Headlights: Voices from The Progressive South

Jaksot

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  Ep. 61: Teaching South Carolina's Real History 14.09.2026 41min

  SYNOPSIS: With the teaching of American history — particularly its racial history — under assault from the Trump administration and conservative state governments across the South, the Modjeska Simkins School in South Carolina is a community-based model for carrying that work forward outside the bounds of state-controlled curriculums. This week, we talk to history professor Dr. Robert Greene, the school's lead instructor, about what it does — and how you can learn from it. Also: ICE detentions continue to soar across the South; the impact of SNAP cuts on Southern states; and Trump's misbegotten Dallas "convention." Plus, a look at this weekend's Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival. SHOW NOTES: Modjeska Simkins School  'Our New South' Podcast Deportation Data Project UC Berkeley and UCLA  TRAC Reports: Immigration "Mourning Those Who Have Died in ICE Custody" National Immigration Project  "Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration" KFF  "A family seeks answers about a young ICE detainee's untimely death" NBC News  "SNAP Tracker: People Are Losing Food Assistance as the Harmful 2025 Republican Reconciliation Law Is Implemented" Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  "A Plague Has Descended Upon Dallas" Lone Star Left  "Trump Show Day 1: A Poorly-Attended, Culty Snoozefest, And More" Progress Texas  "Texas Latinos Are Turning Against Republican Party" Newsweek Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 60: The Big Tech Backlash 07.09.2026 57min

  SYNOPSIS: Something remarkable has happened over the past 18 months across the U.S. and especially across the South: a mounting backlash against the explosion of data centers, surveillance cameras, and so-called artificial intelligence. This week, we talk to Tim Cywinski of the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, who has been leading the fight against data centers in the state that has become their epicenter. Also: The bipartisan push to "get the Flock out," and efforts to put some guardrails around AI. And a remembrance of the beloved Kentucky writer, conservationist and farmer Wendell Berry. SHOW NOTES: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter "Unconstrained Demand: Virginia's Data Center Expansion and Its Impacts" Sierra Club Virginia Chapter  U.S. AI Law Tracker Orrick "The IJ Database of ALPR Abuse" Institute for Justice "Texas and Florida Step Back from ALPRs" Electronic Frontier Foundation "Lawmakers added $1 to Texans' car insurance policies. That money paid for thousands of Flock cameras." The Texas Tribune "Cities terminate Flock contracts at record pace in August" ArsTechnica "Data Center Moratoriums by State: Tracker and Statistics" Programs "Kentucky writer, farmer and advocate Wendell Berry dies at 92" Kentucky Lantern "The Peace of Wild Things" Wendell Berry  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 59: The Southern War on Academic Freedom 31.08.2026 52min

  SYNOPSIS: Classes are back in session at colleges and universities across the South, and in many conservative-dominated states students and faculty are returning to increasingly tense cultural war zones. This week, we talk to Teresa Klein, president of the Texas chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The group has filed lawsuits against two Texas public university systems over restrictions on what can be taught and how. "People are afraid," Klein says. We also look at Tennessee's erosion of academic freedom, a Texas professor denied tenure for no obvious reason except that he studies immigration enforcement, and — in better news — a Florida judge's injunction against Gov. Ron DeSantis' "Stop WOKE Act." Plus: A tribute to the late great Dolly Parton, and what she meant to the LGBTQ community in particular. SHOW NOTES: Texas AAUP "'Positively dystopian': Florida judge blocks DeSantis' anti-woke law for colleges" Politico "Pernell v. Lamb: Opinion Affirming Preliminary Injunction" North Florida U.S. District Judge Mark Walker "New law changes University of Tennessee professors' tenure protections" Knoxville News-Sentinel "'I am very pleased with the outcome' | UT reaches tentative $1.9M settlement with professor fired over Charlie Kirk comments" WBIR TV "Dare to Obey? Censorship and the Attack on Tenure in Texas" Iván Chaar López, PEN America "Dolly Parton as a Gay Icon" Wikipedia CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 58: Blue Ballots in Red States 24.08.2026 24min

