NC advocates release 'Blueprint' to strengthen democracy

A new report by the Institute for Southern Studies and 19 other state and national organizations outlines a pro-democracy agenda for North Carolina on issues ranging from voting access to combating corruption, protecting court independence, and defending the right to protest.

Read more >

Durham Rising confronts Duke's troubled labor history

A campaign launched this spring is calling on Duke University to raise wages and invest in the city of Durham. Over its history, the elite Southern school has earned a reputation for its hostility to worker activism.

Read more >

Institute Index: One year after Helene

Almost a year after Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida causing historic flooding and displacing more than 200,000 people, the state of recovery is uneven — and the Trump administration's weakening of FEMA is delaying assistance to those who need it.

Read more >

Join us this Friday: What does Duke owe Durham?

Join the Institute and Durham Rising for a talk and discussion with acclaimed urbanist and author Davarian Baldwin on Friday, September 26, from 2-3 p.m. Baldwin will discuss the role of universities like Duke and their responsibilities to the workers and community that support them. The event at Asbury United Methodist Church in Durham is free and open to the public; RSVP here.

Webinar: Our Blueprint for a stronger democracy

Want to learn more about how we can make democracy stronger in North Carolina? Join the Institute and N.C. For The People on Wednesday, October 1, for a webinar about our new Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy 2025 report, featuring experts on issues from voting rights to election funding, money in politics, redistricting, fair courts, and more. RSVP for the webinar here. 

Support an independent voice for change in the South with a donation of $10 or more and receive our newest swag: a free "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" bumper sticker. And if you donate $100 or more, or become a monthly sustainer, you'll receive our organic tote bag also featuring this iconic slogan from the civil rights movement!

The Trump administration is investigating 191 FEMA staff who signed a letter in August warning that the administration’s overhaul of the disaster relief agency is undermining emergency response and endangering the public. (CNN)

After Hurricane Helene caused more than 2,000 landslides, killing 23 people, scientists and others are exploring the lessons about where and how it's safe to live in the mountains. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

Hurricane Katrina's devastation 20 years ago inspired a generation of young activists focused on climate change and confronting environmental injustice. (Teen Vogue)

After being effectively canceled for two cycles, elections for Georgia's Public Service Commission — which regulates gas, electricity, and telecommunications in the state — resume this year, with questions about the equity of the voting process. (Bolts)

After reviewing voter rolls going back to the 1980s, Louisiana's GOP secretary of state concluded that "non-citizens illegally registering or voting is not a systemic problem" in the state. (Brennan Center for Justice)

Amid narratives of rural America's hostility to immigrants, the Daily Yonder's new "Routes to Roots" podcast shares stories about communities breaking down barriers to belonging for their immigrant neighbors. (Daily Yonder)

ProPublica investigates the story of immigrant farmworkers in Georgia who, like many on the decades-old H2A visa program, have found their lives upended by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. (ProPublica)

VIDEO: Historian William P. Jones looks at the largely forgotten economic demands of the 1963 March on Washington and the key role of labor in the civil rights movement. (Center for Economic and Policy Research)