Introduction to ReImagine Appalachia: A New Vision for the Ohio River Valley

ReImagine Appalachia—Healing the Land and Empowering the People documents the three-year grass-roots collaboration from 2019 to 2021 among people, organizations, elected officials and faith leaders to envision and enact into law a blueprint for shared prosperity in the four Appalachia states of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In response to industry proposals for a five-plant petrochemical hub in the Ohio River Valley, concerned citizens developed a Blueprint for a new deal that works for all of us: public investment in our communities; building a twenty-first century sustainable Appalachia; and rebuilding the middle class. This book captures the process, plans and results of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign as a success story and testament to the power of grassroots organizing for climate action, social equity, and racial justice. It raises the diverse voices and stories of people who built common ground together and changed the laws for a more equitable, healthier world for our children and future generations.