--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is true that almost everyone in the…" description: "\"“It is true that almost everyone in the foothills farmed and hunted, so there were no breadlines, no men holding signs that begged for work and food, n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/rick-bragg-12837_alabama_it-is-true-that-almost-everyone-in-the-f_1705083.jpg" --- # It is true that almost everyone in the foothills farmed… ![“It is true that almost everyone in the foothills farmed and hunted, so there were no breadlines, no men holding signs that begged for work and food, no children going door to door, as they did in Atlanta, asking for table scraps. Here, deep in the woods, was a different agony. Babies, the most…” quote by Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/rick-bragg-12837_alabama_it-is-true-that-almost-everyone-in-the-f_1705083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/rick-bragg-12837_alabama_it-is-true-that-almost-everyone-in-the-f_1705083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/rick-bragg-12837_alabama_it-is-true-that-almost-everyone-in-the-f_1705083.jpg) > ““It is true that almost everyone in the foothills farmed and hunted, so there were no breadlines, no men holding signs that begged for work and food, no children going door to door, as they did in Atlanta, asking for table scraps. Here, deep in the woods, was a different agony. Babies, the most tenuous, died from poor diet and simple things, like fevers and dehydration. In Georgia, one in seven babies died before their first birthday, and in Alabama it was worse. You could feed your family catfish and jack salmon, poke salad and possum, but medicine took cash money, and the poorest of the poor, blacks and whites, did not have it. Women, black and white, really did smother their babies to save them from slow death, to give a stronger, sounder child a little more, and stories of it swirled round and round until it became myth, because who can live with that much truth.”” [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extreme poverty in rural Appalachia caused high infant mortality, leading to desperate, tragic choices. **In simple terms:** Poverty kills babies. Key Takeaway Address systemic poverty to save lives. Themes poverty health social injustice Mood somber urgent Type historical social commentary When to use this quote - rural health - policy making - community support Key Concepts public health economic disparity historical trauma Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce infant mortality in impoverished regions? - How can communities preserve dignity while seeking aid? A Different Perspective Solutions need resources and political will. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [First birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-birthday/) [Georgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/georgia/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Simple things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-things/) ## Related quotes > [“She didn’t think of the debt she was repaying, that each of the babies she brought into the world might someday be counted against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahmima-anam/she-didn-t-think-of-the-debt-she-was-repaying-that-each-of-the-babies/) [Tahmima Anam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahmima-anam/) > [In 1900, 180-plus out of every 1,000 African-American babies died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/in-1900-180-plus-out-of-every-1-000-african-american-babies-died/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [You know, the last time America sensationalized an actor from India, the man died a poor, miserable soul: He was Sabu, the elephant boy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/you-know-the-last-time-america-sensationalized-an-actor-from-india/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [Do you know how many great writers, musicians, artists, scientists, inventors, theologians, and statesmen have died poor? All of them! You can't take it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/do-you-know-how-many-great-writers-musicians-artists-scientists/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“Jo, they have a baby grand piano, but no one in the family plays. They have shelves of books they've never read, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/jo-they-have-a-baby-grand-piano-but-no-one-in-the-family-plays-they/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [If you are born poor than it's not your fault but if you died poor than it's your fault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-you-are-born-poor-than-it-s-not-your-fault-but-if-you-died-poor/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [For complicated historical and political reasons, we associate 'poor' in our public consciousness with 'black.' Terms such as 'welfare queen' and 'culture of poverty'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/for-complicated-historical-and-political-reasons-we-associate-poor-in/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Being Black and poor is, I think, radically different from being anything else and poor. Poor, to most Blacks, is a state of mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/being-black-and-poor-is-i-think-radically-different-from-being/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [Why should blacks feel elated about seeing men walk on the moon when millions of poor blacks and whites don't have enough money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/why-should-blacks-feel-elated-about-seeing-men-walk-on-the-moon-when/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [I never thought, when I was a kid, that there was a sense of competition or animosity towards poor blacks. I just thought there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-never-thought-when-i-was-a-kid-that-there-was-a-sense-of/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Class certainly loomed large in Katrina's aftermath. Blacks of means escaped the tragedy; blacks without them suffered and died. In reality, it is how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/class-certainly-loomed-large-in-katrina-s-aftermath-blacks-of-means/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [We forgot that Martin Luther King, Jr. changed his discourse toward the end of his life because he understood that the real fundamental problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/we-forgot-that-martin-luther-king-jr-changed-his-discourse-toward-the/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [“Today, many whites oppose all social reform as "welfare programs for blacks." They ignore the fact that poor whites have employment, education, and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bell/today-many-whites-oppose-all-social-reform-as-welfare-programs-for/) [Derrick Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bell/) > [The poor are the blacks of Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/the-poor-are-the-blacks-of-europe/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/politicians-will-not-put-forth-programs-aimed-at-the-problems-of-poor/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## More by Rick Bragg > [Momma kept a garden, which sounds romantic to people who have never held a hoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/momma-kept-a-garden-which-sounds-romantic-to-people-who-have-never/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“…dreaming backwards can carry a man through some dark rooms where the walls seem lined with razor blades.