The Black Belt—named for its rich, dark soil that makes for fertile agricultural land—brought white farmers, their plantations, and, forcibly, enslaved people, to Alabama and Mississippi. In the 1960s, that same land became the foundation for the civil rights movement.
The key environmental policy priorities for the South, according to experts
Community leaders, lawyers, and advocates throughout the region discuss what they see as the most urgent economic, environmental, and racial justice issues to tackle in…
‘The people suffering have to have a seat at the table’: A Q&A with Catherine Flowers
The activist and MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” winner discusses her new book and what she believes needs to happen to achieve sustainable and equitable infrastructure…
Election 2020: The stakes are high for climate, environmental justice, and energy in the South
A state-by-state rundown of major races and ballot measures, plus resources to check out before heading to the polls.
How Europe’s wood pellet appetite worsens environmental racism in the South
An expanding wood pellet market in the Southeast has fallen short of climate and job goals—instead bringing air pollution, noise and reduced biodiversity in majority…
Oral histories: 3 Alabama activists on their fight for environmental justice
A University of Alabama class interviews activists on their work before and during the pandemic.
Rural Resilience: What communities are learning from the fight against oil and gas pipelines
Do you have questions about challenging pipeline projects? Ask us!
The longleaf pine was nearly wiped out 100 years ago. Can Southern landowners help it make a comeback?
The future of longleaf pine forests, which are critical to biodiversity, depends on landowners protecting and maintaining them through prescribed burning.
How environmental justice is shaping a new civil rights movement in the South
By focusing on local communities, public health, and economic development, activists start to move the needle on climate change in the South.
These lessons from rural Africa could help eradicate poverty-related tropical diseases in the U.S. South
Experts look to successes in developing nations to learn how to stop the spread of neglected tropical diseases in the U.S. South.
The rural South’s invisible public health crisis
In the Black Belt and along the Gulf Coast, there’s a rise of poverty-related tropical diseases related to poor sewage infrastructure and climate change.