The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has always been more than a celebration of music. It’s a mirror of the moment we’re in. This year, as Pearl Jam included in their set a newer song called “React, Respond,” those two words stayed with me. They felt like both a challenge and a call. In a world where so much feels fractured, where division is amplified and fear is monetized, what does it mean to truly respond?
At EPU, we’ve always believed that listening is the beginning of change. Not passive listening, but intentional, expansive listening that makes room for nuance, for contradiction, and for unexpected connection. These days, what we hear too often is the language of separation: lines drawn, sides chosen, identities weaponized. The temptation to retreat into familiar corners is real—and dangerous.
But we know that history doesn’t reward silence or spectatorship. It rewards those who dare to respond with clarity, with courage, and with care.
That’s why we’re showing up differently in this moment. We are asking deeper questions. Seeking out common aspirations. Paying attention to shared fears. We are looking for the signals of hope buried beneath the noise and turning them into something that can grow.
Because this moment doesn’t need more outrage. It needs more imagination. It needs people willing to build—not just critique. To extend a hand—not just raise a fist.
This is the work we were built for. And we’re not doing it alone. There are others out there, maybe even you, ready to join in crafting a collective response to the forces that would rather see us divided. Together, we are choosing to respond. Boldly. Creatively. Relentlessly.
Scott Hutcheson
Executive Director, E Pluribus Unum
E Pluribus Unum, in partnership with Embold Research, conducted a comprehensive survey of 2,918 registered voters across 13 Southern states to better understand the region’s evolving social, economic, and political dynamics. Building on a similar 2023 poll, this year’s research highlights the complexities and contradictions shaping Southern life today.
See below for some key findings from the 2024 Survey of the South:
Progress Feels Unequal
A majority of Southern voters (59%) believe that as the country moves forward, some groups will inevitably be left behind. Over half (55%) think creating opportunities for some comes at the expense of others revealing a pervasive sense of zero-sum progress and concern about fairness.
Voting Is Strong, But Deeper Engagement Is Shallow
While civic participation at the polls is high (89% reported voting) only a small share take part in deeper forms of civic life. Just 10% organized a community effort or attended a school meeting, and only 14% joined a demonstration. This gap shows a need to activate engagement beyond election season.
Democracy Feels Fragile
Trust in U.S. democracy is alarmingly low. Only 7% believe it’s strong and working well, while 60% say it’s either in trouble or no longer functioning. This suggests widespread disillusionment and a critical need to rebuild faith in democratic systems.
Elections Matter—But Civic Duty Is Overlooked
Voters understand the stakes: 53% believe the presidential election will significantly affect their state, and nearly half say it will impact their community (46%) and personal life (44%). Yet, paradoxically, just 6% view civic engagement as essential to a healthy democracy.
Conversations Stay in Safe Zones
Only 22% of voters regularly talk politics with those who hold different views, and even fewer (18%) discuss race across differences. This reluctance to engage across lines of disagreement points to a fragmented public discourse and a missed opportunity for connection and understanding.
Communities Run on Trust—But Mostly Close-In
Southern voters place high trust in their personal circles for news and information: 96% trust friends, 89% trust family, and 87% trust veterans. While this close-circle trust fosters community bonds, it may also reinforce echo chambers and limit exposure to broader perspectives.
Personal Experience Drives Belief Shifts
Lived experience is the most powerful force behind changing minds. 77% say direct impact influenced their views on social issues. Facts matter too (55% say data shaped their stance), but personal stories lead the way, highlighting the importance of empathy and storytelling in advocacy.
Check out the full survey on our website by clicking the button below!
These survey results matter because they reveal the deep tensions, contradictions, and disconnects shaping life in the South today, offering critical insights into how people experience belonging, economic pressure, political division, and civic life. They underscore the urgent need for more inclusive dialogue, empathetic storytelling, and policy solutions. At EPU, we’re using these insights to help build a more just, connected, and hopeful South because understanding is just the beginning of meaningful change.
At E Pluribus Unum (EPU), we believe that truth-telling is essential to building stronger communities. That’s why we partnered with the St. Charles Center for Faith and Action to launch In Deed and Truth: Interrogating the Legacies of White Church in America (IDAT), an 18-month program designed to help Southern churches examine their histories and reimagine their roles in shaping more inclusive communities. Churches from across the South applied to be part of this unique opportunity, demonstrating a deep commitment to reflection, growth, and meaningful change.
Inspired by I John 3:18—“let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth”—IDAT supports selected churches through guided sessions on race, theology, reconciliation, and historical reflection. Cohort members have engaged with theologians and historians, explored their church archives, and learned new tools for navigating difficult conversations and fostering deeper relationships.
The impact has been powerful:
“I thought, ‘We don’t need this here.’ But as I dug deeper, I realized how much we still have to learn.”
“We’ve never had the opportunity to lament. This process helped me see confession and reflection as a path forward.”
One participant noted that while their church has a long history of progressive leadership, the congregation hasn’t always been fully engaged. IDAT has sparked new conversations about what it means to carry that legacy forward together.
As Juneteenth approaches, each church is planning activities to share what they’ve learned and to invite the broader congregation into the journey. These events mark a shift from learning to leading, from reflection to action.
