“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.
“Federal court blocks Alabama from using GOP-drawn congressional map” from NBC News (May 26, 2026)
“A three-judge panel Tuesday blocked a Republican-drawn congressional map in Alabama from going into effect, writing that the district lines ‘intentionally discriminated based on race in violation of the Constitution.'”
“South Carolina Senate rejects Trump’s push for a new congressional map” from AP News (May 26, 2026)
“The political drama in South Carolina is part of a Republican strategy — propelled by Trump — to redraw voting districts to the GOP’s advantage in an attempt to hold on to a slim House majority in the midterm elections. Republicans have moved quickly to try to leverage a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened minority protections under the federal Voting Rights Act.”
“This year, the first day of June doesn’t just mark the beginning of Pride Month in Tennessee, it marks the start of a new holiday: In April, Governor Bill Lee signed a House joint resolution designating June as ‘Nuclear Family Month.’ The bill was first introduced in February 2025 by state Representative Bud Hulsey, of Kingsport, who claimed that the traditional family structure was ‘under attack.’
“According to the bill, ‘the nuclear family is God’s perfect design for humanity and is aligned with the long-held traditional values of Tennessee.’ It consists of ‘one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.'”
“Mississippi landmarks keep history alive” from The Natchez Democrat (June 24, 2026)
“As we celebrate Juneteenth and our upcoming 250th Independence Day, these Mississippi landmarks remind us of the remarkable values in our founding documents and of the courageous individuals who have fought to extend them to all Americans.”
“Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention center has closed, governor says” from AP News (June 25, 2026)
“Immigration advocates said the center’s tents were never safe or humane for holding people. Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers and described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that didn’t flush, floors flooded with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.”
“Texas State Board of the Education votes to require millions of students to study Bible stories” from CNN.com (July 26, 2026)
“While it is not unusual for states to suggest book titles for schools, Texas may be the first to prescribe a literary canon for every public school student, two experts told The Associated Press.”
“Federal appeals court ends a decades-old school desegregation order in Louisiana” from ABC News (July 14, 2026)
“The U.S. Justice Department spent decades fighting for such cases but reversed course under Trump. Officials in his administration have framed the remaining segregation orders as federal intrusion into local school systems. Louisiana officials agree they’re no longer needed and describe them as relics of a time when Black students were once forbidden from attending some schools.”
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