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More than one-third
of the 242 counties in the Southeastern persistent poverty
region are located in Georgia. Spanning from Athens-Clarke
county to Miller to Troup, these counties are defined by statistics
that boggle the mind, especially against the backdrop of Georgia’s
economic strength over the past decade:
- 20.9 percent of the total population and 27.4 percent
of children live below poverty level (defined as an income
of $17,650 for a family of four);
- 29.5 percent of residents age 25 and above do not have
a high school diploma;
- the unemployment rate is 7.1 percent, 40 percent higher
than other Georgia counties;
- the rate of low birth-weight babies is 25 percent higher
than the national rate.
“The data confirmed what I already knew about the region,
but it was still startling to see the unevenness of growth
and development," said Art Dunning, vice president for
public service and outreach at UGA. "This is an economic
issue, pure and simple."
"What was a
complete surprise to me was the disparity between rural Georgia
and metropolitan Georgia,” said Jim Ledbetter, director
of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at UGA, which conducted
the study. “These problems have persisted for decades.
We need both a body of knowledge and a set of programs built
over the years to address these issues.”
U.S. Senator Zell Miller secured $250,000 in federal funding
to help start the data collection on poverty in Georgia and
other Southern states. Macon businessman Benjy Griffith matched
that with a $250,000 gift to the UGA Foundation in support
of the study. The year-long study, completed in December 2002,
paints a stark picture of a region not only separated from
the economic boom that metro Atlanta has enjoyed, but of a
region which also threatens to draw the rest of Georgia into
the cycle of poverty.
"I've seen
this problem up close," said Griffith, whose timberland
and real estate business stretches from Georgia to Texas.
"I believe UGA research can help develop a plan to address
poverty in this state. Somebody has to do something."
“We need a population which can fully participate in
the 21st century and a community infrastructure which supports
that population,” said Ledbetter, looking ahead to the
next phase of the study. “Then we can craft a set of
policies and programs to address these issues.”
"This is not
an issue of historical or social justice," Dunning said.
"Those discussions don't get us anywhere. We need to
take a detailed look at where we are, and then work together
to improve Georgia."
Competing in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities
for international experiences. Our students are flocking to
study-abroad programs, thriving on the challenges inherent
in confronting a new cultural environment. More and more,
students on campus are also making choices that reflect an
understanding of the importance of global awareness—from
living in a residence hall-based language community to starting
a radio program in another language to minoring in a foreign
language. These experiences, whether at home or abroad, influence
how our students perceive the world and their place in it.
We’re producing graduates prepared to be world citizens—well
informed, culturally sensitive and technologically sophisticated.
They’re ready to take on the challenges of our global
society, and they’ll be equally at home whether in the
Peach State or the Republic of Georgia.
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Art
Dunning (left), UGA vice president for public service and outreach,
said data gathered to study poverty in Georgia will help identify
ways to break the cycle. Macon businessman Benjy Griffith (right)
matched $250,000 of federal funding to start data collection.
