In Leon County, the cultural and social history of the region is rooted in a “plantation mentality” in which one’s social position is considered predetermined and the inclination and opportunity to advance one’s status is considered inappropriate.
Leon County leads the State of Florida in generational poverty and food scarcity. Owing in large part to the county’s long history of slave labor that made it possible for cotton and tobacco growers to amass significant wealth for their families, impoverished families have remained entrenched. The lack of education is the main cause of generational poverty and the reason it…