Levine Museum of the New South (Charlotte, NC) presents an original scripted non-fiction storytelling podcast hosted by journalist Kevin Blackistone and professor of history Robert Greene II who set out to discover the historical background on key societal issues in the South, providing a framework to understand the path forward. The show investigates how we got here, fostering conversations with changemakers seeking to make a difference in the South in order to educate, and provide an opportunity for understanding to inform our collective future.
Our New South - Season 3 - Bonus Episode - Dimple Ajmera: Data Centers and Community Response
Charlotte City Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera shares her journey and discusses balancing AI growth with environmental commitments in Southern cities with hosts Kevin Blackistone and Dr. Robert Greene II.
24 Mar 2026
Our New South - Season 3 - Episode 10 - Eddie Glaude, Jr.: Mississippi and America's Soul
Scholar, author, and Princeton University professor Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. joins Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II on this episode of Our New South to explore the region as a moral metaphor for the United States. Glaude shares stories of his hardworking parents, the pivotal role Morehouse College played in his intellectual journey, and how writing about James Baldwin forced him to finally reckon with his own complex relationship to the South.
Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University and a familiar face as a regular contributor on MSNBC's Morning Joe. He is the bestselling author of several essential texts, including Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and his latest call to action, We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For. He also serves on the board of Deep South Today, a non-profit network of local newsrooms dedicated to preserving investigative journalism in his home state and beyond.
Links:
Read Dr. Glaude's book We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674737600
Read Dr. Glaude's book Begin Again: James Baldwin's America: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575725/begin-again-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/
Learn more about Deep South Today: https://deepsouthtoday.org/
Donate to support this podcast! https://museumofthenewsouth.kindful.com/
Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South: https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Mar 2026
Our New South - Season 3 - Episode 9 - Doug Jones: Courage and Democracy
Former Senator Doug Jones joins Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II for a special live event hosted by Levine Museum of the New South, where he reflects on prosecuting the 16th Street Baptist Church bombers, his historic 2017 Senate victory, and his vision for an Alabama that resembles a "crowded table" where everyone belongs.
Recorded in front of a live audience at the historic Carolina Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina, this conversation explores how the experience of growing up in a segregated steel town near Birmingham shaped Doug Jones, his political ambitions and eventual pursuit of justice. He also discusses the importance of bipartisanship and why he defines the "New South" not by its skyscrapers, but by the courageous, post-Jim Crow leaders who reached across racial lines.
Currently running for governor of Alabama, Jones is the author of Bending Toward Justice, a book about his time as a lawyer and prosecutor. As U.S. Attorney, he famously prosecuted Eric Rudolph, the Centennial Olympic bomber, as well as the two Ku Klux Klan members responsible for the tragic 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. He also served as a U.S. Senator and remains the last Democrat to win a statewide office in Alabama. In that role, he demonstrated a profound commitment to bipartisanship by successfully passing over two dozen pieces of legislation into law with Republican co-sponsors. Sharing his ongoing fight for equality and voting rights, he urges younger generations to get out of their political corners.
Links
Learn more about Doug Jones: https://www.dougjones.com/
Purchase Doug Jones' Memoir "Bending Toward Justice": https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250316462/bendingtowardjustice/
Donate to support this podcast! https://museumofthenewsouth.kindful.com/
Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South: https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inside a recent episode
Our New South - Season 3 - Bonus Episode - Dimple Ajmera: Data Centers and Community Response
Published 29 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] The data center debate has ramifications for local, state, and national politics, reflecting an outcry from citizens across the nation. Concern over data centers has been felt in the rural, suburban, and urban sounds. In just the year 2026 alone, places as disparate as Orangeburg, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have seen citizens push for moratoriums on data center construction. In many ways, the fight over data centers embodies much of the current version of the New South. The environment, the small-D democratic voice of the people, and real concerns about the future of the region all coming together in this one critical issue. […]
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