The South's schools are failing to teach accurate Reconstruction history

A recent report from the Zinn Education Project comprehensively assesses educational standards for the teaching of Reconstruction history in all 50 states and finds vast room for improvement. The study urges policymakers, teachers, parents, and students to press for more attention to this history in grades K–12 as the era has assumed greater relevance amid ongoing fights for racial justice and historical accuracy. (2/17/2022)

Read More >

How community care can address the South's maternal mortality crisis

Inspired by her own experience with postpartum depression, Louisiana nurse practitioner and doula Nikki Greenaway launched an innovative practice to care for vulnerable new mothers. She talks with Facing South about how her model of community care can help address the maternal mortality crisis, which is especially dire among young Black women living in Louisiana and other Southern states. (2/25/2022)

Read More >

TESTIMONY: Environmental Justice for All Act protects vulnerable communities

The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing last week on the Environmental Justice for All Act, which would strengthen protections for vulnerable communities from environmental health threats. We share the official testimony of Amy Laura Cahn, director of the Environmental Justice Clinic at the Vermont Law School, who discussed waste dumping in Alabama and pipeline construction in Virginia in making a case for the bill's transformative power. (2/17/2022)

Read More >

Will the South's state courts crack down on gerrymandering?

With federal courts limiting the scope of protections, voting rights advocates are turning to state courts to challenge election districts for violating state constitutional rights. A recent ruling in North Carolina has given hope to voters who've filed similar lawsuits in other Southern states.

Deadline for Institute summer internship applications coming soon!

The Institute for Southern Studies, publisher of Facing South, is now accepting applications for paid summer internships. An Institute internship is a great way to gain hands-on writing and research experience on issues related to democracy, justice, and sustainability in the South. Internships are paid and typically last 6-8 weeks. For summer 2022, the Institute will be accepting applications for both remote and in-person internships at the Institute’s offices in Durham, North Carolina. Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 4. For more information, visit here.

The push to ban insider trading by federal lawmakers

Following several recent scandals involving ethically questionable stock trades by U.S. senators from Georgia and North Carolina, momentum is building in Congress for legislation that would more strictly regulate stock trading by members.