In its continuing look at urban problems, America?s Crises focuses in this program on the plight of the poor in the cities. In this, the first of two programs on the subject, the poor will speak for themselves and will tell about their problems. The program will identify the poor, show the various kinds of poverty in cities and reveal the extent of deprivation and degradation generation after generation of poverty can bring to a family. This program will also show some of the efforts bring made to alleviate poverty and will go into the criticism of the various poverty programs.

It has been two years and more than two billion dollars since President Johnson declared a War on Poverty.


Much has happened since then. Riots have scarred many neighborhoods across the country which had been labeled prime targets in the Poverty War; in some areas federal funds have been withdrawn in a confusion of charges and counter -charges; now, the entire Poverty Program has become the center of a national controversy. For a first-hand look at the anatomy and pathology of poverty, National Educational Television's camera crews went into heart of poverty pockets to film two hour long documentaries for NET's "America's Crises" series. Focused upon in this segment are two areas of the country which were the scenes of violent disturbances and riots among underprivileged Americans