Institute for Southern Studies

06/11/2026

For more than half a century, the Voting Rights Act helped transform American democracy. Now, many advocates fear its protections have been effectively dismantled.

We recently spoke with Ari Berman, a leading voting rights reporter and author about the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, the future of Black political representation, and the growing debate over democracy, power, and accountability in the United States.

Facing South talks with voting rights reporters Ari Berman about the latest round of attacks on the Voting Rights Act and what it means for the future of democracy and representation in the South.

06/10/2026

What does the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais mean for the future of voting rights? We spoke with Ari Berman, who describes the decision as the “final blow” to the Voting Rights Act. He argues it weakens safeguards for Black voters and Black representation across the South—and expands states’ ability to redraw the rules of political participation.

05/28/2026

Election officials across the South are facing unprecedented demands from the Trump administration and Department of Justice for access to sensitive voter data, including Social Security and driver's license numbers, raising alarm among voting rights advocates ahead of the midterm elections.

Election officials across the South are facing unprecedented demands from the Trump administration and Department of Justice for access to sensitive voter data, including Social Security and driver's license numbers, raising alarm among voting rights advocates ahead of the midterm elections.

05/19/2026

In a testimony before the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee, Stacey Abrams criticized efforts to redraw congressional maps that would eliminate the state’s only Black-majority district following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.

Abrams argued the move reflects a broader rollback of Voting Rights Act protections across the South, warning that “rigged maps” silence communities before votes are even cast.

“Democracy is an action,” she said. “One that says I will share my power with those I disagree with because it is the only way to guarantee our common future.”

Her testimony situates the fight over redistricting as part of a larger national debate over representation, power, and the future of multiracial democracy in America.

On May 6, 2026, former Georgia state representative and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams testified before the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee in opposition to the state's

05/18/2026

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act aimed to ensure that diverse communities had political representation. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais threatens to increase the disconnect between the South's growing communities of color and the politicians who are elected due to extreme gerrymandering.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act aimed to ensure that diverse communities had political representation. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais threatens to increase the disconnect between the South's growing communities of color and the politicians who are elected due to extreme g...

05/18/2026

Duke University has left 60 acres of Central Campus land sitting vacant since 2019, in the middle of a growing affordable housing crisis in Durham.

In this new piece, we trace how that inaction isn’t new. From the demolition of Erwin Mills worker housing in the 1960s to years of neglected student apartments and now an empty site with no clear plan, Central Campus reflects a longer pattern of decisions that prioritize institutional interests over community needs.

With housing shortages worsening and community pressure mounting, the question remains: what responsibility does a major landowner like Duke have to the city around it?

Amid an affordable housing crisis, Duke University has let 60 acres of prime campus land languish for years. Advocates say the story of Central Campus reflects the university's history of community neglect.

05/08/2026

Chris Kromm writes that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais may accelerate a new wave of redistricting across the South, reshaping how communities of color are represented in Congress.

As Southern states grow more diverse, Republican-led legislatures are moving to redraw maps that could weaken or eliminate majority-Black districts in states including Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi.

The decision marks another major turning point in the decades-long battle over the Voting Rights Act, with potentially sweeping consequences for Black representation, political power, and democracy in the South.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act aimed to ensure that diverse communities had political representation. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais threatens to increase the disconnect between the South's growing communities of color and the politicians who are elected due to extreme g...

04/30/2026

In light of SCOTUS' new ruling further gutting the Voting Rights Act, we are looking back at our interview with The Brennan Center's Eileen O'Connor on the possible implications of the case.

Here O'Connor talks about the alternatives that might be left if the court chooses to further undermine Section 2.

Read the full transcript or watch the video at the link:

https://www.facingsouth.org/2026/02/louisiana-v-callais-and-future-voting-rights-conversation-eileen-oconnor