41 States, 19 Countries: Thank You for Reading 13th & South
Just one month after revamping my independent platform, 13th & South is being read in more places than I could’ve ever imagined.
I can’t lie…the last few days have left me speechless. In just one month since revamping this space, the outpouring of love and support has meant so much. I recently learned that 13th and South is now being read in 41 U.S. states and 19 countries — and I couldn’t be more full.
13th and South was born out of a need to speak up, for our voices and stories. And remind people the South has something to say, too. And we’ve got so much work to do.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading and sharing this little Southern platform. I am truly grateful.
May at the Crossroads of Memory and Power
As we step into May, the South finds itself — time and again, fighting for our rights and refusing to settle for anything less.
In Alabama, a federal initiative addressing long-standing sewage issues in Lowndes County — a predominantly Black area — has been terminated. The program, which sought to rectify failing sanitation systems that have plagued residents for decades, was dismissed by the Trump administration as an “illegal DEI” initiative. Meanwhile, in Florida, the death of Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, while in ICE custody at the Broward Transitional Center, has raised serious concerns. And in Louisiana, the Justice Department has ended a decades-old school desegregation order — claiming the mandate is no longer needed.
But as always, the South’s got something to say — so let’s hear it.
Until next time — stay rooted and stay rising.
What’s Going on in the South
Alabama: Trump shut down a $26 million federal program to end human waste backing into the state’s homes, where residents have dealt with sewage systems for decades, calling it “illegal DEI.’ A family is asking for answers after their 4-year-old daughter ingested ethanol at school. And a Black man in Alabama, whose family said had a history of mental illness, has died over a week after being shocked with a stun gun during arrest.
Arkansas: The city of Little Rock and the LRSD are asking for donations to pay off $174,121.89 of school lunch debt.
Florida: A 44-year-old Haitian woman, Marie Ange Blaise, has died in ICE custody — lawmakers are demanding answers. And a Black man in Port Orange, FL, has been arrested for threatening to shoot President Donald Trump.
Georgia: Kennesaw State University, a college with a 25% Black student population, deactivated its Black Studies program amid DEI cuts. And the state is being sued over a recently passed law requiring parental consent for children under 16 to use social media.
Kentucky: Brandon Graves, a Black fifth-grade teacher in Louisville, is teaching his students the value of writing and producing early at the school’s podcasting club.
Louisiana: The Justice Department has ended a decades-old school desegregation order in the state, officials calling it a “historical wrong.” And Flau’jae Johnson’s choice to stay at LSU instead of entering the WBNA draft has reportedly strengthened the players' union’s bargaining power during CBA negotiations.
Mississippi: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a Black man’s case on death row, accused of killing 8 people in 2017. And the breakout hit ‘Sinners’ is set in Clarksdale, where there is currently no theater. However, locals are asking for a screening.
North Carolina: A local news station in Greensboro spoke with their city’s civil rights center to get clarity on the rumor around the historic lunch counter potentially being removed from the Smithsonian in D.C. And five people at North Carolina Central University, an HBCU in Durham, were arrested during a student-led protest over housing conditions.
South Carolina: Jerrius Davis, an 18-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by police in Myrtle Beach. And South Carolina coach Dawn Staley calls out Geno Auriemma for remarks about wanting a statue of A’ja Wilson.
Tennessee: A historic Black church in downtown Memphis that was the organizing point for Martin Luther King Jr.'s final campaign in 1968 caught fire last week and suffered significant damage. And a cybercrime investigator testified that a former Memphis police officer charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols took a photo of Nichols as he sat on the ground, propped up against a police car and struggling with serious injuries.
Texas: A Haitian migrant couple who came to the state legally have been told that they need to leave immediately. And Rep. Jasmine Crockett sets sights on running for the party’s top Oversight Committee position, saying she’s “made for the moment.”
Virginia: Virginia State University, an HBCU in Petersburg, has released new information on last week’s campus shooting that left one man shot and one injured. Meanwhile, a watchdog report found that the Hampton (a city with a 52% Black population) veteran affairs staff is overworked and stretched thin. And Black GOP candidate for state governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, handwrote a note on a bill implying that she’s opposed to same sex marriage.
West Virginia: A recent report by Suzuki Law found that West Virginia’s recidivism rate ranks among the lowest in the nation.
Honorable Features: ICYMI
Some dope people took the time to speak with me last month, including Dr. Kesha Blain on Black women and legacy, Dr. Umoja on Southern Black memory, and Delvin Davis from the Southern Poverty Law Center on the impact of Black Judges on Black youth. Please check them out below, and please share!
It Isn’t Radical—It’s Necessary: Dr. Umoja on Southern Black Resistance
And Beyond: Dr. Keisha N. Blain on the Fight to Preserve Black Women’s Legacy
Second Chances on the Bench: How Black Judges Are Fighting for Black Youth
I hope 13th & South serves as a resource for advocacy, awareness, and change. I value your stories and feedback, and invite your perspectives to contribute to future issues. Please email me at editor@13thandsouth.com. Also, feel free to connect with me on my socials! LinkedIn, Twitter, IG, BlueSky, and Threads.