The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People

The American South has experienced remarkable change over the past half century. Black voter registration has increased, the region’s politics have shifted from one-party Democratic to the near-domination of the Republican Party, and in-migration has increased its population manyfold. At the same time, many outward signs of regional distinctiveness have faded — chain restaurants have replaced mom-and-pop diners, and the interstate highway system connects the region to the rest of the countr...