The Homecomers

By thehomecomers

What's The Homecomers about?

Hear from champions of small towns, rural lands and working-class communities—places Americans are encouraged to leave behind.

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The Homecomers episodes:

10.01.2019
Episode 6: Mental and Spiritual Well-Being in Agricultural Spaces
Journalist and former vegetable farmer Debbie Weingarten talks with Sarah Smarsh about the dark side of rural existence for people watching their family’s way of life be turned upside down—and how a society that relies on their labor can begin...
09.24.2019
Episode 5: The Fight for Healthcare Access in Rural America
Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius joins Sarah Smarsh to discuss the long fight for universal health care and the particular barriers to access for rural America. Sebelius served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the 21st...
09.17.2019
Episode 4: Enriching Conservation With Identity-Based Wisdom
Conservation leader Brett Ramey, member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, joins Sarah Smarsh to discuss environmental (in)justice and how our identities can shape the preservation of the planet. Ramey is an educator and organizer working at the intersections...
09.10.2019
Episode 3: Reframing the Story of Appalachia
Acclaimed West Virginia documentarian Elaine McMillion Sheldon talks with Sarah Smarsh about getting regional stories right and the universality of addiction. Sheldon is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker who explores stories of identity, resilience, and hope. She is the director...
09.03.2019
Episode 2: Farmworker Pride in the Central Valley
Farm-worker rights advocate Leydy Rangel talks with Sarah Smarsh about the family experience that informs and enlivens her professional mission. Rangel is a first-generation college graduate from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she received a BS in communication with...
09.03.2019
Episode 1: The Richness of the Black Belt
Political scientist Dr. Veronica Womack joins Sarah Smarsh to discuss the richness of rural American culture and community, and how old farming wisdom alongside new technologies can move the Black Belt region forward. Womack is the chief diversity officer and a...
08.06.2019
Introducing: The Homecomers with Sarah Smarsh
A national blind spot toward rural and working-class America is driving misleading headlines, broken politics and dangerous fissures in our social fabric. The Homecomers with Sarah Smarsh offers a more accurate story of those ill-understood spaces. A native of rural Kansas, journalist...

What's The Homecomers about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Homecomers episodes:

Episode 6: Mental and Spiritual Well-Being in Agricultural Spaces

Episode 5: The Fight for Healthcare Access in Rural America

Episode 4: Enriching Conservation With Identity-Based Wisdom

Episode 3: Reframing the Story of Appalachia

Episode 2: Farmworker Pride in the Central Valley

Episode 1: The Richness of the Black Belt

Introducing: The Homecomers with Sarah Smarsh