Headlights: Voices from The Progressive South

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  Announcing Our Newsletter 17.08.2026 2мин

  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 43мин

  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 31мин

  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 30мин

  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 28мин

  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 30мин

  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 31мин

  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 41мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 56: Pride in Arkansas 08.06.2026 41мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 55: The Young, Gifted, and Green 01.06.2026 50мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org  (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 54: The Leftists of Texas 25.05.2026 49мин

  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  jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 53: The Memphis Massacre 18.05.2026 51мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org  (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 52: Inside the Evangelical Right 04.05.2026 54мин

   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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 51: The Trans Panic Continues 27.04.2026 17мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 50: The Legacy of Nonviolence 20.04.2026 58мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org
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  Ep. 49: Who Are the Young Democrats? 13.04.2026 54мин

  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 jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 48: Update 04/06/2026 06.04.2026 2мин

  Hey there. This is Jesse, I just wanted to check in and let you know there's not a new episode of Headlights this week, because I'm recovering from what I think is technically called some seasonal crud. But a lot has happened this past week, so I have a good selection of links and stories in the show notes to call to your attention, including: — A library director in Rutherford County, Tennessee, was fired by her library board for refusing to move more than 100 books from the children's section of the library to the adult section. Many of the books had LGBTQ themes. — President Trump unveiled renderings for his planned "presidential library" in Miami, which looks like it would become the tallest building on the city's skyline. Of course, library is probably the wrong name for this pricey vanity project. In a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, "I don't believe in building libraries or museums. Could be [an] office, but it's most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath and a 747 Air Force One in the lobby." And a MAGA merch store, no doubt. — And some follow-up on our discussion the other month of high electricity rates in Alabama. The state Legislature did pass some changes in how the state regulates its Public Service Commission, expanding the number of members on the board and giving the governor more power in appointing them. It freezes rates at current levels until 2029. However, what it did NOT do is mandate public hearings on rate increases. It creates the possibility of them, but only if the commission WANTS to hold them. So, not much of a step forward for transparency or public input.  You can find links to those in the show notes, and — lord willin' and the creek don't rise — we'll be back with a full episode next week. Take care! SHOW NOTES: "Tennessee librarian is fired for refusing to move over 100 LGBTQ books from children's to adult section" NBC News  "What to know about Trump's future presidential library, which he says may be a hotel" NPR  "Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill giving governor more control over PSC" Alabama Reflector  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 47: El Paso at the Crossroads 30.03.2026 40мин

  SYNOPSIS: El Paso is a city at multiple borders — not only between countries, but cultures, languages, and histories. This week we talk to journalist Jazmine Ulloa, an El Paso native whose new book about her hometown dives into more a century of its history. Following the stories of five families, she traces the ways El Paso and the United States have been shaped by successive waves of migration and the never-ending fight over who belongs and who doesn't. Also: Dems flip two more seats, this time in Florida; Louisiana forces the 10 Commandments into every classroom in the state; and two anti-LGBTQ bills die (for now, anyway) in the Tennessee Legislature. Plus, a look at Little Rock's unusual purse museum and what it says about women's history. NOTE: Due to an editing snafu, a few sentences were cut from the start of the discussion of laws mandating the posting of the 10 Commandments in public schools. Please see the Show Notes for the missing text. SHOW NOTES:  Here's the missing text from the 10 Commandments discussion: Posting the 10 Commandments in public spaces has been a popular rallying point for Christian conservatives for decades. Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore was famously ousted from office in 2003 for refusing to remove a large sculpture of the Old Testament edicts that he had had installed in the rotunda of the court building. Federal judges ruled that Moore's sculpture violated the constitutional separation of church and state. But successive waves of conservative appointments to the federal bench and especially the U.S. Supreme Court have shifted the landscape for religious expression by public entities, with rulings in several cases broadening the legal scope of what's allowed.  "El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory" Jazmine Ulloa  "Florida Democrats flip two seats in special legislative elections" Florida Phoenix  "New Democrat representing Trump's district says he's just 'one of 180K constituents' she will serve" Florida Phoenix  "Full List of Seats Democrats Have Flipped Since Trump Returned to Power" Newsweek "What to Know About the Push to Display the Ten Commandments in Classes" The New York Times  "Court permanently blocks Arkansas Ten Commandments law" Americans United for Separation of Church and State  ESSE Purse Museum CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org  (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 46: The Air in Cancer Alley 23.03.2026 47мин

  SYNOPSIS: Everyone knows the air around Louisiana's Cancer Alley is bad. But how bad? And what's actually in it? That's what two scientists at Johns Hopkins University set out to understand. Their work so far has shown the air in the communities around massive petrochemical plants has as much as 10 times higher levels of toxins than was previously known. This week, we talk to Peter DeCarlo and Keeve Nachman about their findings and the technology they used to do the research. In the news: Florida sheriffs call for a different approach on immigration enforcement; several Southern legislators fan anti-Muslim bigotry; and a data dashboard illustrates the economic impacts of gun violence in Tennessee. Plus: the Big Ears Festival returns to Knoxville. SHOW NOTES: "Scientists Uncover the Truth in Cancer Alley" The YEARS Project  "Florida Sheriffs rebel against Trump's, DeSantis' mass deportation efforts" Florida Phoenix  "Sheriff Judd answers questions about Immigration Enforcement Council" Polk County Sheriff  "Islam in the United States" Wikipedia  "Tuberville shares social media post suggesting Muslims are 'the enemy'" Politico  "'Unabashed bigotry': GOP's Tuberville sparks backlash with anti-Muslim messages" MS NOW  "'It Doesn't Need to Be Here': The Right Vilifies a Muslim School in Alabama" The New York Times  "Doug Jones calls Tommy Tuberville's anti-Muslim rhetoric 'vile'" Alabama Reflector  "Nashville leaders demand Rep. Ogles resign after he calls for deportation of all Muslims" Nashville NewsChannel 5  "House GOP leadership silent as more members post anti-Muslim statements" NPR  Tennessee Firearm Fatality Dashboard The University of Tennessee Voices for a Safer Tennessee  Big Ears Festival  The Pilot Light  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764
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  Ep. 45: A Stand for Georgia Immigrants 16.03.2026 41мин

  SYNOPSIS: As minority whip for the Georgia state Senate Democrats, Senator Kim Jackson helped lead the fight in this session for a package of bills aimed at reining in aggressive immigration enforcement in the state. Republicans have blocked them, but this week Jesse talks to Jackson about the proposals and the public outcry that led to them. She also talked about her perspective and role as an Episcopal priest, a farmer, and a queer person of color in the Legislature. Also: Overt racism and ethno-nationalism are surging on the right. We take a look at leaked chat messages from young conservatives in Miami, the popularity among young Florida voters of far-right gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, and the efforts by the Texas-based Center for Baptist Leadership to push the Southern Baptist Convention into full embrace of white Christian nationalism. Plus: A preview of upcoming shows in Texas by Ballet Leplanta, which fuses classical ballet with Mexican folkloríco. SHOW NOTES: State Sen. Kim Jackson "'Nazi heaven': Inside Miami campus Republicans' racist group chat" Miami Herald  "'I love Hitler': Leaked messages expose Young Republicans' racist chat" Politico  "Remember the hateful Young Republicans group chat? It's the tip of the iceberg." Eli Thompson, USA Today  "I Went to Florida to See the 31-Year-Old Candidate Thrilling Gen Z. We're in Trouble." Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times "SBC influencer William Wolfe wants an America of white people" Rick Pidcock, Baptist News Edinburg Dance Theatre  Ballet Nepantla Tour CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764