Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Editor's Picks
Editor's PicksList

5 Reasons Why Black People May Be Happier in the South

Posted byBy Curtis Bunn | Published on: CommentsComments (3)

African American FamilyQuality of Life

Generally speaking, the cost of living in the South is notably less expensive than elsewhere, especially the North and West. From housing to gas prices to parking, the rates are lower and, therefore, make it more attractive to the person seeking to maximize his/her income. Of the top 10 highest housing markets in the United States, as profiled by the Huffington Post, not one was from a state in the South. “People move not only for economic incentives but also to pursue dreams and escape nightmares,” says Michael Barone, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and author of “Shaping Our Nation: How Surges of Migration Transformed America and Its Politics.” “The South, with its widespread rising prosperity, seems to be less of a nightmare.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top