Our New South

In this week’s episode of Our New South, hosts Kevin Blackistone and Dr. Robert Green II discuss the changing tide of religious expression in today’s South, and how factors such as immigration and the rise of atheism have altered the traditional idea of the South as being a region dominated by Christianity.  Our guests on today’s episode are Dr. Anthony Pinn, a noted religious scholar and Professor at Rice University in Houston, Texas, who will speak about the growing diversity of religions in the South today, and how many Southerners, including a large number of African Americans, are becoming more and more religiously unaffiliated. Also, Reverend Patricia Mathews, an Episcopal Priest based in Little Rock, Arkansas, who serves as the Executive Director of the Interfaith Center, speaks about the power of interfaith dialogue among leaders of diverse religious communities in the South, and how these interactions have helped to foster greater religious respect and tolerance across the South. Dr. Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning in Houston, Texas. Reverend Patricia Mathews is an Assistant Rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Center, where the group’s mission is to “reduce the fear and prejudice among the people of the world’s religions.”

In this week’s episode of Our New South, hosts Kevin Blackistone and Dr. Robert Green II discuss the influence that Historically Black Colleges and Universities have had on the South, and their impact today. Our guests on today’s episode are Dr. Walter Kimbrough, one of the nation’s most distinguished HBCU Presidents, who speaks about the current state of HBCUs during this historic period of increased enrollment and funding; and why more young students of all colors are choosing to attend HBCUs over Predominately White Institutions. Also, Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College in Atlanta, and Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, speaks about the vast diversity of young women attending Spelman today, and the school’s mission to educate and inspire future leaders. Dr. Walter Kimbrough, nationally known as “The Hip Hop Prez,” is currently the Interim President of Talladega College, an HBCU located in Talladega, Alabama. Dr. Kimbrough formerly served as President of both Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Cynthia Spence is a lifelong Atlanta native who graduated from Spelman and has served the school in multiple capacities throughout her distinguished career. As the Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, she has been influential in creating programs to help United Negro College Fund students obtain doctorate degrees and become future faculty members at UNCF institutions. Donate to support this podcast! Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South here.

In this episode of Our New South, Kevin Blackistone and Dr. Robert Greene II discuss the censorship of education in the South with Amanda Jones, a small-town, Louisiana librarian and self-proclaimed, "accidental activist," who became a nationally recognized figure due to her fight against censorship in Louisiana schools; and Robert Cassanello, a tenured professor of History at the University of Central Florida who took on the state of Florida in their fight against the teaching of critical race theory in state-funded schools. Amanda Jones is the author of the national bestseller 'That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America', which is part memoir, part manifesto, the story of a small-town Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity. Robert Cassanello, is an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida. He is the author of To Render Invisible: Jim Crow and Public Life in New South Jacksonville. He has co-edited two books Florida's Working-Class Past: Current Perspectives on Labor, Race, and Gender from Spanish Florida to the New Immigration (with Melanie Shell-Weiss) and Migration and the Transformation of the Southern Workplace since 1945 (with Colin J. Davis). He produced film documentaries The Committee and Filthy Dreamers, and the public history podcast series A History of Central Florida, the Florida Historical Quarterly Podcast and The Art of the Review. Donate to support this podcast! Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South here.

In the Season 2 premiere of Our New South, cohosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss food with Aarón Sanchez, an award-winning chef, TV personality, author, philanthropist, and Chefs Greg & Subrina Collier, owners of multiple restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina. Aarón Sanchez is a judge on Masterchef and Masterchef Junior. He is the host and executive producer of El Toque De Aarón on Discovery Familia and Hogar de HGTV. He is a third generation cookbook author and has also written a memoir called 'Where I Come From: Life Lessons From A Latino Chef.' He cohosts a podcast with his mom, Zarela Martinez, called 'Cooking in Mexican From A to Z', and is the Chef/Partner of Restaurants Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans. Last but not least, he is the founder of The Aarón Sanchez Impact Fund, a non profit program whose mission is to uplift the lives of latino youth through food. Greg & Subrina Collier are chefs and restauranteurs from Memphis, Tennessee. They are the owners of Uptown Yolk, Leah & Louise, and 3rd & Fernwood in Charlotte, North Carolina. They created the Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival. Greg Collier is a 3-time James Beard Award-nominee, and a semi-finalist. Donate to support this podcast! Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South here.

On Season 2 of Our New South, cohosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II explore the complexities of the many Souths that make up today’s New South. The series highlights opportunities and challenges that different communities face, diving into censorship and healthcare, tourism and religion, struggles for rights and resources, and the global reverberations of New South culture.  Donate to support this podcast! Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South here.

On the final episode of the season of 'Our New South', co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss environmental justice with DeLesslin "Roo" George-Warren, a Special Projects Coordinator for the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project, and Dominique Burkhardt, a senior attorney at Earthjustice. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

On this episode of 'Our New South', co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss Southern cities' approach to business and sports with Kieth Cockrell, President of Bank of America Charlotte and Head of Sports Sponsorships, Omar Jorge, CEO of Compare Foods Supermarkets and Chairman of Aurora Grocery Group, as well as Clayton Trutor, the author of Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta-and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

On this episode of 'Our New South', co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss education and equality with Congressman Bobby Scott, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Arthur Griffin, as well as social impact strategist and former Charlotte resident Decker Ngongang. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

