Corridor of Shame

I may have grown up in the south, but I did not grow up in the rural south. Watching Corridor of Shame reinforced this for me. I was blown away by the conditions of the schools in the 1-95 corridor. I couldn’t believe they could actually remain open without proper heat, sewage spills, and such a desperate lack of space. I guess in such an extremely poor area it is the best they can do right now. It was heartbreaking to consider that this type of stuff goes on with few efforts to alleviate what is becoming, if not already, a disaster. Its no wonder so many people in this part of the state don’t graduate high school. The conditions don’t exactly make it a safe and accomodating environment for learning.

I attended public schools in North Carolina, but my experience was nothing like the schools in the film. Gaston County is certainly not one of the best school systems in the state, but the conditions of my schools were not bad. My elementary and middle schools are located within the heart of Mt. Holly. When you hear how important it is for a school to be part of a community’s downtown so the community will feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for it, the schools I grew up in are a good example of this. My schools always had comfortable classroom space, functioning heat and air, and there were never issues with the sewage (at least not that I knew of).

I guess growing up in the suburbs of Charlotte meant that my school system had a stronger tax base to fund at least the basic needs for facilities and supplies. However, I can’t believe money is the only problem in the I-95 schools. The film hinted at many other socio-economic issues that were also weakening the schools. I know that being able to fund maintenance, supplies, and teachers is a huge obstacle, but the schools are only a glimpse at the larger issues within the community. Obviously, these areas are suffering from a lack of industry or other employment opportunities that would sufficiently support their families. The horrible dropout rates indicates that even if industry or other opportunities came to the region, how many community members would even be qualified for the jobs since such a large percentage of the population doesn’t even have a high school diploma. The situation is so desperate; it’s hard to fully understand how any relief can be offered to improve the situation. I hate to be so pessimistic, it really is not my nature, but leaps and bounds will have to be accomplished before any noticeable progress will be made. The places like those in the film remind me of all the opportunities in my life that I have to be grateful for and why I want to help other communities become places their citizens will be proud to have grown up in as well.