  SYNOPSIS:  We return from our summer hiatus with a look at some fascinating local and state races in recent weeks in Florida and Tennessee. Democrats in both states flipped multiple seats at local levels across both states this month, and took control of some major school boards. It's been a bad set of results for one group in particular — the Florida-based right-wing activist organization Moms for Liberty. We also take a look at progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon's surprising win in Florida's Democratic primary for state Senate. Plus: The Sidewalk Film Festival returns to Birmingham, Ala. SHOW NOTES: "Ron DeSantis, Moms for Liberty reshaped Sarasota school politics. Voters just gave them the boot" Florida Politics   "Moms for Liberty co-founder faces calls for resignation from school board amid sex scandal" ABC News "The Pendulum Swings: Moms For Liberty Demolished on Primary Night" Equality Florida "Florida voters deliver wins for LGBTQ+ candidates and losses for Moms for Liberty" The Advocate "Orange School Board: Angie Gallo and Democrat-backed candidates have big night" Florida Politics "Headlights Ep. 8: Watering the Roots" The Progressive South   "Democrats flip GOP Jacksonville City Council seat in Special Election, get boost ahead of 2027 elections" Florida Politics "Democrats Flip Knox County School Board" Compass "'They have to come to us now': Democrats flip 4 seats, win majority in County Commission" Clarksville Now "DNC launches effort to gain ground across the South" Gray Media   Sidewalk Film Festival "Take a look inside the new Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema" AL.com 
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  Announcing Our Newsletter 17.08.2026 2min

  Our podcast, Headlights: Voices From the Progressive South has been on a summer hiatus while we've been working on other projects. We will be returning next week, with a look at interesting electoral indicators across the South from the past few months. In the meantime, we are preparing to launch our new newsletter. It will include links and more information about the issues discussed in the podcast, as well as other news and events across the South. You can get ahead of the curve by signing up now to receive it in your inbox. It's free, like all of our content. All you need is an email address. You can find a link to the sign-up form on our website.  Because we are a mission-driven nonprofit, you can rest assured that we will not sell or otherwise use your information for any nefarious purposes except to communicate with you directly. I'll be back with a full episode of Headlights next week. Talk to you then!
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  Headlights Archives 6: Steve Smith 10.08.2026 43min

  SYNOPSIS: This week, we're featuring an archive interview from 2025 with Steve Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. The nonprofit organization advocates for reduced carbon emissions and increased renewable energy across the Southeast. We talked about the Trump administration's embrace of fossil fuels and the growing energy demand from data centers. SHOW NOTES: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy 
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  Headlights Archives 5: Dom Kelly 03.08.2026 31min

  SYNOPSIS: In this archive interview, we talk with Dom Kelly, president and CEO of a nonprofit called New Disabled South, which works for equality and access for people with disabilities. Dom is a fascinating guy with a background in advocacy, music, and politics, and he has a lot of smart things to say about the barriers that remain throughout society — and especially throughout the South. SHOW NOTES: New Disabled South
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  Headlights Archives 4: Andrew Otazo 27.07.2026 30min

  SYNOPSIS: In this archive interview, we talk to Cuban-American writer Andrew Otazo about the historical, cultural and political mythologies and realities of his native Miami. Find out why he calls it a city built by and for grifters. SHOW NOTES: The Miami Creation Myth Andrew Otazo 
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  Headlights Archives 3: Tessa Petit 20.07.2026 28min

  Synopsis: In this archive interview, we talk to Tessa Petit of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which fights on behalf of the estimated 5 million foreign-born residents of the Sunshine State. SHOW NOTES: Florida Immigrant Coalition 
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  Headlights Archives 2: Gwen Frisbie-Fulton 13.07.2026 30min

  SYNOPSIS: In this archive interview, we talk to North Carolina writer Gwen Frisbie-Fulton about the stories she finds in small towns and rural areas — and what her vision is of "a better South." SHOW NOTES: Working Class Storytelling 
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  Headlights Archives 1: Kevin Kruse 06.07.2026 31min

  SYNOPSIS: In this interview from the archives, we talk to Princeton historian Kevin Kruse about the arc of Southern conservative politics since the end of the Civil Rights Movement — and how they're aiming to roll back the gains of the 1960s, and even the 1860s. SHOW NOTES: Campaign Trails  Kevin Kruse 
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  Ep. 57: Covering Queer Kentucky 15.06.2026 41min

