Rural Remix

The opening discussion from this year's Rural Assembly Everywhere, Lead for America Co-founder Benya Kraus and Wahpetunwan Dakota artist, writer, and midwife Autumn Cavender — in conversation about what it takes to nurture thriving communities

Four experienced arts administrators discuss agency in storytelling and community voice. • Francisco Guajardo, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas; • Madeline Matson, Executive Director of the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, Washington; and • Gwendolyn Trice, founder and Executive Director of the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center (MHIC), a museum located in Joseph, Oregon.• Stephen Gong, executive director of the Center for Asian American Media

This week on Keep it Rural, Daily Yonder reporter Claire Carlson talks about how in rural communities, where access to resources and support is already limited, the aftermath of disasters often brings a second wave of hardship.

This conversation was originally recorded for the Rural Assembly Everywhere virtual event. In this episode, Center for Rural Strategies President Dee Davis sits down with political scientists Kathy Cramer, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Hahrie Han from Johns Hopkins University. They discuss the challenges facing American democracy, rural resentment and economic populism, and what it means to rebuild trust in struggling communities.

How have rural and urban economies diverged in recent decades, and what effect has that had on the geography of American politics? In this episode, Daily Yonder reporter Olivia Weeks speaks with historian Keith Orejel and journalist Nick Bowlin about the history of “small-town boosters,” the outsized effect of the Great Recession on rural America, and the lack of corporate accountability in sparsely populated places.

Hours-long lines, faulty vehicle permitting systems, and poorly maintained facilities beg one question: are there too many people visiting national parks?

Who is the rural voter and what does she stand for? In conversation with political scientists Nicholas Jacobs and Chelsea Kaufman, Daily Yonder reporter Olivia Weeks discusses the demographics of the rural electorate. In this episode, learn more about who actually turns out to the polls and the values that motivate their decisions.

Rural Assembly Everywhere virtual event is August 1st, 2024 at 1 pm Eastern. Register now! In a year marked by elections and challenges, it’s essential to shift our focus toward envisioning what it truly means for rural areas to flourish. That’s why this year’s Rural Assembly Everywhere will explore a diverse range of topics, all centered on nurturing ourselves and our rural communities. Hear from rural leaders, organizers, community workers and artists as we explore what it means to nurture a thriving community. REGISTER NOW! Read more about our panels and speakers here!

In this episode of Backroads Ballots, Daily Yonder reporter Olivia Weeks asks what the post-2016 years have taught us about progressive organizing in small-town America. With rural movement builders Annie Contractor and Anthony Flaccavento, they discuss the role of the labor movement in rural life, the “branding problem” facing Democrats, and the mismatch between short-term election cycles and long-term structural change.

Kamala Harris is most likely the new Democratic nominee for president. Does she have what it takes to win rural voters?