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S1, E10 – Conversations on Race and Rural America: How Should We Respond to Disparaging Humor About Race? Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Alphonso Simpson

Listen in to part 2 of our conversation about race and rural America with Dr. Alphonso Simpson.  In case you didn't hear part 1, you can check it out by clicking the link here.  You can also listen to our class podcast by searching "Forgottonia Project" on iTunes or wherever you find podcasts.  Also don't forget to check out some outstanding resources that Dr. Simpson shared with us which he uses in his classes at WIU.  You can check them out by clicking the link here .

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S1 – Blog 05: Resources to use for Conversations on Race and Rural America

Enjoyed sharing our previous conversation on race and rural America with Dr. Alphonso Simpson from WIU.  You can listen here by visiting this link or through our "Forgottonia Project" podcast.  Wanted to take a moment to share a few resources Dr. Simpson recommended during on discussion.  These are various books, articles, and media he finds very helpful in facilitating healthy conversations about race and also uses in them in various courses he teaches. We recommend you get your hands on the following:

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S1, E9 – Conversations on Race and Rural America: How Do We Talk About Race in Rural America? With Dr. Alphonso Simpson

 We're excited to share this outstanding conversation about race and rural America with Dr. Alphonso Simpson.  Dr. Simpson is a professor of African American Studies at Western Illinois University and also serves as chair of the department of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  He’s been teaching at WIU since 2000 and is the author of 3 …

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S1, E8 – The Gender Gap: What are the Greatest Concerns for Young Women Growing Up in Rural America? With Carol Davis

We are pleased to share this podcast interview as two Cuba high school students, Brianna Gorsuch and Caitlin Patterson, interview with the recently retired Carol Davis over the gender gap and how it impacts Rural America; both in the past as well as the present.  Carol shares her experience with gender inequality, gender stereotypes and …

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S1, E7 – Panel Discussion on Poverty in Rural America: How Do We Address the Stereotypes?

The following is a summary of a panel discussion about poverty in Fulton County that took place March 23, 2017.  The forum took place at the Canton Church of the Brethren and was moderated by Pastor Kevin Kessler. Panelists included Missy Kolowski of the Health and Wellness Clinic of Fulton County,  Rolf Siversten Superintendent CUSD #66, Paster Monroe Bailey of the First Baptist Church, Brooke …

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S1 – Blog 04: The Gender Gap: What are the Greatest Concerns for Young Women Growing Up in Rural America?

We are pleased to share this interview with Dr. Lori Baker-Sperry from Western Illinois University Department of Women Studies.  We asked Dr. Baker-Sperry several questions concerning the topic of gender, especially in regards to rural America.  This interview prompted us to interview key community leaders to also share their experience with things like gender stereotypes and advice to women growing up in rural America today.  Dr. Baker-Sperry provided us with several links to her responses as well that you will find helpful.  We hope you enjoy and please contact us with any questions you might have. 

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S1 – Blog 03: Notable Rural Americans – What Lessons Can We Learn from the Passing of John Mahoney?

Many Americans recognize beloved actor John Mahoney from his days as Frasier's dad, Martin Crane on the hit NBC sitcom.  However, most natives of Forgottonia may not realize that Mahoney actually lived in McDonough County for a time as a young man.  Although he was actually born in England and associated most with living in Chicago, he came to Macomb, IL to live with his sister where he studied at Quincy University and joined the army to help him become a citizen faster. 

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S1 – Blog 02: Burma Shave Ads and Materialism: What are the Consequences of Conspicuous Consumption?

Burma-Shave was a brand of shaving cream famous for its humorous advertisements during the 1920s (check out the link here to see some examples for yourself).  They had a reputation sort of like Geico does today; a company known for doing unconventional commercial advertisements with their own quirky sense of style.  Yet perhaps another reason for their success lies not in the content of their ads, but new trends in American life in the 1920s that emphasized more materialistic values of status and wealth.  Or as sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen called conspicuous consumption; spending money on luxurious goods to flaunt the wealth and status of the buyer.  

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S1, E6 – Education Puts Food on the Table: What Can We Do About Job Loss in Rural America? Part 2 of our Conversation with Dr. Trenton Ellis

We previously spoke with Forgottonia native Dr. Trenton Ellis about job loss throughout  rural America. In this interview Dr. Ellis mentioned factors like technology, globalization, and the lack of economic diversity as contributing to job loss. Since our talk with Dr. Ellis was so rich in material and we didn't want to depress you by …

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