Demographics

May 20, 2021 - This Mental Health Awareness month, consider the psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic — particularly for those who were already facing racism and other extreme stressors. Most Southern states' refusal to expand Medicaid makes getting care more difficult for those who need it most.

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 1, 2021 - Young people are among those whose access to the ballot would be limited under a restrictive new voting law passed in Georgia, a state that once led the nation in empowering the youth vote. Congress should act to lift these limits and shore up young people's eroding faith in democracy by passing the For the People Act.

February 25, 2021 - With census data now set to be released to the states at the end of September, six months later than usual, election officials across the South are scrambling to prevent major redistricting challenges.

February 12, 2021 - How could such an extremist end up in Congress? Consider Georgia's congressional district map, which like all state congressional and legislative maps is set to be redrawn later this year. A new report out this week finds that Georgia and a handful of other Southern states remain at risk for more extreme partisan gerrymandering.

January 27, 2021 - Black women played a lead role in helping Joe Biden win the White House and Democrats win the Senate. One way to repay them would be by canceling the student debt that disproportionately burdens them.

December 3, 2020 - Partly in response to the acclaim for Nikole Hannah-Jones's The 1619 Project on slavery's legacy in the U.S., President Trump recently signed an executive order that seeks to stifle federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients from talking about systemic racism and sexism. Refusing to be silenced, the African American Policy Forum has launched an effort to overturn it.

December 3, 2020 - First-time voters including young people, former felons, and newly naturalized citizens proved to be a crucial voting bloc in many races nationwide including in Georgia, which a Democratic presidential candidate hadn't won in 28 years. Experts predict that these first-time voters will continue to play an important role in shaping Southern and national politics.

October 28, 2020 - As Election Day approaches, frontline workers and anti-poverty activists are encouraging eligible low-wage voters in the nation's poorest region to take part in this year's election in hopes of electing leaders who will support a living wage and respond to the needs of low-wealth communities.