September 2024

  • Dispatches - Fighting election disinformation and more
  • CAROLINADAZE - A new essay series featuring NC youth voices
  • Institute News - Meet the Institute's new Director of Programs!

Advocates take on voter disinformation ahead of November elections

This election cycle, disinformation is already being used to target marginalized communities. Advocates are now confronting misleading information by directly engaging voters and providing reliable facts and resources that can help this year's election remain free, fair, and secure.

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Lives on the line: An interview with Alice Driver

Alice Driver talks about her new book "The Life and Death of the American Worker," an accounting of the lives and working conditions faced by poultry and meatpacking workers in Arkansas, where Tyson Foods is headquartered.

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Report: Voting rights under assault in the South

Voters of color, young voters, and those with disabilities have been targeted with repressive laws and policies across the South, according to a new report from Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement, a project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

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Southern faculty raise alarm over political climate

A survey of college faculty in 12 Southern states found growing concern about the political climate in higher education, with 80% of respondents ranking the political atmosphere as "poor" or "very poor."

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Check your voter registration today

September 17 is National Voter Registration Day, and organizations across the South and country will be hosting events to ensure all eligible citizens are registered and ready to vote. Visit Vote.gov for information on how to register or check your registration status, and visit National Voter Registration Day to get involved in local events.

CAROLINADAZE ESSAY SERIES

With this issue, we are excited to launch the CAROLINADAZE Essay Series — a collaboration between Facing South/Institute for Southern Studies and CAROLINADAZE, a music, arts, and civic engagement project organized by Common Cause North Carolina.

The series features stories and voices of young everyday North Carolinians and their visions for a better future in North Carolina and the South.

In the first installment of the series, writer Barbara Sostaita explores how North Carolina's Latinx communities and churches are creating spaces for people to organize and chart a new vision for a better world. You can also read this introduction to the essay project by series editor and Southern journalist Victoria Bouloubasis.

CAROLINADAZE will be hosting three music and arts festivals in North Carolina featuring musicians, youth leaders, and North Carolina organizations focused on voting and other critical issues, beginning with an event Saturday, September 14 at the Red Hat Ampitheater in Raleigh, NC. Visit CAROLINADAZE for tickets and more information!

INSTITUTE NEWS

Lekha Shupeck joins Institute in new Director of Programs role

The Institute for Southern Studies is excited to announce a new addition to the organization's leadership team: Lekha Shupeck, who joins the Institute as the first Director of Programs. Shupeck grew up in Southern Pines, North Carolina, and brings to the Institute a rich history of leadership in initiatives focused on democracy, investigative journalism, and social justice.

Prior to joining the Institute, Shupeck worked at Documented, a national investigative watchdog and journalism organization. Previously, she served as the North Carolina director of All On the Line, a group promoting redistricting reform, and was statewide campaigns coordinator for the ACLU of North Carolina. She holds a Ph.D. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.

“I am thrilled to join the Institute, an organization with a rich history that has made huge contributions to the fight for justice across the South,” Shupeck said. “From the beginning of my time in this work my driving value has been that those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Being part of an organization that was founded on the principles of listening to the grassroots and crafting research and writing into tools for change allows me to truly put that value into action. I cannot wait to see what we can do together.”

In her role as director of programs, Shupeck will work with the executive director to oversee the Institute’s media, research, and outreach programs, as well as assist with foundation and institutional fundraising.

Shupeck joins the Institute as it continues a year-long strategic planning process, launched in January 2024, to strengthen the organization’s focus and impact. As part of this planning process, the Institute has conducted a Facing South reader survey and will interview leaders across the region to refine our strategy for creating change in the South.

The Institute has also launched a new planned giving program to ensure our fearless journalism and voice for justice can last for the long haul.

“Lekha brings a wealth of leadership and experience at a critical time for the Institute and the South,” said Chris Kromm, executive director of the Institute. “Her media, research, and advocacy background will be an immediate asset to the Democracy Program and other current Institute projects, and her strategic planning skills will be invaluable as the Institute plans for the future.”

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