While we wait for the results of the 2020 elections to be certified, one thing is clear: The increased civic engagement of Black and Latinx communities in the Deep South has made national and local races more competitive. But how is it that states like Georgia – and even North Carolina – turned out such large numbers of progressive voters?
We know of the tireless work of Southern organizers because three years ago, NCRP and Grantmakers for Southern Progress explored their work in a five-part series of reports called As the South Grows. The research found that Southern activists are battle-tested fighters of some of America’s most regressive policies, despite receiving just 56 cents per person in foundation funding for every $1 invested elsewhere.
Ryan Schlegel and Stephanie Peng, the reports’ researchers, as well as other NCRP leaders are available to speak about philanthropy’s role in supporting this important work and what organizers say they need from the sector to build on the good work that they are doing.
Here is a breakdown of the series:
- On Fertile Soil, focusing on the Alabama Black Belt and the Mississippi Delta.
- Strong Roots, focusing on the Coal Country of Kentucky and the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
- Weathering the Storm, focusing on Eastern North Carolina and Southern Louisiana.
- Bearing Fruit, focusing on Atlanta.
- So Grows the Nation, the series’ capstone report.
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