Elisha Brown

May 7, 2021 - While Southern states didn't grow as fast as many expected, more than half of U.S. population gains in the 2020 census were in the South, boosting the region's clout.

April 22, 2021 - Delayed census results, GOP control of Southern legislatures, and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act could lead to unfair new legislative and congressional election maps across the region, according to a new report from the nonprofit RepresentUs. Voting rights advocates say the solution lies in Congress passing the For the People Act.

April 8, 2021 - Inspired by the historic organizing work that's transformed Georgia politics over the past decade, nonprofits in the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Tennessee are taking their own unique approaches to increasing voter participation in their states.

March 11, 2021 - The FCC recently approved a benefit program to lower the cost of internet bills for Americans in need, and states in the South including Texas and North Carolina are also taking steps to address accessibility problems.

February 26, 2021 - New initiatives underway in Southern states aim to reduce the region's alarming maternal mortality rates in the Black community.

February 11, 2021 - Republican lawmakers in states across the South are rushing to introduce anti-abortion bills with an eye to challenging Roe v. Wade in the U.S. Supreme Court, where the conservative majority has been bolstered by three Trump appointees.

January 29, 2021 - Following the riot at the U.S. Capitol, the president has ordered a threat assessment on domestic terrorism, and his defense secretary has promised to purge the military of extremists. Experts who monitor hate groups say it's also critical for political leaders across the ideological spectrum to speak out against colleagues who spread falsehoods.