Hollandale, Part Ten:

Values

I asked each of my interview subjects what the people of Hollandale valued:

“Money,” said Ms. Bibb. “Everyone values money.”

“The values of this community? Morally bankrupt,” said Mr. Burford.

“People care,” said Ms. Richmond. “I’m not going to say people don’t care. But they not going to be too much concerned if it doesn’t affect them. No one is willing to make big change.”

“The values of Hollandale? Very few,” said Mr. Sanders. “The ones who would bring value have all left. In parts of the town young people have taken over the streets. Selling drugs and doing drugs. The parents aren’t involved. We won’t get ten people for a PTA meeting. But come Friday night everyone will turn out for some booty-shaking.”

Uniqueness

I asked each of my interview subjects what was unique about Hollandale:

“An atmosphere of looking after each other,” said Ms. Bibb. “It is a friendly place.”

“We are just another deteriorating Delta community,” said Mr. Burford.

“We’re a city that reached its peak, and now we are on our way down,” said Mr. Sanders. “Once we were a piece of coal transformed into a diamond. But that is over now.”

“My family here," said Ms. Richmond. "That’s it."