Had to write a review because I just realized an injustice done by the writers, promoting a misconception about an intact family.
Just watched the episode in which the Evans family was having a farewell party in preparation to relocate to Mississippi to be with the family patriarch, James Evans, Sr. James found a good paying, steady job, in Mississippi; there was a real chance for his family to move out of poverty. The matriarch, Florida, was reading telegrams from friends wishing them well on their new move; that last one she read informed her that James was killed in an auto accident.
Having seen the reruns of this show multiple times, I am familiar with the financial struggles the family faced after the loss of James. My only question is WHY?
James was portrayed as a working man and he served in the Korean War. In addition he had a new job, which should have come with life insurance, especially in the 70's when most jobs came with benefits.
Why weren't FL and his minor children, Thelma and Michael, eligible for Social Security? During the time when this show was broadcast children under the age of 21 were eligible for Social Security if they continued with secondary education, which Thelma and Micheal did. In addition, because the character Florida was not a skilled laborer, or a woman with a college education, her earning potential would have been limited. Therefore, she would have been eligible for widow's benefits to supplement her earnings.
It's very sad that the show's writers did not choose the high road to portray the family's circumstances accurately and show that James' labor had provided for his family after his loss. The family still would have struggled and needed help but the struggle would have been mitigated.
Just watched the episode in which the Evans family was having a farewell party in preparation to relocate to Mississippi to be with the family patriarch, James Evans, Sr. James found a good paying, steady job, in Mississippi; there was a real chance for his family to move out of poverty. The matriarch, Florida, was reading telegrams from friends wishing them well on their new move; that last one she read informed her that James was killed in an auto accident.
Having seen the reruns of this show multiple times, I am familiar with the financial struggles the family faced after the loss of James. My only question is WHY?
James was portrayed as a working man and he served in the Korean War. In addition he had a new job, which should have come with life insurance, especially in the 70's when most jobs came with benefits.
Why weren't FL and his minor children, Thelma and Michael, eligible for Social Security? During the time when this show was broadcast children under the age of 21 were eligible for Social Security if they continued with secondary education, which Thelma and Micheal did. In addition, because the character Florida was not a skilled laborer, or a woman with a college education, her earning potential would have been limited. Therefore, she would have been eligible for widow's benefits to supplement her earnings.
It's very sad that the show's writers did not choose the high road to portray the family's circumstances accurately and show that James' labor had provided for his family after his loss. The family still would have struggled and needed help but the struggle would have been mitigated.