Column: Rural Perspective, "A Bright Horizon"

There is a bright horizon for rural America when thinking about the future. While certain communities have experienced devastating losses in the form of declining populations, diminishing job opportunities and fragmented community infrastructures, there is also a rebirth of the culture, heritage and innovations in many rural communities.

So much of rural America represents a vast portfolio of families in the collective pursuit of a life that balanced the needs of the nation with the pursuit of achieving happiness in and with nature. Rural communities are slowly making changes to meet the needs of contemporary families and a modern America, creating the footprints essential to propel us into a more vibrant tomorrow.

A great poet once alluded to the collective activity of a nation being reminiscent of the orchestral sounds of music. There is something special in development when we come together in a concerted effort to contribute to our greatness. I see it evidenced in the growth and change of everyday people in rural America. We are using some of our best attributes to inspire and draw others to the region through music, art, recreation and food. For many of us, when we think about our favorite recreation or pastime, we think of activities reminiscent of rural America. Increasingly, people are starting with what is great about our communities and good in our characters; this is becoming the new baseline to improvement.

For example, each year, people come from around the world to experience blues and jazz music in areas like New Orleans; Memphis, Tenn.; and Cairo, Ill., to name a few. Experiencing these areas would not be complete if tourists did not also experience the richness of food and music along with the varying people and their cultural traditions.

For decades, we have witnessed devastating migration trends that have had crippling effects on rural communities. According to Davis, Rupasingha, Cromartie, and Sanders (2022), the overall decline in population growth and increase in average age in rural areas significantly affects the makeup and availability of the rural labor force. While challenging, rural communities have become strengthened through nostalgic attachments to the traditional experiences temporarily dismissed but not forgotten. There is a renewed effort to improve our communities and restore crumbling infrastructures through innovative job creations and various community refitting projects.

What better way to revive the memories and experiences indicative of the rural America we used to know than the integration of younger families longing to feel the heartbeat of rural America in its vibrancy and invigorating traditions? It is true, the return of manufacturing jobs, health care and agricultural innovation means the return of children, families and communities to rural America.

Dr. Victor Wilburn is a professor and the chairperson for the Department of Child and Family Studies at Southeast Missouri State University. His emphasis is on improving the economic viability of rural communities and the social-emotional wellbeing of children.