Bestselling Author and Utah Lt. Gov. to Discuss Politics and Poverty at WSU

OGDEN, Utah — New York Times bestselling author J.D. Vance and Utah’s Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox will examine politics and poverty during a discussion, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in Weber State University’s Shepherd Union Ballrooms.

Vance’s book “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” is entering 26 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list. The book tells a personal story of Vance’s struggles growing up in America’s Appalachian region, where he says poverty is family tradition.

“Hillbilly Elegy addresses themes of childhood trauma, opioid addiction and personal and societal failures that have led to intergenerational poverty and, in many ways, the election of Donald Trump,” said Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox. “I could not help but recognize several themes from my own life in rural Utah and hope that this discussion will be useful as we seek answers and solutions to the problems of intergenerational poverty, homelessness, disadvantaged youth and economic depression in rural areas.”

Vance’s mother was addicted to drugs, so his grandparents raised him.  In his book, Vance looks at the people he grew up around with criticism and compassion, writing, “Americans call them hillbillies, red-necks, or white trash. I call them neighbors, friends, and family.”

His story takes place both in Middletown, Ohio, where Vance grew up, and Jackson, Kentucky, the place he considers home. Vance’s grandparents moved from Kentucky to Ohio when they were young, which was common for many families looking for work. Those who made the move became known as hillbilly transplants.

Breathitt County, Kentucky, where the rest of Vance’s family lived, has a 42.9 percent child poverty rate, according to the 2015 U.S. Census Bureau analysis. That figure doesn’t include a large majority of people who live just above the poverty line. It’s a stark difference from Salt Lake County, where the child poverty rate is 12.8 percent, and even a jump from Utah’s most poverty-stricken counties, such as San Juan County, where the child poverty rate is 31.9 percent.

Vance says the purpose of his book is “to tell a true story about what the problem feels like when you were born with it hanging around your neck.”

Political pundits are looking at Vance’s picture of the poor, white working class as an explanation for the source of Donald Trump’s loyal Republican supporters. Although Trump isn’t mentioned in any of the chapters, the book gained traction for its insight on this topic during the election. 

Thanks to the help of his grandparents, Vance broke family tradition. He spent time in the U.S. Marine Corps after high school. Then he graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He transcended the violence and poverty where his family was stuck, yet he says his accomplishments aren’t extraordinary. Instead, he achieved something “quite ordinary,” which he says doesn’t happen to most kids who grow up like him.

“At a time when many researchers are focused on the topic of economic mobility and intergenerational poverty, J. D. Vance’s compelling memoir offers important insights into the factors that keep people in poverty and the actions that allow people to move out of poverty and pursue the American Dream,” said Michael Vaughan, director of WSU’s Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.

The Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, the Department of Professional Sales and the Department of Sociology & Anthropology are sponsoring the discussion.

This event is free, but tickets are limited. Visit JDVance.eventbrite.com to reserve a spot.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

Author:

Rachel Badali, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • rachelbadali@weber.edu

Contact:

Alex Lawrence, Department of Professional Sales assistant professor
801-859-8282 •  alexanderlawrence@weber.edu