The JEDI Initiative: Call, Action and excerpt on Race Problems in Rural Communities and Rural Geography
Jonathan K London, UC Davis Department of Human Ecology/ Community and Regional Development
Rural geography has a race problem. By race problem, I refer both to the ways in which rural geography does not adequately include scholars of color in its membership and how it does not sufficiently center race and racism in its topics of concern.
In turn, this is grounded in the profound legacies of structural racism and settler colonialism in rural communities and regions and because of the problems of the whiteness of the sub-discipline. Both points reflect the systemic “white-washing” of rural communities through which the contributions and experiences of BIPOC residents have been written out of the media and scholarly narratives.
These problems reflect larger problems of geography as a “white discipline” (as termed by Laura Pulido) but also have specific resonance, and, therefore, require dedicated thought and effort by rural geographers to confront and transform. These efforts must include increasing the representation of BIPOC scholars in the sub-field of rural geography, improving the engagement with issues of racism, racial capitalism, settler colonialism, and related topics, and allying with other relevant areas of geographic scholarship that address these issues, such as Black Geographies, Latino Geographies, Indigenous Geographies among many.
In response to these challenges, the Rural Geography Specialist Group has committed itself to building a culture based on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. As one of its first actions, we have launched a JEDI committee, co-chaired by Christy Hyman (Mississippi State University & Cornell University) and me and powered by an inspiring leadership group including Grete Gansauer (University of Montana), Aída R. Guhlincozzi (University of Missouri) Lavanya Gupta (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).
The committee has also received strong support from the outgoing Chair, Dawn Drake, and incoming Chair, Andrew Husa.
The committee began its work at the last AAG, with the convening of a keynote session on JEDI themes in rural geography. Our inaugural keynote speaker was Loka Ashwood, who gave a powerful talk on “Growing Just & Democratic Rural Communities & Regions: Opening A Generative Dialogue.”
This talk helped inform a visionary agenda for the specialty group’s JEDI strategies by focusing on the structural roots of rural inequality, including racial capitalism. It also brought together a diverse range of students and faculty interested in further dialogue on these issues and whom we look forward to engaging in future events and initiatives.
A second strategy is this blog series itself, which will feature the voices of a diverse range of rural geographers from around the country and the world.
We invite submissions of 500-750 words on any topic related to JEDI themes. Please send them to Aida Guhlincozzi and Grete Gansauer
Third, we will be developing new sessions and events at upcoming AAG meetings and other related events, and we welcome your suggestions on topics, speakers, and formats.
Please join us in this critical work!
— Jonathan K London, Co-Chair
Author’s Bio
