This past weekend, eight ENGAGE Human Rights members came together in Kentucky (including 3 recently returned students!) to create a long-term vision for our working group and to spend some time with KFTC and community members.
We spent most of the weekend discussing goals, values, and upcoming projects – but also talked about expansion of the ESCR-US project to Detroit and Southern California.
KFTC and community contacts
We met on Saturday with Land Reform Committee members (Lyle, Truman, Sue), KFTC organizer Kevin Pentz, and two community members (Rick and Bev) after their LRC meeting.
We discussed the role they can play within this project and our group and decided they should primarily play an advisory role, and we will have regular meetings and/or conference calls with them. (Our next conference call is February 22nd at 8pm if you would like to participate) We also hope they can be a bridge between us and KFTC, and help with certain projects, such as distribution of the Floyd County report.
On Sunday we met at the new house of KFTC Floyd County organizer Brittany Combs, just as she was moving in! We had lunch with Brittany, caught her up on our meeting with the LRC, and talked about our future projects and some organizing plans she has had on her mind. As always, it was great to spend time chatting and dreaming with her about possibilities.
Intern and Staff positions
We are very excited to create summer intern and long-term staff positions in Kentucky. We encourage anyone looking for a summer position to apply for the KY internship. We will work with individuals on securing funding from schools and looking into other sources and options. We are hoping for a group of interns to work together on a collaborative project with KFTC, possibly including a report with a new community, and developing educational curricula and workshops. Please contact ilanagg@gmail.com for information and an application.
We also would like to encourage members – especially graduating students – to consider coming to eastern KY to be a part of an ENGAGE KY staff team. Please contact Mariela to discuss this more in depth if you are at all interested!
Upcoming events
March 7-11 KFTC lobby week in DC - If you’re interested in attending please contact shintaro@engagetheworld.org
March 19-21 Appalachian Studies Conference in Georgia – In addition to attending the conference to meet other organizations working in Appalachia, we will have a representative on a panel discussing From Reformers to Radicals: The Appalachian Volunteers and the War on Poverty. If you’re interested in attending, please let us know – we’d love for you to join!
June 18-20 ENGAGE Convergence - ESCR-US will be hosting this year’s annual convergence in Kentucky. More to come soon!
Books on Appalachia that we encourage people to read!
* From Reformers to Radicals: The Appalachian Volunteers and the War on Poverty by Thomas Kiffmeyer (book we will be discussing at conference)
* Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945 by Ronald Eller
And recommended by KFTC LRC members:
* Coal Tattoo by Silas House
* Night Comes to the Cumberlands by Harry Caudill
* Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina
* Unquiet Earth by Denise Giardina
* As Strange as this Weather Has Been by Ann Pancake
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