The New South

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the south over the past few months, particularly in booming southern cities like Raleigh Durham, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Houston — as well as smaller but somewhat resurgent places such as Charleston and Chattanooga. And I must say, I invariably come away feeling energised and optimistic in a way that I very often don’t when I’m on the coasts. Business is booming, downtowns are vibrant, universities are flourishing and even public services and infrastructure seem to be improving.

Part of this reflects post-pandemic demographics and economics. Warmer southern cities saw an influx of people and business, while old line cities such as New York and San Francisco have suffered. I took my son to see the College of Charleston recently, and as we were taking the tour through what must be one of the most beautiful campuses in the country he asked, “What’s that smell?” I answered: “Jasmine.” And he paused and said, “Our street smells like weed.” Too true. At least in my part of Brooklyn I don’t see people shooting up in broad daylight the way you do around Union Square in San Francisco.

But I digress. The south has plenty of well-publicised problems, from racism to anti-unionism to a strange affinity for child labour (I’m talking to you, Arkansas and Texas). Those things get written about plenty. But the good things don’t so much, and I think that this might reflect a bit of wilful blindness on the part of a largely coastal media.

The “New South” is a term that’s been used since the post-Civil War era to describe an aspirational south that wanted to move beyond its antebellum past and step into a more economically and socially vibrant future. It has struggled to meet that goal, but today it’s hard to deny that America’s future, good or bad, lies in the south. Not only will some of the big political battles of the future be waged here, but much of the future growth is likely to be here. Already the region is home to many of the world’s largest companies including Walmart, Bank of America, Lowe’s, and newer high-growth companies such as Tesla. Many others, both US and foreign, are boosting jobs here, particularly in the North Carolina research triangle area. Much of the stimulus coming from the Biden administration will be distributed into southern states, such as South Carolina and Georgia, which will benefit from a burgeoning electric vehicle industry.

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Will this shift the politics of the region? That is my question to you Ed (I’m also curious if you’ve spent much time in the south and if so, what your favourite area is?). I understand from Democratic politico friends that it’s harder to make gains in the Bible Belt than in libertarian red states like, say, Wyoming, with small populations that will vote more straightforwardly around economic interests as opposed to cultural concerns. People in Wyoming want subsidies for their power plants. People in Mississippi want God.

That said, Georgia is already purple, in part because of cities like Atlanta which have a thriving black middle class, and are becoming global cultural capitals with all of the outside influences that entails (I was interested that United Talent Agency recently launched an art hub in Atlanta). Nashville has some of that vibe to me — but maybe I’m being unfairly influenced by the fact that I am writing this note in the Nashville airport, where I have a choice of listening to a variety of live music ranging from blues to country. If only LaGuardia would take a page from their book!

To be honest, I have some pro-south bias, because my mother is from Chattanooga and my family grew up spending vacation time in North and South Carolina. These places have changed a lot from when I was a kid. I still remember vividly walking from my grandmother’s church in Chattanooga to her house and seeing a black family step off the pavement and into the street to walk around us. It made me feel ill, then and now.

The popularity of Donald Trump in many southern states tells us there is still work to be done. And yet, I can’t help but feel hopeful that all the growth will change things here. I hope so, because I wouldn’t mind spending more time below the Mason-Dixon Line. The people are nice, the food is great, and the housing is (still) cheaper.

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Edward Luce responds

Rana, I’ve spent much less time in the south than in every other part of the US: the east coast, obviously, the Midwest, and the mountain west and west coast are all far more familiar to me than the south, particularly the Deep South. Which is a great pity. Partly that is because of the political calendar. I’ve visited Iowa more times than I care to mention, and have at least touched on most of its 99 counties. I enjoy New Hampshire more than Iowa because of the state’s slightly ornery spirit and the charm of some of its small towns. Moreover, the parts of the south that I have visited the most are either not really the south, or would qualify as liberal enclaves within it. Florida, which I’ve visited a lot, is technically part of the south but I never really think of it as such, partly because Miami is such a unique city. I’ve also visited Austin, San Antonio, College Station, Houston and Dallas and made the obligatory pilgrimage to New Orleans (and nursed the obligatory hangover on the way back). But I intend to rectify my relative lack of southern exposure at every opportunity.

As regards the south’s changing political character, unfortunately it isn’t changing fast enough. Florida is no longer a swing state, Texas continually threatens to turn into one but never quite gets there, and states such as Louisiana and Mississippi will only turn purple after hell freezes over. Georgia, as you say, is an exception to that picture, as is North Carolina. I am delighted that Joe Biden has switched the Democratic primary calendar to put South Carolina first because Charleston is one of my favourite places, as is Savannah. But then everyone is a sucker for those historic jewels. When I do finally make it to Chattanooga I will get your tips before I go.

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And now a word from our Swampians . . .

In response to “The rise and fall of Ron DeSantis”:

“Is that what passes for political smarts these days . . . dreaming up nick names? . . . The normalisation of Trump’s awful behaviour is something to be called out not wryly acknowledged. America surely deserves better!” — Reader atlante