Everywhere Radio, hosted by Whitney Kimball Coe, features rural leaders and allies and spotlights the good, scrappy, joyful ways rural people are building a more inclusive nation. New episodes of the podcast release every other Thursday.
Everywhere Radio is a production of the Rural Assembly, a program of the nonprofit Center for Rural Strategies, which also publishes the Daily Yonder.
Everywhere Radio is available on various podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and more. You can listen to the latest episodes here or subscribe on your podcasting service of choice to keep up with Everywhere Radio.
The Latest from Everywhere Radio
A Conversation with "The Seed Keeper"Author Diane Wilson – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
On this episode, we're sharing a conversation with author Diane Wilson (Dakota). Wilson sat down with Rural Assembly Program Associate Tyler Owens during Rural Women Everywhere to talk about Wilson's most recent book "The Seed Keeper," which follows a Dakota family's struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most. During this conversation Owens and Wilson explore where Wilson finds her inspiration, the importance of continuing a tradition of storytelling, and the importance of connection to the earth. Diane Wilson is a writer, speaker, and editor, who has published two award-winning books, as well as essays in numerous publications. Her new novel, The Seed Keeper, was published by Milkweed Editions in March. Find the transcript and a full video of this interview at ruralassembly.org/podcasts/everywhere-radio-diane-wilson.
Go Beyond the Episode
Everywhere Radio: What Does It Mean to Be in a Society Together?
by Haley Cush
Eliza Blue on Everywhere Radio: The Winding Road to Purpose
by Anya Slepyan
Can the Story of "Our Towns" Help Us Go Beyond Red States Versus Blue States?
Can the Power of Storytelling Unify a Divided America?
Journalist Aallyah Wright on Amplifying Rural Stories and Advancing Equity – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
On this episode, Whitney talks with journalist Aallyah Wright about her journey to journalism, reporting on issues of labor, race, and equity in her native Mississippi. Wright reports on rural affairs and leads race and equity coverage for Stateline. Previously, Aallyah worked for Mississippi Today, a digital nonprofit newsroom, covering K-12 education and government in the Mississippi Delta—her home region. As a member of the Delta Bureau, she investigated Mississippi's teacher shortage, finding it was six times worse than in 1998 when the Mississippi legislature passed a bill to alleviate the crisis. She is a 2020 Mississippi Humanities Council Preserver of Mississippi Culture Award recipient, 2019 StoryWorks Theater Fellow, and 2018 Educating Children in Mississippi Fellow at the Hechinger Report. Wright graduated from Delta State University with a bachelor's in journalism and minors in communication and theater.
The Future of Work in Rural America with Labor Leader Sandy Pope – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
On this episode of Everywhere Radio, Whitney talks with labor veteran Sandy Pope. Today, Pope is the Bargaining Director for the Office of Professional Employees International Union or OPEIU, an organization that represents more than 110,000 employees nationwide. With more than three decades of union organizing experience, Pope is perhaps best known for her 2010 campaign for general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, when she ran against a three-term incumbent, who happened to be the son of Jimmy Hoffa. Whitney and Sandy talk about what the future holds for rural workers — whether they're working in meatpacking, trucking, or manufacturing — as well as the communities that rely upon them.
A Rural Love Story with Sarah and Jan Pytalski – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week on Everywhere Radio, Whitney talks with Sarah and Jan Pytalski, our first rural husband and wife team. Sarah is a senior associate at the global communications firm Burness, where she supports rural health equity work. And Jan is an associate editor at the Daily Yonder, and a colleague of Whitney's at the Center for Rural Strategies, which publishes the Yonder and produces this podcast. The three talk about yearning for rural life, honoring connections between people and the land, and much more.
"The Rural Black Doula" Jazzmine Brooks on Empowering Rural Moms – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, guest host Adilia Watson talks with Jazzmine Brooks, "The Rural Black Doula," about advocacy, mental health, and how doulas can improve birth outcomes in rural places.
Keeping Watch Over Our Rural Watersheds with River Hero Nelson Brooke – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, guest host Adilia Watson talks with Nelson Brooke, a Riverkeeper from rural Alabama. In that role, Nelson investigates pollution on the Black Warrior River and takes pictures of illegal polluting activity. His work was recognized by the Alabama River Alliance when they named him the 2010 Alabama River Hero. Don't miss this episode of Everywhere Radio, as we learn about the impressive biodiversity of rural Alabama and the importance of protecting our natural resources.
The Rural Homecomer's Journey with LB Prevette and Michael Cooper – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, Whitney talks with two young leaders investing their time and energy to create spaces, events, and intentional moments that foster community. LB Prevette is the Senior Community Partnerships Manager for the national nonprofit Lead for America. Michael Cooper is an attorney and journalist (and mayoral candidate) whose writing has appeared in a variety of local, state, and national publications. For this Everywhere Radio conversation, the trio talk about their work, shared Appalachian roots, and the kinds of people you want to go to a music festival and share moonshine with.
