The American South: Is the South ready for courageous conversations?

Posted by :

USA TODAY: Is the South ready for courageous conversations?

The American South

STORIES THAT CHALLENGE AND CELEBRATE US

Thursday, April 22

Erika Blackston hikes along the Harpeth Woods Trail at Edwin Warner Park on Saturday, April 3, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. National parks and other recreation areas had record number of visitors since the pandemic hit the United States in March 2020. People found solace in nature to get a break from the stress of the pandemic.

Is the South ready for courageous conversations?

The power of having hard conversations, spending more time outdoors and reactions to the Chauvin verdict.

Welcome back to The American South!

If you're new here, thank you for subscribing and becoming a part of our community where we focus on producing revelatory journalism about the South.

Recently, I co-moderated a virtual panel about artists and activism in Montgomery, Alabama. (If you're interested in the replay, click here.) During the conversation, I asked artist Michelle Browder what was her hope for Montgomery going forward. "To have courageous conversations," she said.

That phrase stuck with me and it's become the way I describe a new Q&A series from the American South team. It's called Shaping the South's Future and it's centered on courageous conversations about the issues of our time.

In the series, we examine everything from racial and environmental justice to ancestral displacement and women's rights. Each interview unpacks how these issues are playing out through the eyes of a community activist, historian or thought leader in the region.

This week, we also highlight some of the South's reaction after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd (Mississippi, New Orleans and Tennessee).

We also explore the great outdoors with those finding solace in nature.

In keeping with a promise to always end on a smile, we close with a video that is sure to touch your heart.

Thank you for reading!

Ashley Hopkinson (Editor, The American South)

What's the South talking about?

•	Fetal remains burial and cremation bill passes Tennessee legislature
•	Home Town Takeover set in Alabama town premieres on HGTV in May
•	Bonnaroo 2021 is now sold out!

How the forced removal of Native Americans shaped today's South

University of Georgia historian Claudio Saunt documents the dispossession of Native Americans from the Southeast in his prize-winning book "Unworthy Republic."

Dorothy Kozlowski

Claudio Saunt's gripping and heartbreaking book, "Unworthy Republic," shows how the brutal process of the forced removal of Native Americans shaped today's South.

Saunt, a University of Georgia historian, says he wants his students to understand that the history of slavery and native dispossession are intertwined.

"A vast amount of wealth was stolen from native peoples. Their multi-generational inheritance was taken from them overnight."

Read our Q&A with Saunt here

Why the gender-affirming care debate for minors in Louisiana is a concern for the South

Dylan Waguespack, president of the board of directors for Louisiana Trans Advocates.

Contributed by Dylan Waguespack

On April 12, Louisiana became the latest state to introduce legislation targeting transgender youth. This year has already seen an unprecedented number of states debating laws that target transgender athletes and impede access to gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers for trans youth under 19.

Dylan Waguespack, the president of the board of Louisiana Trans Advocates, discusses the implications of these bills, the impact it could have on families and what it means for not just Louisiana but the Gulf South.

Read the full story here

'A saving grace': How escaping to nature helped these Southerners cope

Dr. Kim Walker of the Abundant Life Adventure Club meditates with other hikers while taking a break from their hike on the Harpeth Woods Trail at Edwin Warner Park on Saturday, April 3, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. National parks and other recreation areas had record number of visitors since the pandemic hit the United States in March 2020. People found solace in nature to get a break from the stress of the pandemic.

Mark Zaleski / For The Tennessean

From exploring waterfalls and hiking mountains in Tennessee to fishing in Louisiana, some Southerners have found solace in the great outdoors during the pandemic.

For long-time hikers like Jenny Hopkins, a retired office manager who lives on Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee, being in nature has never felt more essential. She wakes up early each morning to watch the sunrise over the edge of the mountain. Twice a week, she hikes with a small group of friends.

They call themselves the Wildflower Girls.

Read the full story here

More: The once-hidden Navy munitions depots near New Orleans that give 'nature trail' new meaning

We promise, this will warm your heart

When Aisha Patterson finished her last chemotherapy treatment, she could have never imagined that her loved ones would be there to celebrate the milestone with her.