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 indicat ors might be, we disagree with the conclusion. And we also think it’s the wrong question.
Put aside, for the moment, that the South has six of the country’s 15 fastest-growing states; holds 31% of the presidential electoral votes; has become a center of global commerce and immigration; and that, for at least the past decade, has set the tone for national politics -- making the South just as impossible to ignore now as when W.E.B. DuBois observed, "As goes the South, so goes the nation."
Also set aside the South's unbroken history of people and movements that have changed the country for the better, or that the region is home to half of all African Americans, who remain the country’s most steadfast progressive constituency, to the right's chagrin.
The fact is, whatever schemes for progressive renewal are cooked up inNew York , D.C. Left Coast
Progressives face much deeper questions than whether to court "the Southern vote" (by which the chattering classes usually mean the Southern white vote) by moving to the right, embracing NASCAR, finding religion, or learning a few country ditties (although that can’t hurt).
Our "Southern Strategy," a progressive strategy, will involve nothing less than a Third Reconstruction: developing an integrated set of common sense ideas, institutions, movements and strategies that build a critical mass for fundamental change that’s too strong to hold back.
Of course, it’s happened before. As Leslie Dunbar, one of the unsung white allies in the Second Reconstruction of the black freedom movement, recently wrote: "Serious work was done in the South those days. The Southern civil rights movement reversed the tides of the South’s history. Southern liberals, black and white, carried their share of the fight that ended the war inVietnam
It’s time to get serious again -- and have a good time while we’re at it -- about reversing the tides of history and realizing our vision for a progressive South and country.
It won't be easy. But if we succeed, our best years may still be ahead.
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 indi
Put aside, for the moment, that the South has six of the country’s 15 fastest-growing states; holds 31% of the presidential electoral votes; has become a center of global commerce and immigration; and that, for at least the past decade, has set the tone for national politics -- making the South just as impossible to ignore now as when W.E.B. DuBois observed, "As goes the South, so goes the nation."
Also set aside the South's unbroken history of people and movements that have changed the country for the better, or that the region is home to half of all African Americans, who remain the country’s most steadfast progressive constituency, to the right's chagrin.
The fact is, whatever schemes for progressive renewal are cooked up in
Progressives face much deeper questions than whether to court "the Southern vote" (by which the chattering classes usually mean the Southern white vote) by moving to the right, embracing NASCAR, finding religion, or learning a few country ditties (although that can’t hurt).
Our "Southern Strategy," a progressive strategy, will involve nothing less than a Third Reconstruction: developing an integrated set of common sense ideas, institutions, movements and strategies that build a critical mass for fundamental change that’s too strong to hold back.
Of course, it’s happened before. As Leslie Dunbar, one of the unsung white allies in the Second Reconstruction of the black freedom movement, recently wrote: "Serious work was done in the South those days. The Southern civil rights movement reversed the tides of the South’s history. Southern liberals, black and white, carried their share of the fight that ended the war in
It’s time to get serious again -- and have a good time while we’re at it -- about reversing the tides of history and realizing our vision for a progressive South and country.
It won't be easy. But if we succeed, our best years may still be ahead.
16 Comments:
Amen! There's a lot of potential in the south. We just can't keep running scared! Kudos to ISS for the blog launch.
my newest bookmark--thanks, Chris
This time around, let's really, really focus on less top-down tactics and more on grassroots, non white /non male leadership
I like it. Especially like the reconstruction theme, thats what this struggle is all about and it puts racial justice at the center, right where it should be. Which makes sense, as a person of color I can say the ISS is one of the only "think tank" type operations thats been serious about working at the grassroots and building people of color leadership.
It's a joy to find this blog. It's so disheartening at times to see the blatant misinformation being perpetrated about the south on some progressive blogs.
Right on!
Welcome to the blogosphere. I've been saying you should blog for years now, Chris. It's about time!
BTW, have you seen our brother in arms, Stan Goff, also has a new blog: StanGoff.com.
Blogs have amazing potential to act as movement-building tools. But we still have to organize. Let's get going...
This is great! One of my favorite writers for Progressive South is Jordan Green--he started up an anti-racist-action chapter in Lexington, Ky, and always enjoy his articles.
David
Austin, Texas
Thanks to Bob, Ruby, David and our anonymous friends for the well-wishes. I especially like the way comments 3 and 4 go together. We'll be keeping this "manifesto" post up for a day or so before heading into serious blogging, stay tuned.
Meanwhile I'd like to point people to Mathew Gross' great blog for advice on how to respond to Wal-Mart's plans to "close a Canadian store whose workers are on the verge of becoming the first ever to win a union contract from the world's biggest retailer."
http://www.mathewgross.com/blog
I want to hear more about this "Third Reconstruction". The interview you link to mostly talks about the Institute's anti-Iraq War effort.
But you also say:
"Now more than ever, any project we take on is going to be in this global framework," Kromm says. "I believe in the idea of a Third Reconstruction. The South has had two reconstructions that brought economic gain here. The first was after the Civil War, and the second was about 100 years later during the black liberation movement of the '50s and '60s.
"The Third Reconstruction, I believe, is going to be about how the South relates to these global issues."I'd love to read more about that.
I got the email, found the site, and was pleased that there is an e-forum for southern progressives and hope that it will also be a valuable site for those of us who are northern progressives in the south.
Why think of yourself as a "northern progressive in the south"? One thing we should get away from is talking about who's a real southerner and who isn't, since so often when people say "southerner," they really mean "white conservative fundamentalist" or something. Also, progressive politics don't just come from the north, of course!
As a native Durhamite, I'm glad to be able to boast about this addition to the blogosphere, Chris. I'm looking forward to keeping up with ISS's great work.
FYI, I just posted a blog entry on the launch.
Linguistics professor George Lakoff's is selling a lot of books discussing the need to frame the debate to engage voters who are being conned into voting on "gays, guns and God". Are any Southern progressives working on this?
Mr. Anonymous,
What are the titles of George Lakoff's books? SOunds intriguing.
Thanks,
Mark Marcoplos
Thrilled to find your blog. Seriously needed. Appreciated the post on Alabama on yesterdays entry. In Alabama we have a good number of progressives and a place to rally is important. We are facing a severe threat with Mr. Moore running for Governor.
in response to request for more information on books by linguistics professor George Lakoff, his recent best seller is entitled
"Don't think of an elephant"
It describes how the Bush administration has framed issues to mislead voters, e.g "healthy forest initiative", clean water act", and most recently Social Security "reform"
Lakoff urges progressives to reframe the issues, e.g. "no tree left behind".
Lakoff also has a 20 minute DVD, which your group can watch and follow with a group exercise of framing the debate on Social Securiity or whatever, using progressive values- see chapter 8 , "What Unites Progressives".
We did this at my MoveOn group and it was very educational, a lot of fun, and produced some ideas for bumper stickers, e.g.
- Social Security: It ain't "broke"; don't let Bush "fix" it
_ Social Security: worth saving
Don't let Bush gut Social Security
We got the DVD from Democracy for America, which I believe will give a copy to show to a group.
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