History
July 3, 2014 -
Political psychologists distinguish between "blind patriotism" that's intolerant and unquestioning and "constructive patriotism," which welcomes questioning with the hope of creating positive change. On this most patriotic of holidays, we share some of our favorite writings and songs in the spirit of the latter, and we invite you to do the same.
July 2, 2014 -
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended Jim Crow segregation and led to a profound political realignment of the South that continues to shape the nation today.
June 30, 2014 -
As civil rights movement veterans met with young activists at last week's conference commemorating Freedom Summer, a message heard frequently was that workers' rights are at the heart of the movement today.
June 27, 2014 -
This week hundreds of people gathered in Mississippi at a conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, a civil rights project that changed not only Mississippi and the South but the lives of participants.
June 27, 2014 -
In June 1964, volunteers from across the U.S. descended on Mississippi to help tear down barriers keeping African Americans from the ballot box. Their work led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, but today that law is under attack -- and the effort to restore it is getting little support so far from Mississippi's elected leaders.
June 19, 2014 -
Today marks the holiday that commemorates the day in 1865 that slaves in Texas were finally set free. We celebrate with a song to honor the occasion by jazz great Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, "Juneteenth Jamboree."
May 23, 2014 -
Largely bypassed during earlier waves of U.S. immigration, the South doesn't have the same understanding of "the immigrant experience" as other regions -- but advocates are using innovative approaches to tell the story of Southern newcomers.