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/dreaming-backwards-can-carry-a-man-through-some-dark-rooms-where-the/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [But I hope I will never have a life that is not surrounded by books, by books that are bound in paper and cloth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/but-i-hope-i-will-never-have-a-life-that-is-not-surrounded-by-books/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“On every pack leaned an M16, except Lori’s. Her son was playing soldier with it in the bleachers. There was no clip in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/on-every-pack-leaned-an-m16-except-lori-s-her-son-was-playing-soldier/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [Passion is something you really don't miss, after it has cooled. It is like looking at an empty bottle on the side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/passion-is-something-you-really-don-t-miss-after-it-has-cooled-it-is/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“...because dreaming backwards can carry a man through some dark rooms...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/because-dreaming-backwards-can-carry-a-man-through-some-dark-rooms/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“I guess it is what you do if you grow up with warnings of damnation ringing from every church door and radio station and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/i-guess-it-is-what-you-do-if-you-grow-up-with-warnings-of-damnation/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“They, especially, taught me that you can't go through life not liking people because they didn't have to work as hard or come as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/they-especially-taught-me-that-you-can-t-go-through-life-not-liking/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [It is easy to be liked when the world has no jagged edges, when life is electric blankets and peach ice cream. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/it-is-easy-to-be-liked-when-the-world-has-no-jagged-edges-when-life/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“But if she was going to live in a damn jungle, she preferred it be a damn jungle in Georgia, she always said, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/but-if-she-was-going-to-live-in-a-damn-jungle-she-preferred-it-be-a/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [This is home and home is not something you remember, it is something you see every day and every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/this-is-home-and-home-is-not-something-you-remember-it-is-something/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [I don't think there's a difference between writing for a newspaper or magazine and doing a chapter in a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-difference-between-writing-for-a-newspaper-or/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [It is not unusual to send someone to conduct an interview you don't have time to conduct. It's what we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/it-is-not-unusual-to-send-someone-to-conduct-an-interview-you-don-t/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“Mama just stepped back on the treadmill of worry and hopeless, and kept walking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/mama-just-stepped-back-on-the-treadmill-of-worry-and-hopeless-and/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [Don’t worry about what people think, because once it’s all over the people who love you will make you what they want you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/don-t-worry-about-what-people-think-because-once-it-s-all-over-the/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) [Explore all 53 Rick Bragg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) ## More Alabama quotes > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. In Blackmon’s estimation, “roughly half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/alabama-in-1927-alone-27-701-men-were-arrested-on-misdemeanor-charges/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [I was haunted always by my other life-my drab room in the Bronx, my square foot of the subway, my fixation upon the day's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-was-haunted-always-by-my-other-life-my-drab-room-in-the-bronx-my/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The great thing that I appreciate - the fact that my godfather, William 'Sticky' Jackson, was a Tuskegee Airman because my father was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/the-great-thing-that-i-appreciate-the-fact-that-my-godfather-william/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [I'll never forget where I came from, and that my home is forever Sweet Home Alabama!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bearer/i-ll-never-forget-where-i-came-from-and-that-my-home-is-forever-sweet/) Paul Bearer > [Alabama's a football state and you really don't get too many basketball players out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/alabama-s-a-football-state-and-you-really-don-t-get-too-many/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) > [When I was growing up in Alabama in the '50s, even though we were poor and the laws were against blacks, we still had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lee-peterson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-alabama-in-the-50s-even-though-we-were-poor/) [Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lee-peterson/) > [May God continue to bless sweet home Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/may-god-continue-to-bless-sweet-home-alabama/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [My uncle is a Southern planter. He's an undertaker in Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-uncle-is-a-southern-planter-he-s-an-undertaker-in-alabama/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [On his 916th game as coach at University of Alabama - I've been here so long that when I got here the Dead Sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfrey-sanderson/on-his-916th-game-as-coach-at-university-of-alabama-i-ve-been-here-so/) Winfrey Sanderson > [Beginning in June, Alabama seniors previously without prescription drug coverage should begin to see savings of between 10 and 25 percent on their medications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rogers/beginning-in-june-alabama-seniors-previously-without-prescription/) [Mike Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rogers/) > [It is my goal as governor to steady the ship of state and improve the image of Alabama, part of that entails ending unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/it-is-my-goal-as-governor-to-steady-the-ship-of-state-and-improve-the/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [The BP settlement is a victory for Alabama: not only for the amount of compensation we were able to secure, but also for avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-strange/the-bp-settlement-is-a-victory-for-alabama-not-only-for-the-amount-of/) [Luther Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-strange/) > [I had an art teacher who's the reason I got there in high school who encouraged me to go to Alabama. That's where she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sela-ward/i-had-an-art-teacher-who-s-the-reason-i-got-there-in-high-school-who/) [Sela Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sela-ward/) Browse all 371 Alabama quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is true that almost everyone in the foothills farmed and hunted, so there were no breadlines, no men holding signs that begged for work and food, no children going door to door, as they did in Atlanta, asking for table scraps. Here, deep in the woods, was a different agony. Babies, the most tenuous, died from poor diet and simple things, like fevers and dehydration. In Georgia, one in seven babies died before their first birthday, and in Alabama it was worse. You could feed your family catfish and jack salmon, poke salad and possum, but medicine took cash money, and the poorest of the poor, blacks and whites, did not have it. 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