Event Recap: A Conversation with Will Westmoreland (July 25th, 2025)

Alright, Indivisibles, Here’s the Scoop...

Indivisible Joplin invited Will Westmoreland to speak at the Joplin Public Library this past Friday, July 25^th, drawing a crowd of over 80 attendees. A SWMO farmer at his roots, Westmoreland became a political consultant who advocates for rural communities and the unique challenges they face.

In his speech, he emphasized the need to bridge the divide between the political parties. When asked how to show grace to Trump supporters, he quoted John Bowman, a leader with the NAACP in St. Louis, saying, “You don't meet a racist halfway; you don't meet a Nazi halfway... There are people in rural America who are real salt of the earth people who voted for this guy.” Westmoreland noted that we don't have to expect them to admit they were wrong, just that they were lied to.

After being thanked by an attendee for caring about issues relevant to rural community members, he responded, “The reason I care is the same reason you do. I've got five grandkids growing up in Missouri, and three of them are granddaughters... I'll be damned if I'm gonna die and get put in the ground with my granddaughters having fewer rights than my daughter did.”

Westmoreland ended his speech with hope for a more progressive tomorrow:

“There’s no doubt we’re smarter than them. There’s no doubt that, when we organize, we’re more effective than them. But in the end, I truly want to believe that the people that I grew up with, that may have voted for Donald Trump, that I’ve seen give the shirt off their back to people in need, I still believe that they are those kinds of people, for the most part. And if we can hit on those personal stories and convince them that we need their help to truly make this country great again, I think that a lot of them will come along because they are [those kinds of people] … if we can give them this much grace to do it.”

...And Here is Jenna's* Two Cents

*Indivisible Joplin's Lead Communicator Extraordinaire and the "voice" behind the keyboard

Listening to Will Westmoreland was inspirational.

I was never a farmer, nor am I knowledgeable on rural issues, but he made it clear just how much they do affect me and that they are worth following and advocating for. Will was funny, and I believe that he instilled hope in many of us.

He said he has a lot of appearances booked over the next several months, so the fact that he took time out of his busy schedule for us here in Joplin… we’re just really grateful.

Thank you, Will.

Y’all should check out his website and podcast at https://www.thebackfortyofficial.com/. Maybe you could even consider donating to his cause.