

In the midst of unprecedented national prosperity in the 1960s, poverty was "rediscovered" by American policy makers, media and the public. This series examines how the poor fared during these years and the resultant evolution of foundation and public sector programs addressing the challenges of poverty.
During the early 1960s, hundreds of Kentucky coal miners displaced by automation strike out at their former employers, bombing mines to shut down production. Millions of others displaced by machines across Appalachia and the rural South head north to begin a new life in Chicago. This episode reports on these stories of desperation and hope and explores the origins of America's war on poverty.
Aired: 1/16/1995Early 1965 is a critical period for President Johnson's war on poverty. Community action programs attract strong opposition from local and state governments. The Head Start program is created to provide poor children with adequate nutrition, health care and the educational advantages that other American children enjoy. The program looks at Head Start in Mississippi, America's poorest state.