As we learned from traveling across all 13 southern states in recent years, solutions to this country’s most pressing challenges will come from the ground up. People’s lived experiences, as we documented in Divided by Design, can help tell us not only about where we’ve been but also where we need to go in the future.
We want to hear your stories, thoughts and experiences during this time of change. We know from our research that personal stories are one of the most impactful ways to change people’s perceptions on the issues of race and equity.
That’s why I’m excited about the new project we’ve launched called Southern Voices: A Reflection of America. We want to continue to uplift diverse voices and personal experiences from across the South.
The project poses simple prompts about today’s big questions to YOU. Take a few minutes, record a quick video and share your voice with the world. This week’s questions are:
- Tell us about your school experience in the South — did you go to school with kids from other backgrounds? Did your school experience impact your views on race?
- What advice would you give southern communities that want to advocate for racial equity but have different opinions on how to do so?
By amplifying the voices within our communities, we hope to share truthful and diverse experiences that will expand the hearts and minds of many as we rebuild a more equitable nation together.
We hope you will take just a few minutes to share your perspective.
HEARD AROUND THE SOUTH
News and stories about southern communities
Alabama: Alabama mayor resigns after post about Crimson Tide’s BLM video
Arkansas: Fayetteville goes ahead with tailored response to pandemic, state says no interference
Florida: City code enforcement taskforce to crack down on Jacksonville businesses not in COVID-19 compliance
Georgia: After Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing, Georgia Governor Signs Hate Crimes Legislation
Kentucky: How To Support Racial Justice and Diversity This Week In Louisville (6/29)
Louisiana: Dixie Beer: We’re ‘retiring a brand, not rewriting history’ after backlash and applause
Mississippi: Mississippi Black Lawmaker On Taking Down The Flag: A Symbol Of ‘Hate And Not Love’
South Carolina: Charleston’s deposed Calhoun monument and the erasure of Black workers
Tennessee: The Righteous Revulsion Driving the Demands for Racial Change in America
Texas: As evictions resume in Texas, unemployed renters have few options
Virginia: This Might Be a Bad Time for Virginia to End its Eviction Ban
West Virginia: New ways to occupy vacant downtown office space considered after COVID-19
Recent News & Commentary
What we’re reading
NY Times: What is owed
If true justice and equality are ever to be achieved in the U.S., the country must finally take seriously what it owes black Americans. It feels different this time. Black Americans protesting the violation of their rights are a defining tradition of this country.
TIME: COVID-19 Pandemic Shows Why We Must End Racial Injustice in Health
George Floyd’s violent and senseless death has justly sparked a national outpouring of outrage. Within the context of a grim pandemic, Floyd’s untimely death also magnifies the urgency to address another critical dimension of racial injustice: health inequity in America.
The Atlantic: The inequality of summer leisure
This season of social distancing will also be one of social closeness between neighbors — illuminating divides of race, class and place.
Fortune: How businesses can help fix the racial wealth gap
As the nation reckons with its treatment of Black people following the police killing of George Floyd, business leaders are examining ways to reduce the wealth gap amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Resources
Research and toolkits from across the country
Whose Heritage? Public Symbols of the Confederacy
The Civil War ended 154 years ago. It’s past time for the South — and the rest of the nation — to bury the myth of the Lost Cause once and for all.
Divided By Design Report
Our findings from our first report, Divided by Design: Findings from the American South, detail how residents of the American South experience issues of race and class in their communities.
2020 Policy Agenda: Roadmap to an Equitable Response, Recovery & Resilience
Last month, we released our 2020 policy agenda, Roadmap to an Equitable Response, Recovery & Resilience. The roadmap provides policy recommendations that center on addressing not only the current COVID-19 pandemic but also the preexisting social inequities that have plagued the United States of America since its founding.
2020 Survey Shows Southerners Making Some Shifts on Systemic Racism
Our new survey finds several positive shifts in how white southerners view poverty, systemic racism and economic opportunity, though large racial gaps in perceptions and attitudes on racism persist. With the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread public outcry against police brutality, our survey explores attitudes on systemic racism and how southerners are impacted by COVID-19.
