“In the News” is published quarterly and provides a sampling of stories, articles, or reviews that reference or relate to beliefs, myths, and narratives in Southern culture since 1970.
“LGBTQ doctors are leaving the Gulf South due to discrimination: “We weren’t welcome here anymore.” from WWNO (November 16, 2023)
“Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are all designated as ‘Health Professional Shortage Areas,’ or HPSAs, by KFF, meaning there aren’t enough providers to meet residents’ needs for medical, dental or mental health based on a ratio of the amount of health professionals relative to the state’s population. So, the loss of even one health care professional is especially impactful in the region.”
“Kentucky writing program amplifies unheard voices through the power of publishing” from PBS Newshour (November 28, 2023)
“Fabian Nelson, Mississippi’s first openly gay legislator: ‘I’m staying true to my constituents'” from The Guardian (December 1, 2023)
“Before Nelson’s election, Mississippi was one of two states that had never elected an openly gay legislator (the other is Louisiana). Nelson, a real estate broker and father of four boys, said that he didn’t initially recognize the historic nature of his election.”
“Texas goes green: How oil country became the renewable energy leader” from PBS NewsHour (December 5, 2023)
Charles M. Blow on reversing The Great Migration on CBS News Sunday Morning (December 17, 2023)
“The Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery will be dismantled this week” from NPR (December 18, 2023)
“Arlington’s Confederate Memorial offers a ‘mythologized vision of the Confederacy, including highly sanitized depictions of slavery,’ according to a report prepared by a commission set up in response to that legislation. The report notes that an inscription promotes the ‘Lost Cause’ myth, ‘which romanticized the pre-Civil War South and denied the horrors of slavery.'”
“Georgia’s School-Choice Mulligan” from The Wall Street Journal (January 12, 2024)
“Georgia has entered the second year of its biennial legislative session, and that means second chances. Namely, lawmakers have an opportunity to pass school-choice legislation that failed last year. A good sign is that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is backing the effort early and with apparent conviction.”
“Alabama state superintendent Eric Mackey wants ‘guardrails’ around voucher legislation” from The Alabama Reflector (January 12, 2024)
“Mackey said that he would like any money to be sent directly to schools as a voucher program, rather than the checks or debit cards going to parents. He said he wanted parameters on how those educational dollars could be used.”
“New Louisiana congressional map boosts Black political power” from NPR (January 23, 2024)
“The new map is a win for Black voters and likely brings an end to the state’s long-running legal battle over redistricting. It could also see Democrats gain another seat in Congress.”
“Kenneth Eugene Smith executed by nitrogen hypoxia in Alabama, marking a first for the death penalty” from CBS News (January 26, 2024)
“Smith’s execution came after he had already survived a botched lethal injection in November 2022. Smith’s legal team had challenged Alabama’s plan to use nitrogen in the death chamber without documented evidence of its repercussions and called on the state to halt the execution altogether. His attorneys accused the state of using Smith as a ‘test subject’ for an experimental execution in one request to stop it that was ultimately rejected.”
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