WAR ON THE POOR: Congress Embraces a
New Southern Strategy by Adam Lynch
I
April 6 - 12, 2011
AMILE WILSON
t was 7:30 in the morning, and the smallest beneficiaries of the Richard Brandon Head Start Center at 5920 N. State St. followed their young parents into the mass of little portable units. One hobbit-sized girl lifted her legs awkwardly up each of the wooden steps to the main building, keeping her eyes focused on her toes. This particular facility serves a total of 160 children ages 3 to 4. A second facility not far away offers baby-sitting for
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Labor supporter Alexander McAllister rallied March 15 in Jackson to protest union-busting efforts in Wisconsin.
newborns and toddlers. Federal grants fund the facility. Many of the parents dropping their children off at the State Street facility clearly have busy days ahead of them. The women are dressed for business, with office slacks and conservative dress implying a full day behind a desk, counter or food line. Some of the fathers wear smudged but fragrant outerwear suggesting a futile run in the washer the night before. They appear to have a date with a shovel, hammer
or socket wrench, but for now their arms are around their kids, forcing one last hug on their struggling boys before the grudging kids escape and join their playmates. Yolanda Henderson, whose child Jared is following his older twin brothers Jayden and Jaleel through the State Street facility, said she would not be able to handle traditional daycare alternatives to Head Start, which could easily cost more than $150 per week.