Economic Policy

Jessica at Rural Roundtable

Joint Center Expert Featured Speaker in Roundtable on Building Inclusive Prosperity for Rural America

Joint Center Vice President of Policy Jessica Fulton participated in the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth’s roundtable discussion focused on improving and restoring rural economic growth, Thursday, July 14, 2022. The discussion, “Building Inclusive Prosperity for Rural America,” allowed speakers to analyze the modern challenges rural communities face and examine innovative solutions to help rural residents, communities, and businesses achieve greater economic mobility.

In this discussion, Fulton cited the Joint Center’s 2021 report “Affordability & Availability: Expanding Broadband in the Black Rural South,” which showcases the economic realities in this region.

According to Fulton, “Black Americans living in the Black Rural South face uniquely severe economic challenges. Rural residents across the country face myriad circumstances that make them more vulnerable to crises, more excluded from the economy, and more likely to experience economic hardship, but for people living in the Black Rural South, these challenges are magnified. As this committee works to dismantle barriers to success for rural Americans, I urge you to take special interest in those communities who experience economic marginalization. The Black Rural South is one of these communities and focusing on the barriers that exist there will allow policymakers to make an impact on rural communities across the country.”

You can view the roundtable recording below.

View Fulton’s comments below.