The Coosawatchie River in Jasper County flows under a bridge that’s part of Interstate 95. The interstate defines much of South Carolina’s Corridor of Shame, an area of high poverty and low educational attainment that stretches along the highway.
Jasper County, population 25,833, is just over the river from Savannah, Ga. Its location near the metro area likely is why poverty in Jasper County (21.4 percent) is half that of Allendale County to the north. However, parts of the county around Ridgeland and the nearby river, which are further away from the Savannah area, feature a lot of the same strife as in Allendale County.
Photo by Andy Brack, taken on Feb. 28, 2014. All rights reserved.