  SYNOPSIS: All states have queer people, but not all states have a statewide news outlet dedicated to telling their stories. That makes QueerKentucky stand out. The nonprofit LGBTQ newsroom covers state politics and issues, as well as culture and health. This week's conversation is with Executive Director Missy Spears, who talks about trying to reach and reflect queer communities from Louisville to Paducah. Also: Auburn ditches its faculty senate, Georgia tries to turn Democrats "nonpartisan," and North Carolina sees a big health insurance decline. Plus, it's FestivalSouth time in Hattiesburg. SHOW NOTES: QueerKentucky  "Auburn Board Takes Full Curricular Control, Dissolves Faculty Senate" Inside Higher Ed  "District attorney challenges new Georgia law that removes party labels in Atlanta-area elections" Associated Press  "Lost your ACA coverage in North Carolina? You're not alone" NCLocal  "More Texans have signed up for ACA health coverage despite expiring subsidies and falling national enrollment" Texas Tribune  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 56: Pride in Arkansas 08.06.2026 41min

  SYNOPSIS: It's another fraught Pride Month in the South, where LGBTQ rights remain under attack from conservative lawmakers. This week we talk to Dolores Wilk of Central Arkansas Pride about their advocacy for the state's queer population, and the importance of visibility — including a Pride celebration right in front of the state Capitol Building. Also: The Supreme Court lets Alabama go back to marginalizing Black voters; the troubled history of a for-profit immigrant detention center in Louisiana; and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger disappoints the state's cannabis industry. Plus, a look at gay Florida playwright Matthew Lopez, and a current production of his work in Jacksonville. SHOW NOTES: Central Arkansas Pride  "Norman Jones" Encyclopedia of Arkansas  "Supreme Court's Alabama redistricting ruling marks brazen reversal of its previous stance" Democracy Docket  "Sanitation, use-of-force transparency lacking at Winnfield ICE facility, inspection finds" Louisiana Illuminator  "Migrants detained at ICE facilities launch hunger strikes to protest conditions" Stateline  "My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard" Shane Bauer, Mother Jones  "ICE detention is growing in the South. This state was the first." USA Today  "Record-Setting $7 Million Settlement Caps LaSalle's Legacy at Texarkana Jail" Prison Legal News  "Louisiana jury awards more than $40 million to family of man who died in privately-run jail" Associated Press  "Another year, another Va. retail cannabis market veto leaves businesses, the public with few options" Virginia Mercury  The Legend of Georgia McBride The 5 & Dime Theatre Co. CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 55: The Young, Gifted, and Green 01.06.2026 50min

  SYNOPSIS:  LaTricea Adams learned about environmental racism first-hand, growing up in Memphis and seeing the differences between Black and white neighborhoods. She now leads Young, Gifted and Green, a nonprofit that trains young people in organizing and environmental justice. In this week's interview, she talks about how the water crisis in Flint, Mich., turned her into an activist — and how resistance to data centers across the country is creating new alliances across regions and races. Also: Right-wing redistricting momentum sputters in South Carolina and Alabama; what Ken Paxton's primary win means in Texas; and why New Orleans is tired of hearing about its impending doom. And in our arts and culture segment, we pay tribute to the great transgender fantasy artist and Atlanta native Jeffrey Catherine Jones. SHOW NOTES: Young, Gifted and Green "Federal judges block Alabama's use of 2023 congressional map" Alabama Reflector "Effort to redraw SC voting lines fails amid record start to early voting" South Carolina Daily Gazette "Tala-freak-o vs. Ken the Criminal: Texas candidates sharpen attacks as U.S. Senate race locks in" The Texas Tribune "Ken Paxton has amassed millions of dollars while in public office" Texas Public Radio "'Point of no return': New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds" The Guardian "Why The Guardian's new article about New Orleans feels like 'a modern day redlining of an entire city.'" The Lens "Mayor Helena Moreno: New Orleans is not in retreat, and that viral study doesn't tell our story" NOLA.com ""Point of No Return?": A Conversation About Sea Level Rise and the Future of New Orleans" The Lens  "'Roots' Returns to School Libraries" Compass  "Jeffrey Catherine Jones: An Appreciation" Longbox of Darkness  "Jeffrey Catherine Jones: A Life Lived Deeply" The Comics Journal CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected]  (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 54: The Leftists of Texas 25.05.2026 49min

