A Hidden Renaissance

In this special issue of Civic Renaissance, we learn how a city in the foothills of Appalachia can offer lessons on resilience and revival

Gracious readers,

Back in June, as part of my Novak Fellowship reporting on civic revival in America, I visited a small town in the foothills of Appalachia where something unusual is happening. 

My husband, our then-six-month-old son, and I visited North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and quickly realized that it is at the center of a revitalization afoot i…