In 1937, Alabama was gripped by the Great Depression, a time of deep economic hardship for much of the United States, and nowhere was this more evident than in the rural South. In Walker County, Alabama, a snapshot of one family’s life illustrates the struggles that many sharecroppers faced during this period.
The wife and child of a sharecropper, living off the land in Walker County, embody resilience and perseverance. Like many families in the South, they worked under the sharecropping system, a labor-intensive arrangement where farmers would lease land in exchange for a portion of their crops. This system often kept families trapped in cycles of debt and poverty.
Despite the hardships, the photograph of the mother and her child speaks of the unbreakable bond of family and the quiet dignity of those who endured. These families worked tirelessly, facing long hours, unpredictable weather, and scant resources, yet their spirit remained steadfast.
The life of a sharecropper in Alabama during the 1930s was far from easy. For many, it was a daily battle for survival, but it was also a story of strength, community, and the hope for a better future.
