RUX Returns to Muhlenberg County!
If you’ve ever spent any time in Kentucky, or you’re a John Prine fan, you probably know the lyrics: “...won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County…”
So we did! We took this year’s cohort, of 50 Kentuckians from 17 counties, back to Muhlenberg County in RUX’s first Weekend Intensive since 2019. It was amazing to visit Bremen, Central City, and Greenville, with some returning cohort members, and some new, but with the same RUX ethos: experiencing community defined on its own terms, sharing our individual and collective experiences as Kentuckians, and honoring People, Place, and Partnerships.
During this year’s Muhlenberg County Weekend Intensive, we learned about the rich agricultural traditions, natural amenities, cultural heritage, racial justice organizing, and community resilience in Muhlenberg County. We explored community development in Muhlenberg County through a panel discussion at Felix E. Martin Hall, with Dr. Brittney Hernandez-Stevenson of Madisonville Community College, Misty Deason of Apple House Mercantile, and Karen Robinson of the Muhlenberg Alliance for Progress, among several other local business owners.
The RUX cohort enjoyed social time at Sip & Spin Coffee and Records, and Bard Distillery which hosted the Muhlenberg Music Mission Spring Concert. We laughed, sang along, and absorbed the rich musical heritage of Muhlenberg County, which was capped by a visit to The Muhlenberg County Music Museum.
At Ebenezer North Baptist Church, we learned about the history and long-term effects of racial segregation in Western Kentucky through a narrative panel with Helena Bomer, Roger Frazier, Sonya Smith, and Dr. Brittney Hernandez-Stevenson, which was led by Mark Brown of the Kentucky Arts Council. Panelists shared their memories of Drakesboro School, their experiences of rural Black excellence, and the regeneration of the area NAACP chapter after a 2020 community-led Black Lives Matter event in Greenville.
In December 2021, a storm system ripped through the middle of the country, spawning dozens of tornadoes, including one that claimed 11 lives in the Muhlenberg County town of Bremen. RUX members saw the damage from that storm first-hand and heard about the community’s efforts to rebuild–as well as their frustration with bureaucracy that has prevented some of those rebuilding efforts from coming to fruition.
As of 2014, Kentucky had 328,408 veterans, almost 10 percent of the Commonwealth’s population over 18. The RUX cohort was lodged at Wendell H. Ford Training Center for our Muhlenberg County Weekend Intensive and on Sunday–the day before Memorial Day–RUX steering committee member and military veteran Kareem Simpson shared about his experiences as a language specialist in the U.S. Army, to honor military service in Kentucky.
We closed the weekend by learning about the creation of beautiful Lake Malone and on-going conservation efforts as we cruised the lake on boats provided by community members from The Friends of Lake Malone State Park.
We are so grateful to have spent another weekend immersed in Kentucky’s culture and natural beauty. To our Muhlenberg County host committee, weekend sponsors, and our host partner, Muhlenberg Alliance for Progress, thank you for supporting the opportunity to connect more deeply to Kentucky.
Thank you to our Muhlenberg County partners:
Host Partner: Muhlenberg Alliance for Progress
Host Committee: Kassidy and Mara Cobb, Pastor Otis Cunningham, Barry Duvall, Amy Gardner, C. Josh Givens, Dr. Freddie Mayes, Sean Mooningham, Karen Robinson, Dr. Brittney Hernandez-Stevenson, Mayor Jan Yonts, and Vicki Yonts.
Muhlenberg County RUX Sponsors: Felix E. Martin Jr. Foundation, Muhlenberg County Tourism, Greenville Tourism, and Central City Tourism.
Our 2022 RUX cohort will next visit Louisville (August 5-7) & Estill County (September 23-25).
Want to help make RUX Weekend Intensives possible?
On the Appalshop Page: Click on Support Us, then select “Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX)”
on the Donation drop down menu to help support RUX!