DIGGIN' THE
STIGMA
Overview
The rural South is a fascinating and unique region with rich history, culture and sense of community. Dig through the layers below to explore this region beyond the stigma surrounding it and discover its often overlooked assets.
Ethics
This page aims to challenge negative stereotypes about the rural South by presenting its often overlooked positive aspects; however, this comes with its own ethical considerations. Any portrayal of a region as large and diverse as the rural South will generalize to some extent, and the choice of the stories to present can never be fully without bias. To address this, this page makes it clear when the stories featured are specific to an area to avoid portraying the rural South as a homogenous region. It is also crucial to remember that this page's content chosen to present the rural South in a positive light; however, this does not mean that this region is not facing any problems. The aim of this page is to begin to address the stereotypically negative portrayal of the region, not to diminish any issues faced by its communities.
Citations
rsi
the gilliard family
The rural South’s fascinating stories are nevertheless not limited to the past, despite its common portrayal as a dying region. In fact, there are many stories of its current residents taking advantage of the regions’ rich history and cultural practices. Such is the case of the Gilliard family, owners of the Gilliard farms in Brunswick, GA. They grow a variety of crops, including mint, aloe, lavender, Persian limes and Santa Rosa plums, using regenerative organic practices that have been passed down for generations. The Gilliard family is a Gullah-Geechee family who first gained ownership of their land in the 1870s through Jupiter Gilliard. He was a formerly enslaved person who accumulated 474 acres of land in a freedmen community.
The current generation is the seventh of the family to own the land, and they received the designation of Centennial Family Farm from the state, only the tenth Black farm to be awarded this. Their land’s long history can be seen throughout, including a school from the 1900s that remains on their property (Powell-Ingabire). The Gilliard farm is a living example that the rural South is more than just a fascinating history, as it grows and progresses due to its unique culture.
Figure 9: (Pearson. "The Union")
Figure 10: (Pearson. "Moss")
Community and Culture
The rural South has many positive, though often overlooked aspects; however, central to these is the South’s unique culture and community. Southern culture can include many aspects, from traditional Southern dishes such as cornbread and Brunswick stew (which are also officially recognized as Georgia's state foods)(Gruener), to the rich musical heritage of the region spanning genres including country, bluegrass, and gospel (Rogers). While the rural South also boasts this culinary and musical history, its culture additionally includes the welcoming nature of its communities. This draws many people who move away to cities to later return, according to some return migrants; “you don’t realize it till you leave here and come back just how quiet it is and how friendly everybody is” (Cromartie et al.).
Rural Southern culture offers the unique hospitality that is often cited by those who return to rural areas. And, as evidenced by the layers above, each town is a different community with its own strong cultural heritage, shaped by many groups over centuries. The strong community and culture of the rural South, which are sinfluenced by all of the layers above, highlight the value of looking beyond the stigma at this diverse and resilient region.
Figure13: (Rattray)
Figere 14: (Belleme)
Natural landscape
The rural South is a region of astonishing and diverse natural beauty, offering many opportunities for sightseeing and activities, including camping, hiking and fishing.
Rural Georgia in particular offers many different experiences, from a waterfall hike near Helen, to parks such as Pine Mountain and Cloudland Canyon, and lake towns such as Hiawassee (Georgia Department of Economic Development).
Figure 4: ("Pine")
Figere 3: ("Anna Ruby")
Figure 5: ("Cloudland")
Figure 6: (Fotomiles)
History
The history of the rural South has been shaped by a multitude of cultures, with many towns having a unique history worth discovering, as is the case for Dahlonega and Darien in Georgia. Dahlonega is a living reminder of America’s first major gold rush in 1828. You can find a gold museum in its historic courthouse and learn the history of the discovery that permanently changed this town and much America. Tours of gold mines allow you to fully immerse yourself in the history, including by trying out panning gold. The town has also been shaped by Cherokee culture, with markers lining the trail of tears in remembrance of the forced removal of Native Americans from their land.
Figure 7: ("Discover")
Figure 8: (The Collective and Co.)
Darien has also been shaped by various different cultures, namely Gullah-Geechee and Scottish. The town has a historic marker dedicated to those enslaved on the Butler Rice Plantation, acknowledging the turbulent periods that this town has lived through. Fort King George State historic site, a former British outpost, now features reconstructed barracks and interactive exhibits of the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, paying homage to the town’s unique history and the major events that shaped it (WorldAtlas).
Southern Opportunities
The rural South has many current opportunities for growth, which are being taken advantage of in a variety of ways to create rural development and change. This is the mission of Rural Studies Institute, an initiative launched in 2020 which aims to aid the development of rural communities so that they can better face 21st century challenges ("Rural").
There are ample opportunities to address this in the rural South, for example recreation and tourism, which can increase incomes and education and health levels (Reeder and Brown). Additionally, 12% of US businesses are located in rural counties and rural residents are more likely than their urban counterparts to start businesses (Center on Rural Innovation), thus the rural South also offers its own economic opportunities.
Figure 11: ("Picnic")
Figure 12: ("Explore")
Works Cited
On the surface
Current problems facing the region have been covered extensively, with some describing it as “ground zero for poor health” and a land facing the “relentless spread of a socioeconomic cancer” (Coclanis and Kyriakoudes; Hayslett).
Often, the rural South is portrayed as a dying region, and while the issues its communities face are serious, the attention paid to the rural South tends to stop at the problem it faces. This leaves the general public with a surface-level understanding of this region, which is much more diverse and resilient. Through this website, we hope to dig through the stigma and introduce you to the many positive layers of life in the rural South.
