Join us in Berea, Kentucky, for candid conversations on the past, present, and future of Appalachia. What would the South look like if equity became a Southern value? Over two days, we’ll gather to deepen long-standing relationships, develop new partnerships, and discover areas for working together to create economic security, racial equity, and community well-being.
Wednesday, April 19th
- 3:00pm: Convening Welcome and Dialogue on Appalachian History & Policy: How has history shaped today? What significant events and policy decisions have influenced how communities thrive or left people at the margins? How can we redesign and advocate for more inclusive policies that support everyone in our communities?
- 7:00-8:30pm: An Evening of Music and Storytelling
Thursday, April 20th, 8:30am -4:00pm
- Plenary: Equitable Rural Economic Development: How should Appalachian communities evaluate economic opportunities to ensure that local residents benefit? How does economic development need to be re-thought or re-designed to create quality jobs for the region? What investments and policies will generate quality jobs and produce better immediate and long-term community outcomes? What government and philanthropic investments are needed to support long-term economic prosperity?
- Data Walk with Duke Social Science Research Institute: Concurrent Sessions: Transforming policies and systems for a more equitable South. Each concurrent session will begin with a panel discussion and Q&A. Following the panel, participants will engage in facilitated table conversations, using “radical imagination” to identify policy and systems change strategies to address critical challenges in the region.
- Concurrent session 1: Economic State of the Southern Family: How do we reimagine systems of support that will break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and set families up for long-term success? How do we give families a voice in shaping those systems so that they’re truly responsive to families’ needs? What are the larger policy barriers keeping people in poverty and what will it take to change them?
- Concurrent session 2: Inclusive Disaster Recovery & Resilience: How can public, private, nonprofit, and faith organizations in Appalachia work together to ensure equitable access to resources before, during, and after disasters? How do disaster-impacted communities reckon with the possible reality of recurring natural disasters? How does the region build and sustain vibrant communities and economies that are resilient to future disasters? How to move forward with community economic development while in a recovery stage? How can community progress continue through disaster?
- Concurrent session 3: The Economic and Community Impact of Incarceration: What is the impact on communities from current investments in incarceration? How has the carceral system become a means of job creation and economic development in Appalachia? What is the correlation between poverty and incarceration?
Partnering Organizations:
Brushy Fork Leadership Institute, A Strategic Initiative of Berea College
Berea College
101 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY 40404
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