Chris Kromm, Executive Director of the Institute for Southern Studies, gave this interactive training on the Southeast at the 2012 Learning Institute. He provided key data on the important changes in the Southern landscape and engage them in strategic conversations about why those changes also matter to the rest of the country. Watch/listen to more presentations, http://www.publicinterestprojects.org/research-reports/learning-institute-2012/

1. AS THE SOUTH GOES
Chris Kromm, Institute for Southern Studies
Public Interest Projects Donor Learning Institute
September 27-28, 2012

3. “You can‟t understand [the South]. You would
have to be born there.”
— William Faulkner
“I‟m Southern, and I know neurotic behavior.”
— Faye Dunaway
“We are all magicians. We created the mystery
of the South and we can dissolve it.”
— Howard Zinn
"Stop talking about the South. Long as you‟re
south of the Canadian border, you’re in the South.”
— Malcolm X

9. 90%+ 75%+ 45%+
Is your community in the South?

10. 11
13
17

14. 13

15. The Growing South

16. +8
Winners and Losers: Congressional
Seats

18. SOUTHERN
32%
NON-
SOUTHERN
68%
Share of Electoral College

19. 2012 Conventions Go South

20. 4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
TOTAL POPULATION CHANGE
1,500,000 MIGRATION
1,000,000
500,000
0
Newcomers fuel growth

21. States with Fastest Latino/Hispanic
Growth, 2000-2010
Growing Latino communities

22. Map 3: Metro Areas with Fastest Growing Hispanic Populations, 2000-2010
Hispanic growth rate shown in parentheses after metro name. Circles are colored according to the Mexican
contribution to Hispanic growth: >50% <50%
Greenville (145%)
Scranton (376%)
Knoxville (208%)
Indianapolis (161%)
Louisville (158%) Richmond (161%)
Nashville (156%) Raleigh (152%)
Charlotte (153%)
Little Rock (165%) Columbia (151%)
Birmingham (161%) Charleston (173%)
Chattanooga (163%)
Cape Coral (170%)
Source: Author's analysis of 2000 and 2010 decennial census data
Latino communities fuel urban growth
Map 4: Metro Areas with Fastest Growing Asian Populations, 2000-2010
Asian growth percentage shown in parentheses after metro name. Circles are colored according to the Indian
contribution to Asian growth: >25% <25%

23. 2000-2010
Growth in Total Latino Percent of State
STATE
Latino Eligible Voters Electorate
Electorate
Texas 38% 4,376,000 24.80%
Florida 66% 2,100,000 16.80%
Georgia 181% 194,000 2.90%
North Carolina 117% 182,000 2.80%
Louisiana 34% 67,000 2.50%
Virginia 76% 254,000 2.20%
South Carolina -2% 45,000 1.60%
Arkansas 200% 48,000 1.50%
Missisippi -58% 8,000 1.20%
Tennessee 177% 72,000 1.10%
Alabama 333% 20,000 0.90%
Tennessee 177% 72,000 1.10%
West Virginia 0% 5,000 0.30%
The growing Southern Latino electorate

24. The Black Belt

25. 9 10 11 Dallas, TX 941,695
10 7 5 Los Angeles, CA 859,086
Black Change,
Change Rank Metro Area Name* 2000-2010
FG G
G9 , AAG9
1 1 Atlanta, GA 473,493
2 5 Dallas, TX 233,890
3 7 Houston, TX 214,928
4 3 Miami, FL 191,658
5 4 Washington, DC 155,648
6 15 Charlotte, NC 121,523
7 11 Orlando, FL 100,605
8 8 Philadelphia, PA 93,161
9 16 Minneapolis, MN 83,464
10 28 Phoenix, AZ 80,318
Source: Author’s analysis of 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial census data
*Metro area names abbreviated
African-American urban growth
list of the metro areas with the largest black populations over time shows the re-ascendance of the
th (Table 3, top panel). New York continued to hold its top ranking due to its long history as a magnet

26. Map 4: Metro Areas with Fastest Growing Asian Populations, 2000-2010
Asian growth percentage shown in parentheses after metro name. Circles are colored according to the Indian
contribution to Asian growth: >25% <25%
Scranton (94%)
Indianapolis (103%)
Richmond (89%)
Las Vegas (133%) Raleigh (129%)
Riverside (89%)
Charlotte (103%)
Phoenix (105%)
Austin (87%)
San Antonio (89%) Lakeland (116%) Orlando (90%)
Bradenton (108%)
Cape Coral (149%)
McAllen (122%)
Source: Author's analysis of 2000 and 2010 decennial census data
Asian-American community growth
B BROOKINGS August 2011

27. Majority People of Color counties

29. Majority People of Color counties –
age 65 and older

30. Majority People of Color counties –
age 18 to 34

31. Majority People of Color counties –
age 1 and under

32. The growing urban South

33. … but still a big rural presence

34. Urban vs. Rural: N.C. Anti-Gay
Marriage Amendment

35. POLITICAL POWER
EMERGING SOUTHERN MAJORITY

36. The war on voting

37. STATE ESTIMATED VOTERS PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
WITHOUT ID MARGIN 2008
N. Carolina 460,000 14,177
S. Carolina 178,175 172,447
Tennessee 216,596 391,741
Texas 600,000 950,695
The impact of photo ID laws

38. Congressional plans

39. State legislative plans

40. 50% of people of color in the state
are packed into:
 3 of 13 Congressional districts (23%)
 10 of 50 state Senate districts (20%)
 25 of 120 state House districts (21%)
North Carolina

41. “[The 2011 Texas redistricting plan violated the Voting
Rights Act by] diminishing the ability of citizens of the
United States, on account of race, color, or membership in
a language minority group, to elect their preferred
candidates of choice … The only explanation Texas offers
for this pattern is „coincidence.‟ But if this was
coincidence, it was a striking one indeed.”
— U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas B. Griffith, August 2012
Texas

42. Anti-immigrant legislation

47. 3 Art Pope groups =
75% of all outside
money flowing into
N.C. state legislative
races in 2010, giving
Republicans 10-to-1
money advantage
Associated Press, November 3, 2010

48. Right to work (for less) states

49. STATE % IN UNION
North Carolina 2.9
South Carolina 3.4
Georgia 3.9
Arkansas 4.2
Louisiana 4.5
Tennessee 4.6
Virginia 4.6
Mississippi 5.0
South Dakota 5.1
Texas 5.2
Florida 6.3
Kentucky 8.9
Alabama 10.0
West Virginia 13.8
States with lowest union density

50. The poverty belt

51. 13
12
10 9
2 5 8
4 1
7
The South behind bars

52. Percent of ex-felons disenfranchised

53. Percent of African-American ex-felons disenfranchised

54. What’s our Southern Strategy?

55. CHRIS KROMM
Executive Director/Publisher
chris@southernstudies.org
@chriskromm
INSTITUTE FOR SOUTHERN STUDIES
www.southernstudies.org
FACING SOUTH WEEKLY UPDATE
facingsouth@southernstudies.org
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