Celebrating Asian Americans' Contributions in Rural America with Stephen Gong – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
Whitney talks with Stephen Gong, Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), about making the experiences and contributions of Asian Americans visible in rural communities.
Political Scientist Hahrie Han on Democracy in a Changing Nation – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week on Everywhere Radio, Whitney talks with political scientist and author Hahrie Han about democracy in a changing nation and what the rural "agora" means in the 21st century. As a professor and faculty director at John Hopkins University, Han studies civic and political participation, social movements, collective action, and organizing, particularly as it pertains to democratic revitalization.
Rev. Claire Brown on Answering the Call to the Front Lines of Social Healing – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
Reverend Claire Brown is an Episcopal priest, writer, facilitator, wife, and mama living and ministering in rural Tennessee. She talks with Whitney about how rural churches and faith communities are called to show up on the front lines of social healing work in this moment — facing the challenges of the pandemic, responding to calls for social and racial justice, and grappling with how we build more just and inclusive communities.
Jeff Eastman on Covid Vaccines and Getting Care to People in Need – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, Whitney checks in with her neighbor Jeff Eastman, who is also CEO of the nonprofit Remote Area Medical (RAM). Whitney and Jeff discuss RAM's efforts to provide Covid-19 vaccines at its pop-up clinics, and how to overcome vaccine hesitancy in rural areas.
Krista Tippett on Creating the Conversations You Want to Hear – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, Whitney welcomes Krista Tippett, the founder and CEO of The On Being Project and host of On Being. Whitney and Krista discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, the fiction of blue and red states, developing moral imagination, and creating the conversations you want to be hearing.
The Roundabout Path to the Prairie with Accidental Rancher Eliza Blue – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This week, Whitney talks with Eliza Blue, a shepherd, writer, and folk singer who lives on a ranch in South Dakota with her husband and two children. The ranch has been in her husband's family for five generations, but Eliza took a more circuitous route to South Dakota. She is a contributing columnist to our media partner, the Daily Yonder, and calls herself the "Accidental Rancher." Whitney and Eliza talk about the gift of outsider status and how a sabbatical from the city turned into life on the prairie.
Seeking the Heartbeat of "Our Towns" with Deb and James Fallows – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
You'll find the award-winning writing of Deb and James Fallows in publications across the web, from The Atlantic to National Geographic and more. Together, they are the authors of the bestselling book, "Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey Into the Heart of America," now a documentary film on HBO. This week, Deb and James talk with Whitney about showing up and finding hope while telling the complex stories of America's small towns.
Solving Problems and Telling Stories with Harry Gottlieb and Kiran Singh Sirah – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
This special episode of Everywhere Radio features two speakers set for April's Rural Assembly Everywhere virtual festival: First, Harry Gottlieb, founder of Jackbox Games and a new organization called Unify America, talks with Whitney about making the US a country of problem solvers. Then, Kiran Singh Sirah, president of the International Storytelling Center, talks with Whitney about the healing power of stories, the art of the "porch sit," and the glory of Saint Dolly.
Pasito a Pasito: The Immigrant Journey in Rural America with Gladys Godinez – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
How did planning for a potential ICE raid lead to a festival celebrating immigrant communities in rural Nebraska? Hear this and other stories about living as an immigrant in rural America as community organizer Gladys Godinez and host Whitney Kimball Coe discuss the importance of inclusion, welcoming, and being seen.
Talking Inclusion and Belonging with Wendy Feliz from the American Immigration Council – Everywhere Radio with Whitney Kimball Coe
For the inaugural episode of Everywhere Radio, Whitney interviews Wendy Feliz, the Founding Director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council. Whitney and Wendy talk about building common purpose between new immigrant communities and long-time rural residents, the prospects for progress on national immigration policy, the importance of welcoming and inclusion, and much more.
Whitney Kimball Coe is the director of National Programs at the Center for Rural Strategies. In that role, she leads the Rural Assembly, a nationwide movement striving to build better policy and more opportunity for rural communities across the country. As an organizer, speaker, moderator, and writer, Whitney has shared her perspectives on community and civic courage with audiences around the world. She has been featured on stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival and the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit, and as a guest on the radio program On Being with Krista Tippett.
She writes a regular column for her local newspaper, the Daily Post Athenian, and has participated in Citizen University's Civic Saturday Fellowship program. She holds a M.A. in Appalachian studies from Appalachian State University and an undergraduate degree in religion and philosophy from Queens University. She lives in her hometown of Athens, Tennessee with her husband Matt, and daughters, Lucy and Susannah.