Policy Tools for Rural Equity & Prosperity Part 1

This two-part series will explore rural policy solutions — and the policy process itself — as tools for addressing systemic barriers to health and prosperity.

Part 1 will provide grounding in the history of structural discrimination that has impeded rural and tribal communities’ well-being and opportunity. The session will unpack how the legacy of these impacts still resounds today. Panelists will examine how community-driven policy can improve tobacco prevention strategies and access to resources such as clean water, broadband, healthy food, and paid leave, so that everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

This 90-minute episode will explore the following questions:

• What is the history of structural discrimination in the United States?
• How do past systemic barriers, including chronic disinvestment, perpetuate deep-rooted inequities in rural communities today?
• What community-driven policies show promise in addressing systemic barriers to health equity in rural places?