'A matter of life and death': New Orleans nurses on organizing for patients' survival

Earlier this year, Louisiana regulators signed off on LCMC Health System's acquisition of three Tulane University hospitals in New Orleans. Documentarian Jason Kerzinski spoke with Tulane nurses about the deal, and they said they fear not only for their own jobs but for the safety of patients in what will now be the city's hospital duopoly. (3/22/2023)

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Pro-democracy 'blueprint' guides key voting bills in North Carolina

A coalition of advocacy groups recently released a report offering ideas on ways to protect and promote democracy in the state. Some of these proposals have since been incorporated into legislation that’s been introduced at the General Assembly. (3/30/2023)

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'Stayed on Freedom' is a compelling account of a radical Black family

Dan Berger, a scholar of the Black Power movement, has written a remarkable intergenerational story about the Simmons family's long involvement in the Black freedom struggle, from Zoharah's and Michael's SNCC organizing and human rights work to Aishah's anti-rape activism. The title comes from lyrics to a civil rights anthem that for them has been more than a slogan — it's been a guide to a life of service to the people. (3/31/2023)

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From the Archives: Michael Simmons on the economics of the Great Migration

Michael Simmons is a longtime Black organizer and one of the subjects of Dan Berger’s new book, "Stayed on Freedom." In 1975, as Simmons was organizing workers' groups in the South, he reviewed for Southern Exposure magazine Florette Henri's book "Black Migration" about the second mass movement of African Americans from the South to the North. (3/31/2023)

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Voices: There's still time to press for equitable American Rescue Plan spending

Millions of dollars from the federal COVID-19 economic stimulus bill remain on the table in Southern communities, offering an ongoing opportunity to press leaders to prioritize equitable distribution. (3/22/2023)

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Taking on the 'forever chemical' threat in North Carolina school water supplies

When it comes to protecting North Carolina schoolchildren from the widespread industrial PFAS pollution in the state's drinking water, the burden falls on parent-advocates, the state's cash-strapped school systems, and municipal water systems often unprepared to address the threat.

State voter roll protection alliance comes under far-right attack

The nonprofit Electronic Registration Information Center was formed and is led by a bipartisan group of state election officials to help member states maintain accurate voter rolls. Seven states have quit ERIC in the past year as the far right has spread disinformation about it, but Republican election officials in a number of Southern states have reaffirmed their commitment to the group.