Calling all Kossacks interested in progressive change in the South!
The Institute for Southern Studies -- a progressive "think tank/act tank" based in North Carolina -- has launched a new blog, Facing South.
In their words, the blog "aims to satisfy your daily fix for information, insights, inspiration and outrages related to the changing South."
A taste of the first post is after the flip:
BLOGGING FOR A PROGRESSIVE SOUTH
Greetings, and welcome to Facing South -- a blog of the progressive South.
We are launching this blog with the hope that we inform, entertain, learn, and -- most importantly -- provide a space for Southerners and South-watchers to better understand the South, and kick-start the debate about prospects for progressive change in this fascinating region we call home.
These are subjects we've thought a lot about. The force behind this blog is the Institute for Southern Studies, a progressive "think tank/act tank" that's been working in the region since being launched by civil rights veterans in 1970. You might also know our magazine, Southern Exposure -- which Julian Bond kindly called "the single best resource about the changing South" -- or our biweekly-ish email news update, also called Facing South.
In recent months, a passel of progressive pundits have been saying it's time to write off the South -- that, contrary to Sam Cooke's soulful vision, "change ain't gonna come."
To make their point, the naysayers typically point to recent Electoral College votes for President, the makeup of Southerners in Congress, or the pieces of amusing or shocking news that readily emanate from the southland (unlike other places).
As important (or nauseating) as these indicators might be, we disagree with the conclusion. And we also think it's the wrong question.
. . .
Read the rest and join the discussion at:
http://www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth