Pandemic to Prosperity: South

FOREWORD

Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, Vice President, Fair Count

Dr. Sarah Beth Gehl, Research Director, The Southern Economic Advancement Project

A civic ecosystem has been burgeoning for decades in the South, and it now offers an opportunity to turn the tragedy of this pandemic into an opportunity to build prosperity and progress for all. Data and civic engagement will be critical as we chart the path forward. In 2019, Stacey Abrams founded the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) to lift up policies that address particular vulnerabilities in the South such as underfunded public health infrastructure, thin protections for workers, and weak supports for the unemployed, families, and children. That same year, Abrams founded Fair Count to achieve a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census while strengthening pathways to continued civic participation. Together, SEAP and Fair Count commissioned the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) to examine data documenting the state of the South during the pandemic.

Evidence shows that communities need a surge of support in order to beat the Covid-19 pandemic and create the foundation for equitable recovery. In the 1st edition of Pandemic to Prosperity: South, released in January 2021, we saw stark realities of where the South lags the nation in health insurance, food security, Census response rates, information access, and more. This 2nd edition of Pandemic to Prosperity: South shows continued stress among many of those indicators, as well as new data on school attendance, vaccine uptake, internet access by income, personal income per capita, and PPP loans. 

Vaccines. The South lags the nation in the share of people who are vaccinated or plan to be by 4 percentage points. Stakeholders from every sector should coordinate on targeted, evidence-based campaigns to increase vaccine uptake. Fair Count and SEAP launched the Road to Recovery: Count Me In campaign in Southwest Georgia to pilot a strategy that uses Get Out the Vote (GOTV) tactics  and the community organizing  infrastructure built during the 2020 Census to engage hard-to-reach communities. The strategies include local and regional tele-townhalls, text and phone banking campaigns, digital surveys, and coordination with faith leaders, local elected officials, and medical professionals to increase access to both vaccines and information.

Employment and training. The South now has 1.8 million fewer jobs, and many of those that come back are going to be radically changed. Now is the time to reimagine job training for the many industries where digital transformation has accelerated during the pandemic. Nationwide, women lost 23% more jobs than men, and mothers of young children were more likely than women without children to leave their jobs when the pandemic hit. We must ensure schools and caregiving organizations have the supports needed, so women can return to the workforce and narrow the gender employment gap. 

Education. As school systems across the South prepare to end the year and get ready for the Fall, the impacts of the pandemic on students must be at the forefront. For Southern 8th graders enrolled in remote public schooling, early indicators reveal concerning disparities in attendance for students who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, or living with disabilities. This points to an immediate need to surge staffing and intensive tutoring programs to re-engage students over the summer.

Digital divide and small businesses. More than 1 in 10 people lack a computer or internet access in each Southern state. Counties in the Mississippi River basin had among the lowest rates of broadband subscriptions. And Southern small businesses may be missing out on forgivable loans. Every Southern state except Louisiana has so far received lower than average forgivable PPP loans per capita in 2021. Federal funds are available, and we need to make sure Southern businesses and communities receive the support they need. It is vital that we track federal funds to ensure broadband programs, small business credits, support for impacted industries, and infrastructure improvements go to the most vulnerable communities.

Data infrastructure. We know that what you measure influences what you do. We must bolster systems tracking Covid tests and monitoring for variants, as well as vaccine uptake so that demographic data on small areas can be used to improve test/vaccine deployment and outreach campaigns. Further, we need to double down on standards and mandatory reporting of educational metrics so children do not fall through the cracks. 

Civic engagement and spending accountability. $350 Billion in new federal relief will flow soon to state and local governments. One important question to ask at this moment is: How did your community spend the CARES Act funds they received last year? That’s a good indication of what might happen in the next round. One city in Georgia funded rental assistance, hazard pay, childcare, and internet access.1 Another city in Georgia spent all of its proceeds on its police department.2 Both had about 1 in 3 residents living in poverty. Civic engagement will be more important than ever to ensure federal dollars are used to the greatest impact.

The South is a vital region and this pandemic is worsening our existing challenges and deepening our inequities. Now, it is our time to stand together and move from pandemic to prosperity.

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