Greetings from USC Columbia. Bruce did an excellent job with that article. Just the other day, I was rehearsing for a Black History Month presentation at my church, and I was mentioning that my ancestors in the Hamilton Family were slaves in Georgia at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation and walked to Allendale County, S.C. That area has definitely seen its share of hard times.
I attended school in also poor Jasper County, but Allendale always seemed to have an outstanding football team.
I am praying that President Obama's stimulus package will be approved by the Senate so that there is at least a chance at improvement and uplift for those in that area.
Jobs are so scarce in that region that I personally know of people who commute nearly two hours daily (one way) to jobs on Hilton Head Island to try to support their families.
Thanks for shedding light and telling the human side of this story.
Sincerely,
Vasilisa C. Hamilton, Columbia, S.C.