  SYNOPSIS: Texas conservatives like to cultivate an image of the state as a frontier of rugged individualism and unbridled capitalism. But it is also the land of the Cowboy Strike and the Texas People's Party, a contested terrain with an often overlooked history of radical politics. That's what writer and Austin native David Griscom brings to light in his new book, The Myth of Red Texas. This week, we talk to him about some of the stories he uncovered — and the lessons they provide for the state's present and future. Also: The latest on the post-Callais redistricting frenzy across the South; the federal prosecution of the Southern Poverty Law Center; and a Tennessee school system bans Alex Haley's Roots. Plus: Georgia artist Amy Sherald brings her exhibition American Sublime to Atlanta, after withdrawing it fro the politicized National Portrait Gallery.  SHOW NOTES: The Myth of Red Texas David Griscom  David Griscom bio "Supreme Court halts order for Alabama to use US House map with 2 largely Black districts" Associated Press "Tuberville casts doubt on Alabama redistricting" The Hill "US Supreme Court Reverses Mississippi Redistricting Order That Led to End of GOP Supermajority" Mississippi Free Press "South Carolina governor calls for a special session on redistricting" NBC News "South Carolina House backs congressional map favoring GOP but bill faces a more skeptical Senate" Associated Press "Federal Grand Jury Charges Southern Poverty Law Center for Wire Fraud, False Statements, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering" U.S. Department of Justice "Headlights, Episode 8: Watering the Roots"  "SPLC Files Motions Arguing Trump Administration Officials Made False Statements Related to Informant Program" Southern Poverty Law Center  "The Politically Motivated Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center" Lawfare "Tennessee school district bans Alex Haley's Roots under 2022 state law" The Guardian "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" High Museum of Art  "Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship" The New York Times  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark  [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 53: The Memphis Massacre 18.05.2026 51min

  SYNOPSIS: When the all-white Republican supermajority in the Tennessee Legislature carved up Memphis into three congressional districts during the first week of May, they insisted that race had nothing to do with it. But when it comes to Memphis, race always matters. This week, we listen to the voices raised in protest during Tennessee's rapid-fire special session, and put them in the context of the long and often ugly history of the state's treatment of its largest Black-majority city. From violence by white mobs after the Civil War to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. to the ongoing occupation of city streets by National Guard troops, Memphis has always been on the front lines of attempts to build Black political power — and to knock it down. SHOW NOTES: "Tennessee redistricting debate marked by fiery oratory about Black struggles for voting rights" Tennessee Lookout  "Tennessee lawmakers vote to replace failed Achievement School District turnaround program" Chalkbeat Tennessee  "Tennessee House passes Shelby County district attorney removal bill" Tennessee Lookout  "Students on Tennessee vouchers are underperforming, state audit finds" WPLN "How a large-scale effort to register black voters led to a crackdown in Tennessee" The Washington Post  The Equity Alliance  People's Grocery lynchings Wikipedia  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected]  (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 52: Inside the Evangelical Right 04.05.2026 54min

   SYNOPSIS: The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week in the Callais case is likely to lead to a major loss of Black representation across the South. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry immediately suspended the state's pending congressional primaries to redraw its maps. Other Republican officials in states including Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia are calling for reducing or eliminating their Black-majority districts. This week we look at the ruling and its implications. Our interview is with South Carolina writer Rick Pidcock, who grew up in the conservative evangelical movement and has become an astute observer and critic of it. As a columnist for Baptist News, he has been raising alarms about the ongoing growth of Christian nationalism. Plus: A look at this weekend's inaugural Latido Festival in San Antonio, a celebration of Tex-Mex music and culture. SHOW NOTES: "Exiles in Christendom" Rick Pidcock  "The Supreme Court has all but killed the law that helped kill Jim Crow" Stacey Abrams, MS NOW  "Statement on SCOTUS Decision in Louisiana v. Callais" U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures  "Virginia voters back redistricting amendment after months of legal and political battles" Virginia Mercury  "'Rigging a system:' Legal challenges expected, advocacy groups respond to redistricting approval" Florida Phoenix  "Louisiana governor postpones U.S. House primary elections after Supreme Court ruling" Louisiana Illuminator  "TN GOP discussing eliminating the state's only Democratic-held U.S. House seat" Tennessee Lookout  "Mississippi Official Calls to Eliminate State's Only Majority Black House District After Voting Rights Ruling" Mississippi Free Press  The Latido Festival San Antonio  "The Evolution of Música Norteña: A Cultural Journey" Texas State Historical Association  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 51: The Trans Panic Continues 27.04.2026 17min