On this episode of 'Our New South', show hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II celebrate Women's History Month discussing the preservation of history and culture in the South through poetry and fiction with three exceptional writers. Jesmyn Ward, a novelist and professor of English at Tulane University, is a two-time winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, and was named a MacArthur Genius Fellow in 2017. Beth Ann Fennelly, a professor at the University of Mississippi, was the Poet Laureate of Mississippi from 2016-2021, and in 2020, she was named an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow. Nikky Finney, a professor at the University of South Carolina and a Chancellor of the American Academy of Poets, and was recently appointed the Executive Director of the newly launched Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center in Columbia, South Carolina, a 21st century arts and cultural center named for her father. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

'Our New South' co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss the legacy of discriminatory policies which have displaced and disenfranchised communities in the South with Lori Thomas, the Executive Director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and Charlotte Regional Data Trust, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Arthur Griffin, and Maurice Robinson, Assistant Professor of History/Political Science at Alabama State University. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

On this episode of Our New South, co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss the power of elections and voting in the South with former South Carolina House Representative Bakari Sellers, the President & CEO of the NAACP Derrick Johnson, and Aimy Steele, Executive Director of The New North Carolina Project. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

On this episode of Our New South, co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss how we preserve history and culture in the South with Stewart Gray, the Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, Robin Waites, Executive Director of Historic Columbia based in South Carolina, Kevin Mitchell, Chefscholar at The Culinary Institute of Charleston, and Charlotte-based musician Harvey Cummings II. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

In this episode, Our New South hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II discuss immigration in the South with Sil Ganzò, the Founder and Executive Director of Charlotte-based non-profit ourBRIDGE for Kids, Colton Bane, the Immigrant Justice Program Director at Community Legal Center in Memphis, Tennessee, and Daniel Valdez, the Chief External Affairs Officer at Welcoming America which is based in Decatur, Georgia.  At the conclusion of the episode, we hear comments from Tressie McMillan Cottom, professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, New York Times columnist, and 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Follow her work at tressiemc.com. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

In this episode of 'Our New South', co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II speak with Sherri Chisolm, the Executive Director of Leading on Opportunity in Charlotte, North Carolina, about The Chetty Report and her work to level the playing field on social and economic mobility and the recent migration of people of color back to the south. We also welcome Brian Straessle, Executive Director of The Sycamore Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss the challenges Southern cities have faced with respect to economic opportunity, and the work they are doing illuminate the issue, and rectify it in Tennessee and beyond.  At the conclusion of the episode, we hear the wise words of Arthur Griffin who serves on the Board of Mecklenberg County Commissioners, and is the former Chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, as well as Lori Thomas, who is the Executive Director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and Charlotte Regional Data Trust. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. The series is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

In the premiere episode of 'Our New South', co-hosts Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II speak with Tressie McMillan Cottom, professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, New York Times columnist, and 2020 MacArthur Fellow, about the concept of the "New South" and why she keeps her eyes on the South as an indicator of where the nation is heading. Follow her work at tressiemc.com. At the conclusion of the episode, we hear the words of poet Nikky Finney who is the author of On Wings Made of Gauze; Rice; The World Is Round; and Head Off & Split, which won the National Book Award for Poetry in 2011. Finney is Carolina Distinguished Professor at USC in Columbia where she is also Director of the Ernest A. Finney Jr. Cultural Arts Center. 'Our New South' is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South with thanks to the generous support of The Knight Foundation. 'Our New South' is produced by Next Chapter Podcasts, written and produced by Byron Hunter. The editor and sound designer is Kyle Murdock. The technical producer is Brian Douglas. Executive producers are Franky Abbott and Jeremiah Tittle. Special thanks to Levine team members Alexander Piñeres, Karen Sutton, and Cliff Whitfield. Please follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Learn more at ncpodcasts.com/ournewsouth and museumofthenewsouth.org/digital/our-new-south-podcast

This podcast series hosted by veteran journalist Kevin Blackistone and Professor of History at Claflin University Robert Greene II offers a unique look at the evolution of the New South and how historic Southern cities, including Charlotte, North Carolina, are confronting complex issues facing communities across the South and nationwide, ranging from equity in education and immigration to civil rights, racial equality, and socioeconomic mobility. The New South podcast series features inspiring stories and conversations that provide listeners with unique perspectives on how Southern cities are addressing these challenging issues by highlighting their historical roots in addition to providing direction for the future. ABOUT LEVINE MUSEUM OF THE NEW SOUTH: The “Our New South” podcast series is presented by the Levine Museum of the New South (LMNS), which, for over 30 years, has sought to confront some of the most difficult issues facing New South cities today by examining them from a historical context that deepens understanding, fosters empathy, and inspires action toward a better future. This podcast series was made possible by the generous support of the Knight Foundation. Kevin Blackistone is a longtime national sports columnist now at The Washington Post, a panelist on ESPN’s "Around the Horn," a professor of journalism at the University of Maryland, an occasional contributor to NPR and PBS, co-producer and co-writer of "Imagining the Indian," an award-winning 2022 documentary on the history of and fight against mascoting Native Americans, and co-author of "A Gift for Ron," a memoir by former NFL star Everson Walls published in November 2009 that details his kidney donation to onetime teammate Ron Springs. Robert Greene II is an Assistant Professor of History at Claflin University. He is also the Publications Chair of the Society of U.S. Intellectual Historians and the incoming President of the African American Intellectual History Society. Dr. Greene II has written extensively on the South, Black history and memory, and political history for publications such as Oxford American, The Nation, Dissent, Scalawag, and Jacobin, among others. Dr. Greene II is co-editor, along with Dr. Tyler D. Parry, of the edited volume "Invisible No More: The African American Experience at the University of South Carolina," and he is currently at work on a book titled "The Newest South: African Americans and the Democratic Party, 1964-2000" about the relationship between Democratic Party leaders in the South and African American voters.