1. Abstract The 10 photos selected for the presentation capture life in the four poorest counties in Kentucky: Magoffin, Lee, Breathitt, and Owsley counties. Sometimes referred to as “The White Ghetto,” these counties lie in the heart of eastern Kentucky. Coal mining is still one of the most coveted jobs yielding wages of $25 an hour or more – but these jobs are moving West. This area is also affected by brain drain: the most skilled and academically gifted youth move away when they can. The effects of these losses are visually represented.