The Forgotten Country Radio Show

Immigration and agricultural have been closely connected since the founding of America. In fact, we celebrate this special relationship every Thanksgiving. Today’s guest is Monica Reyes, co-Founder of DREAMer Iowa -- an organization advocating for Iowa’s undocumented population. Monica is a community leader and organizer who grew up without papers in a small northern Iowa town. We talk about organizing, politics, and how undocumented immigrants are shaping the future of rural communities.

In this discussion, sociologist Paige Kelly, from Ohio State University, unravels the deep-rooted motivations behind rural voters' support for Republican candidates. She emphasizes the stark disconnect between rural and urban political identities, revealing how socio-economic backgrounds influence voting behavior. Paige highlights feelings of neglect among rural communities and explores the complex interplay of identity politics and economic challenges. Her insightful analysis challenges stereotypes and sheds light on the evolving landscape of rural political dynamics.

The recent women’s marches across the country were the largest single day of protest in US history. And many credit the movement success with their ability to leverage real world activism generated from online communities. On today’s episode of Flyover Folk, we discuss how digital organizing can lead to offline actions. Our guest is sociologist Susan Kroger, a long time leader in the women’s movement in South Dakota and PhD student at South Dakota State University whose research explores how digital relationships can lead to social change.

In this episode we speak with a group of United Methodist Clergy in Wichita, Kansas behind the band, Brutal Bear and non-profit SoCe Life. Adam and Ashley Barlow-Thompson originally connected with Matt Johnson through their love of folk music but later turned the community generated through their group into non-profit serving their neighborhood.

On this episode, we hear from Burns Strider. Burns has spent the last several years working at the intersection of faith, politics, and rural community change. A native of rural Mississippi, Burns has served as a senior advisor to both Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.In this recording, which was made during the RuralOrganizing.org community call on January 11 2017, Burns discusses the challenges rural progressive face in reaching out to both their rural neighbors and the greater progressive community -- especially when it comes to the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).