The Rural Assembly took part in the inaugural Rural Homeless Conference, and Whitney Kimball Coe delivered the opening address
Rural Assembly takes the stage at the Rural Homeless Conference

"When one person's dignity is diminished, we are all diminished" - Whitney Kimball Coe

This week, Whitney Kimball Coe and Mary Sketch of the Rural Assembly attended the Rural Homeless Conference in their home state of Tennessee. Kimball Coe was the opening speaker of the conference, discussing the importance of lifting up leaders in our rural communities to build and maintain thriving places and spaces. The conference was put on by the Rural Homeless Institute, the data arm of the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless .
Listen to some great summer tunes and get inspired for the Rural Women's Summit!

Jaki Shelton Green, the poet laureate of North Carolina and founder of SistaWrite , just shared a playlist of some of her favorite songs . Listen it up to get in the mood for summer and get excited for the Rural Women's Summit where Jaki Shelton Green will be one of many wonderful speakers!

The Rural Women's Summit is taking place October 27-29 in Greenville, South Carolina, to honor the diverse stories and experiences of rural women. This Summit is designed for rural practitioners, leaders, and advocates to articulate the broad civic, political, and cultural impact of women’s leadership in rural America.

Find out more about the Summit where hotel reservations are now open and event registration will be open soon at the Summit website .
Ruby Sales spoke at the 2018 Rural Assembly in Durham, NC- pictured here in conversation with Reverend Jennifer Bailey. Watch the recording of her main stage conversation.
Partners in the News

"Ruby Sales: The Inner Life of Social Change" : This week Ruby Sales who was a speaker at the 2018 Rural Assembly was featured on Becoming Wise, a podcast of the On Being Project, where she asks us to examine the question "Where does it hurt?"

"What's Behind the U.S. Legal Immigration Slowdown" : Emily Wornell, professor at Ball State University in Indiana, was recently featured in Fortune Magazine for her research on the role of immigrants in Indiana Culture and Economy. Her research with co-author Michael Hicks " found a quarter of the population growth in Indiana between 2000 and 2015 was from immigration, and the influx particularly helped stabilize shrinking rural areas"
The namesake of the Land of the Loon festival makes its way through town in the 2013 parade. (Photo by Doug Berlin via Flickr, finlander13. Used with permission.)
Commentary: Reflections on Community from the Heart of the One that Raised Me

The Land of the Loon festival doesn’t provide much by way of global market share. And that’s one reason it and other human-centered community events are so important.
Remember to check out the full "All Things Rural" calendar of events here and submit your events to be featured on the calendar here !