Marion Post Walcott/Library of Congress

"Part of Florida home in wealthy residential section. Miami Beach, Fla." April 1939.

Profiles: Frank Luke

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Born 1935
Honolulu

It is as it is now, except now it’s much more expanded in that there were the haves, as in any city, and the have-nots. I understood that we were on the have-nots side even though, like I say, I didn’t feel deprived. I would often in my school days take a bus ride that would take me through the residential area that was really upscale, just to enjoy that feeling. Not really being envious, but recognizing that there was a real big difference — the way they lived and the way I lived.

My mother told that there was a 10-year period of recovery, and I think that they’re talking about it like that now. As far as similarities go, I can imagine that there was a whole lot of similarities about joblessness, about mortgages not being met, about the employment situation, about salaries and so forth. But in those days I don’t know if people were that sour about things and that angry. But that’s only my unscientific observation.

Interview by Michael Lawson

This profile was produced with help from sources in the Public Insight Network from American Public Media.

What Went Wrong

Donald Barlett and James Steele are revisiting America: What Went Wrong, their landmark 1991 newspaper series, in a new project with the Investigative Reporting Workshop. Over the next year, the project team will examine how four decades of public policy has shaped America's ongoing economic crisis.

Issues

Back Story

The authors talk about What Went Wrong

Donald Barlett and James Steele talk about the project, and why they decided to revisit a book they wrote two decades ago, in a series of video clips produced by the Workshop.

Nation's Story

Who pays the taxes?

We feature charts, maps, photos and other visualizations that reflect the state of the economy as part of our What Went Wrong project. This column chart shows the growing disparity between what individuals and corporations pay in taxes. In the 1950s, the difference was 22 percent. Recent figures show the difference is 62 percent.

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Read an Excerpt

America: What Went Wrong on Google Books

Check out the first chapter of Barlett and Steele's 1992 book here.