Demographics

February 24, 2023 - The Census Bureau has released its first round of corrections for the 2020 population count, and communities in Southern states will benefit thanks to prisoners being added to their populations. Reform advocates say this "prison gerrymandering" distorts democracy and paints a misleading picture of community populations for planning purposes. A growing number of states, including several in the South, are taking action to end it.

February 10, 2023 - Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the United States, and a recent report from University of North Carolina researchers shows their population is diverse and growing rapidly in the Southeast — and in North Carolina in particular. 

December 1, 2022 - During this election cycle, rural and low-income voters proved to be crucial voting blocs in many races nationwide — including in Southern states. Organizers emphasize the importance of engaging with these communities, which will continue to play a critical role in shaping Southern and national politics.

October 12, 2022 - For decades, the co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund has led voter organizing campaigns across the South and helped lay the groundwork for Democratic wins in Georgia's 2020 presidential and U.S. Senate elections. She talked with Facing South about mobilizing for the midterms, misconceptions about the South and the region's Black voters, and building a genuine multiracial democracy.

August 9, 2022 - A recent study from the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice details how racism is behind state laws that suppress voter participation. The analysis comes as the nation gears up for midterm elections in which voters of color will play a crucial role.

July 5, 2022 - Youth turnout set records in the 2020 presidential election, and organizers across the South are now building on that momentum to get young people to the polls this midterm election year. Polls show the Supreme Court's decision to overturn abortion rights is a motivating factor.

May 27, 2022 - The ongoing infant formula shortage has illuminated another reproductive injustice: low breastfeeding rates in Black communities and in Southern states. Expanding Medicaid to cover lactation services could reduce breastfeeding disparities, but few states in the South have such a policy in place.