Heirs’ Property Across Race and Place, November 18, 2020

On Wednesday, November 18th, Betsy Taylor will participate in a panel discussion entitled “Heirs’ Property Across Race and Place.” This panel is part of the free webinar “All Land is not Creating Equal: Unleashing Family and Community Wealth through Land Ownership” hosted by the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation and the Aspen Institute. 

Betsy is participating in this panel as part of LiKEN’s new Heirs’ Property project, which investigates issues faced by heirs’ property owners in Appalachia and the southern Black Belt. Heirs’ property is created when land passes to two or more descendants who become “tenants in common” of the property. Heirs’ property can result in a variety of issues for land owners, including lack of incentive to make property improvements and risk of forced partition sales. The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers heirs’ property to be the “leading cause of Black involuntary land loss.” Cassandra Johnson Gaither (Social Scientist, US Forest Service), the panel’s facilitator has done extensive research on heirs’ property in the south. Johnson Gaither is a co-investigator on LiKEN’s new project on heirs’ property in KY, GA, and AL, along with LiKENeer Megan White (Project Director) and Betsy Taylor (LiKEN Executive Director).

For more information, and for free registration, go to this link

Harlan County, USA – Coal Mining in Appalachia Discussion – October 16, 2018

On October 16, 2018, Betsy and UCSB History professor, Alice O’Connor, hosted a discussion about the history and future of coal mining communities in Appalachia following a screening of Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary, Harlan County, USA (1976) at the Carsey-Wolf Center

“Is there a Post-Coal Future for Appalachia?” – October 15, 2018

“Is there a Post-Coal Future for Appalachia?” – October 15, 2018

“Is there a Post-Coal Future for Appalachia?”, an in-depth discussion on October 15th, 2018 with LiKEN Executive Director, Betsy Taylor, for students and faculty on workers’ rights, energy justice, and economic transition in Appalachia.

Transition Revenue & Investment Solutions Forum – July 11 & 12, 2018

Transition Revenue & Investment Solutions Forum – July 11 & 12, 2018

Betsy Taylor, LiKEN Executive Director, was a participant in “Transition Revenue & Investment Solutions Forum” July 11 & 12, 2018 in Bozeman, Montana, sponsored by the Headwaters Institute. The forum convened experts from diverse sectors and geographic locations to collaborate on learning, discussion and brainstorming in a convivial and ‘low-pressure’ environment. The participants worked to identify promising transition revenue and investment approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of transition in coal-dependent local economies.