We’re calling out goods/bads about the South as a region:
Positives:
Southerners are storytellers
Humor and style
Agrarian connection to land
Rich connection to history
Strong public college system
Natural resources, mountains-beach, etc.
Weather
Strong family connections
Personal relationships
Patriotism
Negatives
Reseparation in schools
Lack of progressive infrastructure
Deeply ingrained acceptance of violence in all forms
Awareness of history begins in 1860, ends in 1865
Lack of technological infrastructure in rural areas
Low tax base
We’re not embarrassed enough about poverty
Lack of commitment to K-12 education
Historical avoidance of talking about “the bad stuff”
General acceptance of low expectations – “Well, we’re a poor state.”
Lack of regional planning