Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

[We_are_Bama]

But, the people by and large are resilient, hard working and charitable. It is just not an ideal place to live.

If HBO seeked out a "white trash" family to expose, they could have found that in any of the 50 states. I imagine West Virginians will take exception to this program.

It's sad, because hard working people everywhere are laughed at by the so called "upper class" simply because of their jobs.

 

[SavannahDare]

I watched the documentary on Netflix last night. All i can say is "wow!" Those folks are as drug-addicted and sociopathic as they come. Quite the train wreck indeed.

 

[RollTide2U]

I watched the documentary on Netflix last night. All i can say is "wow!" Those folks are as drug-addicted and sociopathic as they come. Quite the train wreck indeed.

SavannahDare, you've got to get ahold of "Dancing Outlaw" as well. It is even more jaw-dropping. You'll understand "The Whites" documentary much more if you see it too. It will blow your mind.....

To be fair, I have people like this in my family - probably not to this degree, but I have them. So does my husband. That may be why I'm so fascinated - it's very close to me. The Whites are simply a very extreme example of "white trash". I also realize, as is the case in my own family, that one generation of "white trash" simply perpetuates the next. It's a seemingly endless cycle and there is no real motivation to get out of it for most of them.

 

[Tidewater]

It's sad, because hard working people everywhere are laughed at by the so called "upper class" simply because of their jobs.

I just got back from a trip to the coalfields fo McDowell county, WV (two counties down from Boone).
A lot of hard-working folks of limited means, struggling to keep body and soul together in a crappy environment. I saw a lot of run-down houses, towns that have seen better days, and mountains with the tops ripped off.
One surprise was the number of African-Americans I saw. It is not just "white trash" in those hills. (I can't vouch for how trashy these black folk were, they looked like working people, but the folks in McDowell are not just white.) My father told me the coal companies brought them in from the Deep South to bust the UMW (or at least give the coal companies another source of labor.)
That said, the White family in Boone County are over the top and were selected precisely for their character (or lack thereof).

 

[bamacon]

One of my friends was one of the coal miners killed in the Brookwood accident in Tuscaloosa County a few years ago. He was from WV and he told me of all these wild tales of folks from WV and I thought he was embellishing a bit. Not anymore. I think he may have been talking about the Whites

 

[DiamondDust]

I just got back from a trip to the coalfields fo McDowell county, WV (two counties down from Boone).
A lot of hard-working folks of limited means, struggling to keep body and soul together in a crappy environment. I saw a lot of run-down houses, towns that have seen better days, and mountains with the tops ripped off.
One surprise was the number of African-Americans I saw. It is not just "white trash" in those hills. (I can't vouch for how trashy these black folk were, they looked like working people, but the folks in McDowell are not just white.) My father told me the coal companies brought them in from the Deep South to bust the UMW (or at least give the coal companies another source of labor.)
That said, the White family in Boone County are over the top and were selected precisely for their character (or lack thereof).

In just my general readings in regards to labor issues in that state, the African American miners got the short end of the stick both ways: They had to deal with the racism/segregation of the time and then the fact they were brought in during labor disputes. Needless to say, it was far from pristine conditions for them. One of the better movies done about the West Virginia coal miner labor disputes was Matewan, which was based on the Matewan massacre.

 

[92tide]

In just my general readings in regards to labor issues in that state, the African American miners got the short end of the stick both ways: They had to deal with the racism/segregation of the time and then the fact they were brought in during labor disputes. Needless to say, it was far from pristine conditions for them. One of the better movies done about the West Virginia coal miner labor disputes was Matewan, which was based on the Matewan massacre.

i saw "harlan county, USA" the other day and it was a really good look at the strikes in harlan in the mid 70s

 

[DiamondDust]

i saw "harlan county, USA" the other day and it was a really good look at the strikes in harlan in the mid 70s

Been meaning to catch that one for the longest time.