10 years post-Shelby, NC lawmakers advance new voter restrictions and election changes

On the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder ruling, which weakened the Voting Rights Act, North Carolina's conservative majority is pushing a raft of new measures that voting experts say will add new barriers to voting and increase political meddling in elections. (6/29/23)

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'Freedom is a constant meeting': An interview with Kali Akuno

The co-founder of Cooperation Jackson talks democratic organizing, the solidarity economy, and working against state violence in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city. (6/30/23)

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VOICES: Teaching truth in the face of book bans

Over the past few years, the number of attempted book bans has skyrocketed, going hand-in-hand with proposed laws to limit what can be taught in classrooms. In this Voices piece, we share a recent speech by civil rights veteran Judy Richardson on the necessity of truth telling and teaching in the face of book censorship. (6/28/23)

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From the Archives: Faerie culture

Pagan ritual, country living, and a little magic. In celebration of Pride month, we share this piece by Barry Yeoman from the 1989 Southern Exposure issue “Mint Juleps, Wisteria, and Queers.”

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Will companies backing anti-trans lawmakers face backlash in North Carolina?

This year, a flood of anti-trans legislation has washed over states across the country, especially in the South. North Carolina has seen key legislation move rapidly this Pride month, including bills to ban gender-affirming health care for minors. In a state where corporations once wielded their influence to change anti-trans legislation, how do business interests and policy agendas conflict when it comes to the latest attack on transgender youth? 

We are excited to welcome the Institute’s 2023 summer interns, Arlette Garcia and Ashley Quincin-Marroquin!

Arlette Garcia is a Nicaraguan-Cuban writer from Miami and graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. Their work weaves historical research and personal storytelling from underserved communities of color, and focuses on legislation, organizing, history, and cultural topics with an emphasis on race, class, and gender.

Ashley Quincin-Marroquin is a senior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, studying English and comparative literature, media and journalism, and composition, rhetoric, and digital literacy. She is currently in editing positions at The Daily Tar Heel and Coulture Magazine, and enjoys writing about labor issues.

Congratulations to Facing South reporter Alasdair McNinch, who recently won two honors from the Hearst Journalism Award Program for student journalists. McNinch, who wrote his investigation into the threat so-called “forever chemicals” pose to North Carolina schools while a senior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, earned second-place honors for investigative reporting. McNinch was also selected as a finalist in a follow-up competition that had 30 students nationally complete a “spot” assignment over the course of five days. 

The Institute's Democracy Program continues to have impact. Our Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy report was submitted as testimony in the North Carolina General Assembly, and a series of Institute policy backgrounders on issues including early voting, youth voting access, and intimidation of election officials and voters are being widely used by policy-makers and advocates. For more information about the Democracy Program, visit here.

Are you interested in Southern history and movements for change? Make sure to visit the Southern Exposure digital archives, an online collection of the Institute’s award-winning print journal that was published from 1973 to 2011. The archives currently feature issues through 1982, and additional content will be added throughout the year. 

After 18 years at the Institute, editorial director Sue Sturgis is moving on to pursue other endeavors. We thank Sue for her time at Facing South, which grew as a unique source for investigative reporting and voices for change during her tenure.

The Facing South newsletter will continue its summer publishing schedule with a new issue in late July. Have a great summer!

Chris Kromm, Publisher

P.S. - From state legislatures to the Supreme Court, attacks on democracy and equality make Facing South's work especially critical now. Support fearless journalism and a voice for change in the South with a tax-deductible donation to the Institute today!