Videos

Interested in what it means to be a SOCM member? SOCM staff host quarterly SOCM 101 trainings that cover: History of SOCM Our "theory of change" Current work Our organizational structure Roles of members and staff Trainings/workshops we offer How YOU can get involved Go to our calendar at socm.org to find out when the next SOCM 101 is scheduled.

Join members Lilith Sweeney and Hannah Freeman, and East Tennessee Organizer Adam Hughes for an in-depth conversation about the important housing work happening in Knoxville.

This virtual Town Hall was held on Jan. 7, 2025. In it, we unpack upcoming legislation and Gov. Lee's universal voucher program (SB1/HB1). Jennifer Berkshire, author of The Education Wars, shared some national context around vouchers and moderated a panel of Tennessee school district leaders, educators, and parents from across the state about the impact of SB1/HB1 voucher legislation. If you would like to get involved in the fight for honest, accurate, equitable, safe, and fully-funded schools in Tennessee, go to socm.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Current action alerts and more information can be found on linktr.ee/socmpubliced.

Outgoing SOCM Board president Erica Davis and incoming president Chauncey O'Dell discuss what they've learned as SOCM Board members, what they're looking forward to in the next few years, and what it's like to lead a member-driven organization like SOCM.

SOCM Vice President April Jarocki and Member Gabe Schwartzman will discuss their work with the Recreational Economy for Rural Communities program in the Clearfork Valley. For years, SOCM members in the community have partnered with local, state, and federal agencies to promote thoughtful, sustainable economic development in rural East Tennessee.

For the past several months, SOCM has been working with an amazing group of Marion county residents to stop a proposed sand quarry near Sewanee. In November, they turned out over 100 residents to the county commission meeting and were featured on the front page of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Members Kiki Beavers and Paige Schneider talk about the campaign, their work to become a SOCM chapter, and what's next for the South Cumberland region.

SOCM and our partners at the Appalachian Justice Research Center and Legal Aid of East Tennessee hosted an event on April 9, 2025 to release the "Housing Stability and Tenant Representation in a Changing Knoxville" report. Thank you to WATE for covering the event.

This informational webinar served as the kick-off for our "Let Our Communities Act Locally" Jackson Law campaign. Adoption of the Jackson Law gives counties and municipalities the right of self-determination (the ability to make decisions) regarding the siting of landfills and other solid waste facilities within one mile of their jurisdictions. It provides for a process by which the public and local legislative body determine whether solid waste facility siting is consistent with local planning. For more info about how the Jackson Law is adopted, click HERE Adoption of the Jackson Law must be by a 2/3rds majority of the county or municipal legislative body. See https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/eli/landfill-approval-county-jackson-law and https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/adopt-jackson-law Counties and municipalities that have not adopted the Jackson Law will likely be targeted for the siting of regional municipal waste (Class I) landfills. Counties and municipalities that have adopted the Jackson Law but not readopted it after amendments will see attempts to change the use classification of current landfills from lower classification to higher classification, allowing the development of regional municipal solid waste landfills.. Counties and municipalities that have not adopted the Jackson Law will likely be targeted for horizontal expansions of existing landfills (requiring additional land) to meet regional landfilling demands.