Pandemic to Prosperity: South

FOREWORD

Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, Vice President, Fair Count

Dr. Sarah Beth Gehl, Research Director, The Southern Economic Advancement Projec-t

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. The resulting report, which follows, highlights stark realities:

Health Insurance. As this report notes, before the pandemic struck, roughly 18% of working-age adults in seven Southern states lacked health insurance because those states had failed to adopt Medicaid Expansion. The Southern states that have not expanded Medicaid have the most failing rural hospitals.1 Study after study shows that expanding Medicaid works for bringing down costs, expanding mental health access, and saving mothers.2,3,4,5  It’s not too late for these seven states to join the majority of US states that have expanded Medicaid and draw down billions of federal dollars into healthcare systems.

Vaccines. At least five Southern states are lagging the nation in vaccine distribution, and data gaps may be partly to blame. Reports out of Virginia and Alabama explain that data collection problems are actually hampering the states’ ability to receive more vaccinations from the CDC.6,7 To ensure equitable vaccine distribution, data is needed to inform prioritization of vulnerable communities for services such as Covid testing, vaccination sites and community health navigators such as those deployed in North Carolina to help people figure out the system.8,9 

Economic relief. Since the pandemic struck, the South has lost 1.3 million jobs. In December, nearly 15% of Southern adults reported their household had gone hungry. Southerners need sustained direct relief until this pandemic is over. With new leadership in Washington, substantial federal dollars may soon flow into states and communities. But if our state and local systems aren’t up to the task of distributing benefits on a larger scale, those supports will not reach the people they are intended to help.

Revenue shortfalls. Every Southern state that has completed projections is anticipating tax revenue shortfalls, with 4 states projecting a 10% reduction for this year.  Some Southern states are considering dramatic tax changes, such as eliminating income tax, which could further weaken their revenue systems. Resulting cuts in state budgets will threaten investments in education, public health, broadband, and labor departments. We must figure out ways to preserve—and even strengthen, rebuild, and modernize—our public systems if we are going to meet this moment and the next moment, whether it's another recession, another tornado or hurricane, or another pandemic. 

Spending accountability. Given revenue shortfalls, federal fiscal relief will likely be needed to support state and local government budgets. When this arrives, we also need to hold state and local governments accountable for how the funding is spent. 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 of stimulus. One city in Georgia funded rental assistance, hazard pay, child care, and internet access.10 Another city in Georgia spent all of its proceeds on its police department.11 Both had about 1 in 3 residents living in poverty before the pandemic. Civic engagement will be more important than ever in ensuring  federal dollars are used to the greatest impact.

2020 Census. As the South struggles to recover from the Covid crises, accurate census data will be essential to securing our fair share of federal resources. But as this report reveals, self-response rates in Southern states lagged many Northern and Mountain states and the lasting impact from the pandemic, politicization, and natural disasters on the ultimate quality of the census is still unknown. It will be up to civic organizations and community partners across the South to double-down on efforts to ensure that the distribution of political power and resources based on the 2020 Census takes into account any inequities in the data. 

Information access. Across the South, over 1 in 10 people lack internet access, and ⅔ of all counties are news deserts. To increase connectivity, Fair Count installed 160 internet hubs across Georgia, allowing people to complete their census, attend job fairs, register to vote, and apply for ballots.12 These hubs contributed to the many efforts that increased ballots cast by over 800,000, and they will be critical for ongoing recovery efforts. Where local newspapers exist, we will partner with them to ensure citizens get the information they need to recover and thrive. 

Political representation. During the upcoming redistricting process, Covid recovery can serve as a launching point to discuss representation and why historically the same populations—namely those of color—have had representation ripped from them. Moreover, we can drive conversations about how the power of communities choosing their elected officials, rather than politicians choosing their constituents, will be critical in bringing real recovery policy, resources, and efforts to the areas most in need. 

Policy infrastructure. Finally, we are lifting up the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) as a priority that can help one of the most impoverished regions in the country—the Black Belt. We believe that the SCRC is an infrastructure that can mirror the Appalachian Regional Commission, and use this state-federal partnership to tackle additional challenges such as climate, rural broadband, rural health care, and rural child care. 

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.

View all archived reports.