Figure 2: (Georgia Museum of Agriculture)
Figure 1: (Brown)
Dig the stigma
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Transcript
DIGGIN' THE
STIGMA
Overview
The rural South is a fascinating and unique region with rich history, culture and sense of community. Dig through the layers below to explore this region beyond the stigma surrounding it and discover its often overlooked assets.
Ethics
This page aims to challenge negative stereotypes about the rural South by presenting its often overlooked positive aspects; however, this comes with its own ethical considerations. Any portrayal of a region as large and diverse as the rural South will generalize to some extent, and the choice of the stories to present can never be fully without bias. To address this, this page makes it clear when the stories featured are specific to an area to avoid portraying the rural South as a homogenous region. It is also crucial to remember that this page's content chosen to present the rural South in a positive light; however, this does not mean that this region is not facing any problems. The aim of this page is to begin to address the stereotypically negative portrayal of the region, not to diminish any issues faced by its communities.
Citations
rsi
the gilliard family
The rural South’s fascinating stories are nevertheless not limited to the past, despite its common portrayal as a dying region. In fact, there are many stories of its current residents taking advantage of the regions’ rich history and cultural practices. Such is the case of the Gilliard family, owners of the Gilliard farms in Brunswick, GA. They grow a variety of crops, including mint, aloe, lavender, Persian limes and Santa Rosa plums, using regenerative organic practices that have been passed down for generations. The Gilliard family is a Gullah-Geechee family who first gained ownership of their land in the 1870s through Jupiter Gilliard. He was a formerly enslaved person who accumulated 474 acres of land in a freedmen community.
The current generation is the seventh of the family to own the land, and they received the designation of Centennial Family Farm from the state, only the tenth Black farm to be awarded this. Their land’s long history can be seen throughout, including a school from the 1900s that remains on their property (Powell-Ingabire). The Gilliard farm is a living example that the rural South is more than just a fascinating history, as it grows and progresses due to its unique culture.
Figure 9: (Pearson. "The Union")
Figure 10: (Pearson. "Moss")
Community and Culture
The rural South has many positive, though often overlooked aspects; however, central to these is the South’s unique culture and community. Southern culture can include many aspects, from traditional Southern dishes such as cornbread and Brunswick stew (which are also officially recognized as Georgia's state foods)(Gruener), to the rich musical heritage of the region spanning genres including country, bluegrass, and gospel (Rogers). While the rural South also boasts this culinary and musical history, its culture additionally includes the welcoming nature of its communities. This draws many people who move away to cities to later return, according to some return migrants; “you don’t realize it till you leave here and come back just how quiet it is and how friendly everybody is” (Cromartie et al.).
Rural Southern culture offers the unique hospitality that is often cited by those who return to rural areas. And, as evidenced by the layers above, each town is a different community with its own strong cultural heritage, shaped by many groups over centuries. The strong community and culture of the rural South, which are sinfluenced by all of the layers above, highlight the value of looking beyond the stigma at this diverse and resilient region.
Figure13: (Rattray)
Figere 14: (Belleme)
Natural landscape
The rural South is a region of astonishing and diverse natural beauty, offering many opportunities for sightseeing and activities, including camping, hiking and fishing.
Rural Georgia in particular offers many different experiences, from a waterfall hike near Helen, to parks such as Pine Mountain and Cloudland Canyon, and lake towns such as Hiawassee (Georgia Department of Economic Development).
Figure 4: ("Pine")
Figere 3: ("Anna Ruby")
Figure 5: ("Cloudland")
Figure 6: (Fotomiles)
History
The history of the rural South has been shaped by a multitude of cultures, with many towns having a unique history worth discovering, as is the case for Dahlonega and Darien in Georgia. Dahlonega is a living reminder of America’s first major gold rush in 1828. You can find a gold museum in its historic courthouse and learn the history of the discovery that permanently changed this town and much America. Tours of gold mines allow you to fully immerse yourself in the history, including by trying out panning gold. The town has also been shaped by Cherokee culture, with markers lining the trail of tears in remembrance of the forced removal of Native Americans from their land.
Figure 7: ("Discover")
Figure 8: (The Collective and Co.)
Darien has also been shaped by various different cultures, namely Gullah-Geechee and Scottish. The town has a historic marker dedicated to those enslaved on the Butler Rice Plantation, acknowledging the turbulent periods that this town has lived through. Fort King George State historic site, a former British outpost, now features reconstructed barracks and interactive exhibits of the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, paying homage to the town’s unique history and the major events that shaped it (WorldAtlas).
Southern Opportunities
The rural South has many current opportunities for growth, which are being taken advantage of in a variety of ways to create rural development and change. This is the mission of Rural Studies Institute, an initiative launched in 2020 which aims to aid the development of rural communities so that they can better face 21st century challenges ("Rural").
There are ample opportunities to address this in the rural South, for example recreation and tourism, which can increase incomes and education and health levels (Reeder and Brown). Additionally, 12% of US businesses are located in rural counties and rural residents are more likely than their urban counterparts to start businesses (Center on Rural Innovation), thus the rural South also offers its own economic opportunities.
Figure 11: ("Picnic")
Figure 12: ("Explore")
Works Cited
On the surface
Current problems facing the region have been covered extensively, with some describing it as “ground zero for poor health” and a land facing the “relentless spread of a socioeconomic cancer” (Coclanis and Kyriakoudes; Hayslett).
Often, the rural South is portrayed as a dying region, and while the issues its communities face are serious, the attention paid to the rural South tends to stop at the problem it faces. This leaves the general public with a surface-level understanding of this region, which is much more diverse and resilient. Through this website, we hope to dig through the stigma and introduce you to the many positive layers of life in the rural South.
Figure 2: (Georgia Museum of Agriculture)
Figure 1: (Brown)