May 12, 2023 -
Some states have taken steps to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions, but Republican officials in places including Florida and North Carolina later reversed the reforms. Proponents of permanent disenfranchisement say it promotes respect for the law, but a growing body of evidence suggests that such policies make their targets more likely to break it again.
May 11, 2023 -
Ben Barber interviewed UNC law professor and anti-poverty scholar Gene Nichol about his new book, “Lessons from North Carolina: Race, Religion, Tribe, and the Future of America,” which offers insights from North Carolina politics aimed at countering the nationwide assault on democratic norms and values.
April 28, 2023 -
Workers at a Tyson Foods chicken processing plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, walked out for several days this month, saying the company is putting their health and safety at risk — and is now shoving them out the door after hailing their loyalty through a deadly pandemic.
April 27, 2023 -
A MAGA attorney from North Carolina recently asked attendees at a Republican donor retreat in Tennessee for help to curb student voting. A look at the role young voters played in recent elections shows why conservatives are worried.
April 26, 2023 -
In the last couple of months, several Southern state legislators have jumped from the Democratic to the Republican Party, in some cases handing veto-proof supermajorities to the GOP. While the switchers may gain more clout in the short term, they often face electoral consequences.
April 21, 2023 -
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Moral Monday Movement's launch, and to mark the occasion Facing South democracy reporter Benjamin Barber spoke with Rev. Barber, his father, about the movement's historic roots and accomplishments, and what keeps him hopeful about progressive change today.
April 14, 2023 -
The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act established a process for returning burial remains to tribes across the country, but the law applies only to those with federal recognition. The Southeast’s legacy of forced displacement and contentious battles over tribal recognition has created challenges for descendants seeking ancestors’ remains, thousands of which are still in the possession of museums and research institutions across the country.
