We See You and You are Powerful

On October 27-29 the Rural Assembly will hold the Rural Women's Summit 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. We asked you for help in designing the Women's Summit. Here are a few of your responses:

"How would you articulate the civic, social, and/or political importance of women in rural America?"

"If you want to see where the action is in any rural community, seek out the women. In these difficult economic times in rural America we need to listen to and amplify women's voices." - Sarah Lloyd

"Rural women in America are at times forgotten but have been present and resilient through all movements." - Abraham Diaz

"Women form the backbone of community economic opportunity and small business development." - Kay Decker

"Rural women hold the keys to mending our nation's divisions and they need support and investment to make impact that is possible and necessary right now for both healing from the past and planning for the future." - Michele Anderson

"Without women taking up the task of civic, social and political activism and work, rural America would not be where it is today." - Ivy Brashear
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Citizens Institute on Rural Design Application Now Live!

The Citizens Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) request for applications from communities is open now until July 22! CIRD offers "local design workshops that address specific community challenges" and new this year is creating "a cohort learning program that will engage rural leaders from up to 20 additional communities."
Americus, Georgia (Photo by Jack Norton)
This Is by Design: Jail, Justice, and Race in Southwest Georgia

" The rural counties in southwest Georgia, in her view, are places where young people are being targeted by the justice system for, in essence, socializing with one another...Lawrence described the central role that incarceration plays in maintaining the economic status quo in the region. “[Incarceration is] a way to keep people in poverty,” she said, “to keep families struggling. And our families struggle. Poverty is really high.”

Check out the Vera Institute 's most recent In Our Backyard story exploring the justice system and racial past and present in Southwest Georgia!
Check out these rural events in June!

June 19: Rural Homeless Conference ; Oak Ridge, TN
June 19-20: RuralX Summit ; Mitchell, SD
June 20-22: 2 019 Creative Placemaking Summit: PACIFIC ; Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Mensah, right, Chrystel Cornelius, center, and Ines Polonius, left, participate in a panel at the Life in Rural America Symposium in Charleston, West Virginia, in May. (Photo: Shawn Poynter courtesy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Rural America Ready for an Infusion of Investment, Panelists Say

Rural communities lack assets, not opportunities, say participants in a national forum. Groups like the Brookings Institution that argue for metropolitan-only investment strategies ignore the economic and social realities of contemporary America, says one rural researcher.