Perspectives on Poverty in U.S.

In April we welcomed Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, co-authors of the 2021 book Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending U.S. Poverty.

A former Foote parent, Joanne is the founder and chief executive officer of National Diaper Bank Network and CEO of the Alliance for Period Supplies. As a former social worker in New Haven, she has first-hand perspective on the devastating — and sometimes insurmountable — effects that poverty has on individuals. At the same time, she's also witnessed the common misconceptions that surround poverty — for example, the assumption that people are poor because they don't want to work.

"Most people who are poor work," she verified. The problem is that an outmoded minimum wage and welfare system does not provide sufficient support.

Solutions are not easy, but Joanne pointed out that the first step is an open dialogue.

"In this country, we don't talk about money. Having it is taboo, and not having it is taboo," she said. "We have to be willing to have the conversation."

The Witness Stone Project

Each year, seventh graders participate in The Witness Stone Project, researching the life of a person who was enslaved in Connecticut. Students spend months researching the history of slavery while uncovering information about a person whose life was lived in slavery, but whose story was previously untold.

Visit footeschool.org/WS to read student reflections on the life of Nean, a former slave, and view original student photography and graphic design.