Language access at the ballot box lags in a diversifying South

Several Southern states have seen significant increases in their populations of voting-age residents who speak a language other than English at home, but of the 30 states with jurisdictions that are legally obligated to provide language access under the Voting Rights Act, only a handful are in the South. (9/27/23)

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'A political issue': Arkansas becomes the latest state to target AP African American Studies

Two days before the start of school, the Arkansas Department of Education said that AP African American Studies would not count for graduation credit, citing a recent law banning ‘indoctrination.’ Arkansas educators — including some at schools that are still offering the course — share their perspectives. (9/26/23)

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House Democrats revive push to pass federal voting rights protections

Republican lawmakers nationwide have introduced 400 anti-voting bills this year, while in Congress, GOP leaders have introduced an omnibus elections bill that would nationalize voter suppression. In response, Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced key federal voting rights legislation to expand voter protections and counter the attacks on the freedom to vote. (9/27/23)

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From the Archives: Black, white, and other: The struggle for identity

In commemoration of American Indian Heritage Month, Facing South is republishing a piece from the 1985 Southern Exposure issue, “We Are Here Forever: Indians of the South,” with an introduction by author Forest Hazel, a historian for the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation in North Carolina. (Nov./Dec. 1985)

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Remembering Hollis Watkins

Hollis Watkins, who passed this month, was a key figure in Mississippi movements for change, beginning with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and continuing with Southern Echo. In 2015, Facing South partnered with the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation to publish interviews with Watkins and other Southern movement elders reflecting on their life and legacy. (3/25/15)

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'The stakes are incredibly high': An interview with Devin Franklin on RICO charges against 'Cop City' activists

In late August, Georgia’s attorney general issued indictments under the state’s RICO statute targeting protesters against a planned new police and fire training center. An attorney with the Southern Center for Human Rights talks with Facing South about the charges and their implications for movements for racial justice and police accountability.

As we head towards the critical 2023 and 2024 elections in the South, the Institute’s Democracy Program is in full swing, monitoring attacks on voting and assisting pro-democracy efforts. We’ve joined the Unite NC Town Hall tour spearheaded by Common Cause NC, which has included stops in more than 30 localities across North Carolina, to talk about democracy issues and share our report, Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy. See Democracy Program coordinator Benjamin Barber’s recent interview on new voter laws in N.C.

Congratulations to 2023 Julian Bond Fellow Maydha Devarajan, who will start next month as managing editor at CityView in Fayetteville, N.C. During her nine-month Institute fellowship, Devarajan wrote on a wide range of issues for Facing South, including citizens falsely charged with voter fraud, anti-trans legislation, and Asian-American communities in the South. She also helped coordinate the Institute’s Southern Exposure 50th anniversary celebration in March. We wish Maydha the best of luck in her new endeavors!

We’re continuing to add to the Southern Exposure Digital Archives, our online collection of the Institute’s flagship print journal published from 1973 to 2011. The archive currently features SE editions through spring 1984, including “Elections: Grassroots Strategies for Change,” a fascinating look at the intersection of politics and movements for justice. Stay tuned as new issues are added to the archive in the coming months.

How can Facing South have more impact on the people and issues you care about? In what ways can our journalism be more engaging and relevant in the South’s changing media landscape? In the coming months, the Institute will be exploring these and other questions to sharpen and improve our media programs, and we want your ideas! Look for more details in the next Facing South email newsletter in November.

Thanks for reading, and for your support!

Chris Kromm, Executive Director and Publisher

P.S. - Want to support independent media and a voice for change in the South? Get a head start on our upcoming fundraising drive and make a donation to the Institute today! Your gift will support fearless journalism and a powerful voice for democracy and justice in the South. Thank you!