BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Dream Appalachia Poverty Conference convened Thursday and Friday in Inez, highlighting recent efforts to combat poverty and improve living conditions in the region. Organized by Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), Thrive Community Coalition, Appalachia Reach Out (ARO), and Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), the event attracted community leaders, policymakers and educators dedicated to fostering sustainable development in Appalachia.
The conference kicked off Thursday night with a free concert by bluegrass legend and Lawrence County native Ricky Skaggs at the Booth Energy Center. The second day of the conference took place at the Collier Center. It was filled with a series of speakers, panel discussions, and an awards ceremony recognizing 50 leaders under 50 for their contributions to alleviating poverty in the region.
Keynote speaker Karen Kelly, chief of staff for Congressman Hal Rogers and a veteran in regional development initiatives, stated the importance of continued commitment to Appalachia’s renewal. Her remarks touched on the legacy of the War on Poverty and the proactive strides taken through programs like Eastern Kentucky PRIDE and Operation UNITE.
Discussions ranged from the role of health care in economic participation to educational innovations beyond traditional classrooms. Panelists tended to focus on combating regional out-migration by creating pathways for locals to co-create opportunities that attract and retain residents.
“You are more important here than you’ll ever be anywhere else,” Eric Mills told attendees, eyeing the Martin County High School students seated around the edges of the community center gym.
The Dream Appalachia conference was inspired by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s April 24, 1964, visit to Tom Fletcher’s porch in Inez, Kentucky, part of his Poverty Tours. In his 1964 State of the Union address, Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty,” which ushered in extensive Democratic social welfare legislation, notably the Economic Opportunity Act.
This act was a component of Johnson’s broader Great Society program, which channeled significant funding into education, including the Head Start program, as well as into housing, job training and health care initiatives.
The era also saw the enactment of the Clean Water Restoration Act, the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid, and enhancements to Social Security benefits.
On the 50th anniversary of Johnson’s historic visit, local leaders in Martin County inaugurated the “Dream Martin County” event, aimed at reigniting these efforts with a modern perspective.
Founding members of Dream Martin County Tim Robinson, CEO of ARC, Dwayne Mills, CEO of ARO and Eric Mills, CEO of Thrive Community Coalition, explained that the movement has since evolved into “Dream Appalachia,” expanding its scope to address the broader challenges facing the region today.
During the awards ceremony, Robinson presented his lifelong mentor Mike Duncan with the first Legacy Leadership award, recognizing Duncan’s commitment to fighting poverty by providing mentorship to promising young entrepreneurs and professionals in Martin County and the surrounding region.
“The Dream Appalachia Poverty Conference challenged Appalachians to commit ourselves to the call to dream about the future of our region and to pursue those dreams with the same mountain determination our ancestors had to survive the Great Depression, to fight and win world wars and mine the coal that fueled our nation,” Robinson said. “I left inspired to reach higher and dream bigger.”