EPU recently visited IDAT churches in Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana, where we saw firsthand the energy and commitment of communities ready to write a new chapter in their church’s story. Together, we’re turning understanding into action and helping to build a better South.
Click the button to learn more!
This work matters because it creates space for truth-telling, healing, and transformation within churches that have long believed themselves to be progressive. It has revealed that the journey towards justice is ongoing and that inviting communities to engage more deeply, honestly, and actively with their history is necessary in shaping a more inclusive future.
📰 New from EPU + The Bitter Southerner
We’re proud to partner with The Bitter Southerner to spotlight Southern change makers building a more just and united region.
🔹 “Collective Resilience”
In Mississippi, local leaders are proving that progress happens when communities work together across race, politics, and generations.
🔹 “Power to the People: Sweet Alabama”
Grassroots power is rising in Alabama, where local voices are taking the lead in shaping the future, one neighborhood at a time.
📖 Read both stories here: EPU x Bitter Southerner Series
Stories are tools for change. The stories of our Unum Fellows prove extraordinary actions can come from anywhere and anyone — inspiring us all to make change.
For many Americans, the post-election environment is one of heightened tension, polarized perspectives, and uncertain futures. We grapple with mistrust, misinformation, and patterns of exclusion. With nearly all of our voices and perspectives flattened by “us vs. them” identity politics, we fundamentally misunderstand each other. Most Americans are exhausted. We feel uncertain, unseen, and disengaged.
Our new podcast, cohosted by EPU’s Executive Director Scott Hutcheson and EPU Eminent Scholar Dr. Nichole Argo, Reimagining Us steps into this moment with a clear mission:
Understand Today’s Divisions: The show unpacks the nature and causes of today’s identity divisions, empowers listeners to think critically about how these dynamics impact their lives and communities, and suggests ways to counter them.
Rebuild Connection: The show focuses on practical, proven strategies for cultivating a “builder” mindset, connecting across differences, fostering cultures of belonging, and pursuing fair solutions to community challenges. Through expert interviews, real-world stories, and behavioral insights, it demonstrates how communities can rebuild trust and repair relationships across differences.
Drive Action: Beyond conversation, the podcast provides listeners with tools and ideas for immediate action. Whether that be in their families, workplaces, or in their broader communities.
Reimagining Us is more than a podcast—it’s a movement toward understanding, healing, and building a society where belonging thrives. At a time when many feel powerless in the face of polarization, it equips listeners with the insight, courage, and community they need to help reshape our shared future. Listeners will walk away feeling not only informed but empowered, ready to challenge identity-based divisions and foster connections and collaborations across differences. As Nichole Argo and Scott Hutcheson remind us, the power to “Reimagine Us” starts with each of us. Together, we can create the conditions for connection and collaboration across differences.
At the 4th Annual Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference in Newport News, VA, Mitch Landrieu—Founder and President of E Pluribus Unum—delivered an inspiring keynote highlighting the importance of spaces dedicated to justice and unity. His message reinforced the conference’s mission of bringing together changemakers who are committed to building bridges across divides. We extend our gratitude to Christopher Newport University and the CCD Hampton Roads VA Local Network for hosting such a powerful and insightful event. As Landrieu reminded us, gatherings like these show that when we unite with shared purpose, real progress is possible.
Events like the Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference create vital space for honest dialogue, collective learning, and collaborative action, proving that when leaders and communities come together with shared purpose, real and lasting change is within reach.
📣 We’re Now on Substack!
We’re thrilled to share that E Pluribus Unum has launched a Substack as a new space for deeper dialogue, storytelling, and reflection.
Our Executive Director, Scott Hutcheson, will be posting his thoughts regularly, sharing insights on the South, democracy, belonging, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. It’s a space for honest conversations and bold ideas.
Join us as we explore what it means to build a more just and united South. Your voice belongs in this conversation!
👉 Follow along and subscribe by clicking below!
At EPU, we believe understanding and fostering belonging is essential to rebuilding our communities and strengthening democracy. Here’s a curated selection of books, articles, and films that have inspired us recently:
Books:
Hunger for Hope by Sr. Simone Campbell — One of the organizers of the "Nuns on the Bus" campaign shows how faith supports action in a world in great need of both. The chaotic individualism of these times demands a prayer practice that summons a prophetic response in community with those who are marginalized in our fractured economic system and broken world. Hunger for Hope explores the quest for a justice that works for all, and explores what it means to be “holy” in today’s world.
Articles:
Our Founder's Substack— Through public service and civic leadership, our founder Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu has become a leading voice in building stronger communities for everyone. Subscribe to his Substack to follow his ongoing efforts to fight for a stronger democracy where everybody feels like they belong.
Films & Documentaries:
Sinners — Set in the Jim Crow South, this gripping film explores the struggles of individuals navigating a deeply segregated society. Through its powerful storytelling, Sinners illuminates the complexities of identity, community, and resistance in the face of systemic racism, offering a vivid portrait of belonging—and exclusion—in a time of profound injustice.
The Great Hack (Netflix) — An examination of how data and narratives influence polarization and social trust, and why reclaiming connection matters.
We invite you to explore these works with us as we continue to learn, reflect, and take action toward more inclusive communities.
Questions? Contact us at info@unumfund.org.
