, the story of the family trying to make ends meet, and the depiction of the city of Philadelphia itself. This is a compelling and enjoyable read.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me far too long to read. I kept hoping for a happy ending, and it kept becoming more and more clear it wasn't going to happen, and I kept dreading the way that would make me feel, so I kept putting off finishing.

I don't know why I expected a happy ending. The women in this book are just two members of a class of Americans who have been ignored more and more through each round of budget cuts. They offer an inspiring story of what it takes to get by when you have nothing else, though.

[Opinionated Hijabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author goes to great lengths to show the lives of women of welfare to dispel myths of laziness and lack of self-reliance. I read it for a project in a college class, but this was one of the most interesting books I read that year. I recommend it frequently in debates over welfare, social assistance and food stamps.

[Ocean · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was REALLY fascinated by the KWRU thread of this book, but was disinterested in the trashpicking-grandma-and-her-family-drama storyline. but, OMG! Cheri Honkala! Such an inspiration, esp for a disgruntled caseworker like me :/

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reads like a novel. It gives a deeply personal picture of what it is like to live off of welfare, and the negative stigma attached to recieving public assistance. A real must read for any Social Worker.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super important book - and not hard to get through at all.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about women on welfare, how they got there, and their struggles with day-to-day living.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The firsthand accounts do more to increase your respect for humanity than prove any kind of political point. I respect this author for doing this bold project tastefully.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has ever said that the majority of people on welfare (which it's not called anymore) abuse it, educate yourself and read this book.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT! "I've never seen any welfare queen driving a pink cadillac."

[Liz Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the very best books I've ever been assigned to read.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting exploration of the daily lives of welfare moms in the Pennsylvania urban area, by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.