Anita Earls against the world

The NC Supreme Court justice could be on the shortlist for the US Supreme Court someday. But first, she faces a right-wing smear campaign and a fight with cancer.

Jesse Jackson—slandered, libeled, redeemed

The white South made a villain of a native son, but the region never had a better champion for it on the big stage than Jesse Jackson.

What we're getting wrong about that Bad Bunny halftime show

When politicians try to grasp on to an artist, the good ones always slip through their fingers. Bad Bunny is one of the good ones.

Why the ICE killings in Minneapolis could change everything

There can be no silver lining to the ICE killings. But there can be change when brave people document it, demand action, and never let it go.

Trump is getting richer. The Southerners who voted for him are getting poorer.

For many of the people who voted for him in 2024, Trump has made their lives tangibly harder and he's getting richer by the minute.

The South has a lot at stake in what happens next in Venezuela

Of the 10 states with the most active duty military personnel, six are in the South—Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.

The Living South's top 5 of 2025

In the first year of The Living South, I did my best to tell the stories that captured this complicated place. In year two, I want to go bigger and deeper.

Trump drops MLK Day celebration at National Parks

Make no mistake, racists cheer decisions like the Trump administration's MLK Day change at the National Park Service.

Law enforcement isn't supposed to act like this

Law enforcement's power is derived from a bargain with the people they serve. They're not supposed to be ideologues. They're not supposed to wear masks and lie.

What the obsession with Bill Belichick's girlfriend says about us

The sexism and misogyny baked into the American media's fascination with Bill Belichick and his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.

Something to actually, really be grateful for in the South

Nobody likes forced gratitude. It's cloying and annoying. This season is filled with artificial pleas for it. So I'm not going to do that. But I want to talk about something I saw this month that's making me give thanks for the people of the South.

The South has seen masked kidnappers before

ICE and Border Patrol agents are acting less like cops and more like the white terrorist groups that plagued the South for generations.