  SYNOPSIS: Another year, another cluster of hateful anti-transgender bills proposed in our state legislatures. This week, we round up some of the worst laws passed this spring in Southern states to further bully and harass trans people. In states like Tennessee and Georgia, this year's bills are no longer only aiming at issues like sports and bathroom access, but are aiming directly at the presence — or even the mention — of trans people altogether. In happier news, we also check in on this weekend's Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival in Louisiana. SHOW NOTES: Trans Legislation Tracker translegislation.com  "Tennessee Republicans advance flurry of bills to make life unlivable for transgender people" The Advocate  "Mississippi lawmakers pass bill changing driver's license gender identification requirements" WAPT  Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival  "Crawfish, Cajuns, and Native Americans: The History of Crawfish Season in South Louisiana" KPEL  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 50: The Legacy of Nonviolence 20.04.2026 58min

  SYNOPSIS: Nonviolent resistance was the core strategy of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s, and its chief architect alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was another pastor, Rev. James Lawson Jr. Like King, he studied the success of Gandhi's anti-colonial resistance in India, and he answered King's call to teach its precepts to thousands of young African-Americans in the South. Lawson died in 2024, but a new memoir — Nonviolent — gives vivid dimension to his life and his ideals. This week, we talk to the book's co-author, writer and journalist Emily Yellin, who knew Lawson for most of her life and worked closely with him on the text. She says Lawson never stopped fighting for justice, over the years taking on causes including the rights of women, LGBTQ people, and Palestinians, among others. Also: We look Elon Musk's expanding corporate footprint across the South — a Tesla factory is draining Austin's drought-depleted aquifer, xAI data centers in Mississippi and Memphis are threatening the local air and water, and his Boring Company is punching a hole in Nashville's limestone despite the opposition of local residents. Plus, a preview of this weekend's MerleFest celebration of roots music in Wilkesboro, N.C. SHOW NOTES: Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love Rev. James Lawson Jr. and Emily Yellin  1,300 Men: Memphis Strike '68  "Tesla's Gigafactory water use surges in Austin as new chip plant looms" Texas Tribune  "New Aquifer leader talks future of district and Stage 4 drought" KXAN, Austin  "Water plan killed at Elon Musk's massive Memphis data center, billions of gallons now needed" The Cool Down  "'A different set of rules': Thermal drone footage shows Musk's AI power plant flouting clean air regulations" Floodlight  "NAACP Sues xAI for Illegal Pollution from Data Center Power Plant" Earthjustice  Music City Loop The Boring Company  "How TN Republican lawmakers insulated Musk's Boring Company tunnel in Nashville from local officials" Tennessee Lookout  MerleFest  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected]
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  Ep. 49: Who Are the Young Democrats? 13.04.2026 54min

  SYNOPSIS: The Democratic Party has an identity problem with voters nationwide, and especially in the South. But a rising wave of young party activists is seeking to bring new energy and ideas into some of the most conservative areas of the country — like Knox County, Tennessee, which has been sending Republicans to Congress since the Civil War. This week, Jesse talks to Solomon Trapp and Julia Kaye, two organizers of a new Young Democrats chapter in the county. They say there is a hunger among younger Southerners for alternatives to prevailing political powers, which aren't addressing their needs. Also: Curriculum fights across the South. Texas reshapes its social studies standards to emphasize the state's accomplishments and downplay less admirable parts of its history. Florida's war on sociology. And in Virginia, some tensions about how to teach the events of January 6th. Plus: A look at the Arkansas Folk Festival, marking its 64th year this weekend. SHOW NOTES:  "Texas students urge education board to focus on inclusion over politics in social studies overhaul" The Texas Tribune  "Texas is changing its social studies curriculum. Critics say it's too state-centric" KUT News  "Hey State Board of Education, what's the rush?" Texas Freedom Network  "Sociology no longer a general education course at Florida universities" Florida Phoenix  "Bill to require factual teaching about U.S. Capitol attack clears Va. General Assembly" Virginia Mercury  "HB 333" Virginia General Assembly "Letter Urges Gov. Spanberger to Veto VA Bill Limiting Teaching About January 6" PEN America 64th Annual Arkansas Folk Festival  "A Brief History of the Arkansas Folk Festival" Lyon College CONTACT:  Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764