Revisiting Cynthia M Duncan’s “Worlds Apart”
In *Worlds Apart*, Cynthia Duncan powerfully illustrates how persistent rural poverty stems from systemic underinvestment, perpetuating cycles of deprivation in places like Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and the U.S.-Mexico border. Duncan shows how this neglect, often enforced by local elites, has historically restricted education, economic mobility, and civic participation. Her analysis sheds light on the structural barriers that still exist today in many rural areas, including frontier communities like those we serve at the National Center for Frontier Communities (NCFC).
NCFC was born out of the realization that not all rural places are the same. Many discussions about rural poverty tend to group all rural regions together, but the level of rurality matters—especially in frontier communities, which are the most isolated and sparsely populated regions in the country. Frontier areas, which are “more rural than rural”, face unique challenges that differ significantly from those in more connected rural regions. The physical isolation, lack of infrastructure, and minimal access to healthcare, education, and markets make the needs of frontier communities distinct. Accurate data is essential in understanding these unique challenges, as traditional data often lumps frontier areas together with more accessible rural communities, masking the specific hardships frontier populations face.
Collecting and analyzing precise data that separates varying degrees of rurality is critical. Without accurate data, the frontier’s specific needs remain hidden, and solutions that work for other rural areas may fall short. Frontier communities are often invisible in national discussions about rural poverty, infrastructure, and development, and that invisibility extends to the policy level. Policymakers, armed with inaccurate or insufficient data, often fail to recognize the deep isolation and chronic underinvestment in frontier areas, leading to a continued cycle of neglect. To make meaningful progress, we need to define frontier communities distinctly from other rural spaces and ensure they receive the tailored investment and attention they deserve.
The work we do at NCFC addresses these unique challenges by taking a regional approach to development, fostering collaboration across sectors, and focusing on innovative, community-driven solutions. Programs like the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance’s (UGWA) composting initiatives and dynamic seed libraries are examples of frontier ingenuity—using local resources to build resilience. Our regional food distribution networks connect small farmers with markets across the state, providing economic opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible to many in these isolated regions. Organizations like The Commons and Colores United also spearhead community-led food security efforts in southwest New Mexico, addressing local needs with creativity and resourcefulness.
In addition to addressing the symptoms of poverty NCFC seeks to transform the systems that got us here in the first place. Frontier communities, much like the areas Duncan describes, have been under-resourced for decades. Yet, we know that with the right kind of investment, especially in education, infrastructure, and civic engagement, these communities can thrive. This is where NCFC steps in—not just to advocate for policy changes, but to mobilize resources and build relationships that can lift entire regions.
Frontier communities need to be understood, counted, and supported as their own unique ecosystem. When we invest in frontier areas, we bring services to isolated populations—and help create sustainable economies, stronger communities, and a more interconnected region. Accurate data, informed policy, and sustained investment in frontier areas can make a lasting difference in these “super rural” communities, breaking cycles of poverty and creating a future of opportunity and resilience.
In line with Duncan’s findings, NCFC believes that breaking the cycle of poverty in frontier areas requires both a top-down and bottom-up approach: policy advocacy combined with community empowerment. By investing in people and building local capacity through innovative projects and partnerships, we are committed to ensuring that even the most remote and overlooked communities have the tools and opportunities to thrive. The frontier may be geographically isolated, but through collaboration, data-driven solutions, and investment, we can help these communities become connected, resilient, and self-sustaining.
