The Chinese-Only Schools of the Jim Crow South
A 1920s court battle over a Chinese American student exposed the complicated racial boundaries of school segregation.
How Kudzu Was Supposed to Save the South
Before it became a notorious invasive plant, kudzu was promoted as a solution to widespread soil erosion.
How the Slave Trade Built Charleston
The city's prosperity grew from a system that trafficked human beings and turned their lives into profit.
Monique Truong and the New Southern Gothic
Truong’s second novel, Bitter in the Mouth, expands the region and the meaning of “the South” in contemporary literature.
Coming Up Kudzu
Employed as a symbol of the American South or used as shorthand for unchecked growth, kudzu has demonstrated a tenacity beyond all imagination.
Early Mexican Immigrants Blurred Color Lines in the Southern U.S.
In the 1920s, Mexican immigrants to the United States challenged the country's notions of who was white and who was not.
The History of the History of American Slavery
In an age when the White House is being asked if slavery was a good or bad thing, perhaps we should take a look at the history of the history of slavery.
The Dangers of Gone With The Wind’s Romantic Vision of the Old South
In October 1944, as the Third Reich began to collapse, a Nazi propaganda organ praised the novel, finding parallels with its Aryan desires.
Automation in the 1940s Cotton Fields
Automation is a bit of a Rorschach test for anyone interested in workers’ rights. In the 1940s, the mechanization of cotton farming changed the US economy.