Gulf States Newsroom
Remembering Margaret Walker 50 years later, as her groundbreaking poetry festival returns to Jackson
A conversation with author Maryemma Graham on her biography of Walker, famed novelist and professor who created the Phillis Wheatley Festival in 1973.
Place, Erased: How a drowned Alabama town still holds lessons 60 years later
Some southern towns have been erased by environmental disasters — whether natural or man-made. One Alabama town offers lessons on the hidden cost of progress.
At the Magic City Classic, what you wear is just as important as who you cheer for
For many, the annual game between HBCU rivals Alabama A&M and Alabama State is about more than football. It’s a chance to connect and celebrate Black culture.
The Gulf South looks to ‘charge up’ its economy with electric vehicles
While some believe electric vehicles could lead to a southern manufacturing renaissance, workers and experts caution that it must be done carefully.
At Huntingdon College, Alabama’s 1st NCAA women’s wrestling team is ready to roll
Players, coaches and school officials hope Huntingdon's women's wrestling program can serve as a blueprint to continue the sport's growth in the South.
The Gulf South’s record heat brought another pain for residents — higher power bills
This summer’s high temperatures also brought higher utility bills. The spike caused some, like Christopher Bogan, to make tough choices with their budget.
Book bans are on the rise in the Gulf South. Here’s what’s being challenged in Alabama
Efforts to ban books believed to be inappropriate for children and teens have seen a sharp uptick recently, but some libraries and bookstores are fighting back.
Alabama finally has a new congressional map after a lengthy legal fight
After a high-profile legal fight, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday picked a map that will be used when Alabamians cast their 2024 vote.
How Gulf South outdoor workers dealt with the hottest August on record
With no federal or state guidelines regarding extreme heat, outdoor workers and employers in the Gulf South are coming up with their own methods for protection.
6 months later, Mississippi communities hit by March tornado fear they’ve been abandoned
As national attention wanes and volunteers head to other disasters, residents of Rolling Fork and nearby Silver City have been left to recover on their own.
Q&A: Author of ‘Rocket Men’ details how Black quarterbacks helped move the NFL forward
John Eisenberg talks with the Gulf States Newsroom about the Black quarterbacks who helped change the NFL, as well as the players who never got the chance.
Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat
Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.
Birmingham residents reflect on 60th anniversary of church bombing
We spoke with several residents on Friday, asking for their reflections on the 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Birmingham students take trip back in time for lesson on 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The event, which centered around Christopher Paul Curtis’ novel “The Watsons Go to Birmingham,” was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the attack.
A ‘catastrophic’ loss: Severe heat puts a heavy strain on rural farmers in the Gulf South
For one family of farmers in Louisiana, this year’s record-breaking extreme heat is taking a toll on both their crops and their health.
In fight to remove divisive New Orleans highway, activists turn to new strategy — an EPA study
The Claiborne Avenue Alliance hopes a study on the health impacts caused by the expressway will support efforts to remediate and potentially remove the highway.
She looked for help after her power bill doubled. But aid for utilities often falls short
Dolabriel Curry-Hurst’s January power bill in Alabama jumped above $700 — more than twice of what she owed the previous year.
Gulf South’s ‘Hot Labor Summer’ is heating up heading into the fall
The seven strikes in the region signify a slow-growing labor movement that gained momentum in 2021.
Parents, students deal with record-breaking heat at the start of football season
This has been a record-breaking summer across the country and particularly in the Gulf South in August. Several cities between Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama shattered their all-time high temperature records.
A medical equipment company is trying to turn the tide on the Gulf South’s ‘diaper divide’
Aeroflow Healthcare has been pushing state lawmakers to end sales tax on necessary items such as diapers, breast pumps and other incontinence products.
Alabama argues its new standards — not SCOTUS order — should dictate congressional map redraw
Lawyers for the state defended Alabama’s new congressional map before a panel of judges who previously ruled the 2021 map violated the Voting Rights Act.
As the peak of hurricane season nears, Southwest Louisiana is still recovering from 2020 storms
Three years after Hurricanes Laura and Delta, Lake Charles residents are anxious about the chances of a new storm.
7 cases of tuberculosis found in 4 Alabama chicken processing plants
Alabama state health officials are asking workers in the region’s poultry industry and their close contacts to get screened for TB after the outbreak.
As infertility rates rise, data shows much of the US lives in a ‘fertility desert’
Factors like the cost of treatment, the location of clinics and a lack of specialized doctors have contributed to the lack of care across the country.
EPA wants to reject Alabama’s coal ash program; says it is not protective enough
The EPA’s proposed denial claims Alabama’s proposed standards are too lax and don’t meet federal guidelines under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
An Alabama family’s water bill tripled after moving just outside of city limits. Here’s why
Rural water customers typically pay more for the same water that city residents use. Some residents, like Jason Clayton, believe the upcharge is unfair.
Residents near Louisiana Dow plant are skeptical after explosion: ‘You can’t trust them’
Dow Chemical says the air quality at a plant in Louisiana is safe following a July 14 explosion, but nearby residents remain skeptical based on past incidents.
How Mississippi historians are preserving Emmett Till’s and Mamie Till-Mobley’s story
A national monument for Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley has put a spotlight on the work Mississippi historians have been doing to keep the story alive.
Emmett Till is being memorialized with 3 national monuments. Here’s where they’ll be located
President Joe Biden is expected to officially recognize two locations in Mississippi to honor Till’s life and death on what would have been his 82nd birthday.
WATCH: A discussion on what’s behind the spread of dollar stores with the Gulf States Newsroom
Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's virtual listening session and discussion on Stephan Bisaha's series on The Dollar Store Takeover.
North Birmingham’s Bluestone Coke plant issued warning for Clean Water Act violations
The industrial plant has 60 days to clean up contaminated water in Five Mile Creek before it faces a federal lawsuit, local environmental groups warn.
Elder Black farmers in Mississippi seek a new generation to continue their legacy
Black farmers in Mississippi are aging. Now, they’re connecting with next-gen farmers to keep their ancestral practices of sustainable farming alive.
