The stories we tell about ourselves and our communities have the power to impact perceptions of marginalized communities, both positively and negatively. Narratives affect how people view themselves, their town, and other members of their community and thus shape personal interactions, local culture, social situations, and even decisions about allocation of resources. When those stories are rooted in discursive frames-what we can understand as the links between ideology and narrative-they can also perpetuate and reify power inequities. Within rural America, local elites and residents alike use narratives and discursive framing to erase or exclude communities of color and, at times, poor whites in unique ways. This happens through explicit and willful ignorance of narratives of difference that could both complicate normative assumptions and highlight histories of dispossession within rural towns. Drawing on 30 interviews and 12 months of ethnography in the midwestern town of Moses, we provide a case study that demonstrates how narratives perpetuated by both decision makers and residents, across racial and class backgrounds, are rooted in colorblind racism and classblindness regarding African Americans, Mexican Americans, and poor whites. These narratives frame perceptions of residents and neighborhoods, influence town-level decisions, and erase local histories.☆ We are deeply thankful to Nancy Eberhardt and William Hope for insightful comments during the early stages of this project. We would also like to thank Debi Osnowitz (QEPD) and Lauren Rubenzahl for their keen eye and helpful suggestions during the writing phase. We are also grateful to Angela Fillingim, Chantal Hailey, Manata Hashemi, Zawadi Rucks-Ahidiana, and the reviewers for their extensive comments on previous drafts. Many of the people we would like to thank will remain anonymous, these individuals provided housing, fellowship, and key introductions during data collection. We are deeply indebted to our many interlocutors who took time out of their busy schedules to talk with us about issues in their town. This project was funded through a seed grant at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, of which we are thankful.