Elaine Massacre descendants call for backing up repentance with resources

The organizer of the Elaine Unity Fest, held on the 102nd anniversary of the mass murder of Black sharecroppers in Arkansas, hopes it will be a first step towards restorative justice and economic development in the city and in Phillips County. (10/8/2021)

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Civil rights attorney and author Geeta N. Kapur on pushing UNC to confront its systemic racism

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was built by enslaved Black people but refused to admit Black students until the 1950s and only after a protracted legal fight — and the school continues to struggle around issues of race today. Civil rights attorney Geeta N. Kapur documents UNC's troubling history in her new book "To Drink From the Well: The Struggle for Racial Equality at the Nation's Oldest Public University," which she discussed with Facing South. (10/7/2021)

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South Carolina schools struggle to keep children safe as politicians fight mask mandates

South Carolina is dealing with a high proportion of children suffering from COVID-19, but Gov. Henry McMaster (R) and other state leaders want to block public schools from enforcing mask mandates. We hear from teachers and doctors fighting to protect children from deadly infection. (10/4/2021)

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Fight over North Carolina voter ID laws moves to appellate courts

North Carolina legislators have appealed a ruling that struck down a 2018 voter ID statute as racially discriminatory. And a lawsuit challenging a related voter ID amendment is at the North Carolina Supreme Court, where two justices are under scrutiny for conflicts of interest in the case. (10/13/2021)

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VOICES: Easing hurricane season's burden through careful American Rescue Plan spending

The Southern Economic Advancement Project is helping local governments plan how to spend funds they're getting from the COVID-19 economic stimulus bill in a way that promotes equity in disaster recovery. It's also tracking innovative efforts to stretch ARP funds to their full potential in cities including New Orleans; Durham, North Carolina; and Mobile, Alabama. (10/12/2021)

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Libel case over North Carolina voter fraud lies moves forward

The N.C. Court of Appeals recently rejected a request from the Pat McCrory Committee Defense Fund and the law firm Holtzman Vogel to throw out a libel suit filed against them for falsely accusing voters of committing fraud in the 2016 election. After the former Republican governor narrowly lost to Democrat Roy Cooper that year, McCrory's campaign and its legal agents worked to sow doubt about the election's integrity — a strategy taken to new levels by Donald Trump following his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.

Are Southern lawmakers gerrymandering communities of color?

The recent census results showed that the South is becoming more diverse, but state legislators are now drawing election districts that could keep communities of color from influencing congressional and legislative races.