Young first-time voters in the South share their stories

Welcome back to The American South!

We're closing in on Election Day. As a news team it's what we're thinking about, writing about and planning for as well. This week, I wanted to share a few areas we focused on that have been on my mind. How are grassroots groups organizing to get out the vote and how are areas hard-hit by hurricanes, like Lake Charles, Louisiana, navigating displacement and reduced polling stations? Also, what do young, first-time voters think about this election season, what issues are important to them and how do they plan to make their voices heard? We spoke to men and women under 21 across our region to find out.

We posed the question: will your generation change politics? Porter Alexander Tynes' response stuck with me.

• Right now, I feel like a whole lot of my friends are making an effort for all of their friends to vote. I've gotten so many text messages saying, Are you registered to vote? Have you already voted? Have you looked up everything that you're voting for? And so our generation, through communication and through innovation, has the capacity to make change. It's just about how we implement that change. How we get involved. Because a man without a plan is a man that will fail.

And yes, it's still Halloween and if spooky ghost stories and horror films excite you, you'll enjoy this one in Bayou Country and this list of must-see films. Plus, Asha Gomez tells us how she cooks in color and blends her Indian heritage and Southern chef skills. If you need something to smile about, the generosity in this story will inspire you. 

For Southern ‘get out the vote’ groups, COVID-19 forced new ways of doing things

It's about meeting people where they are, one leader said. The American South spoke to organizers across the region including, Kynesha Brown with Rollin' to the Polls in Montgomery, Alabama, Maria Calvopiña with North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations, Mika Gadsden with Charleston Activist Network in South Carolina and Lea Campbell with the Mississippi Rising Coalition. Full story here. 

'One, two, three punch': Back-to-back hurricanes and COVID-19 complicate voting in Lake Charles

It's been one of the most aggressive storm seasons in the South and Lake Charles residents are still recovering and rebuilding while preparing for what a city official called, one of the most challenging election years. 

• “We still look like a war zone,” said Brent Hawkins, a local candidate for Family Court judge. “There are still cars lined up for half a mile waiting for food and supplies. There are still communities out here dealing with a lack of services. It’s hard to then tell them to go vote."

Southern chef Asha Gomez invites the world's flavors into her kitchen

"Today, if you ask me about the American palate, I'm going to say it's so refined, because we are excited about global flavors. We're excited about authentic flavors. We are excited about getting in our kitchen and cooking something that we're not used to. We'll pick up a spice or an ingredient we've never seen before. We're losing the fear and intimidation factor of what to do in our kitchens." Asha Gomez. 

You can read the full interview here. 

MORE FOOD STORIES : 'A love letter to the women, food of the Deep South'  Also, a seed to stem celebration of one of the South's favorite vegetables. Plus, a quick weeknight dinner if you're looking for a recipe packed with flavor. 

Happy Halloween!

Chad Boutte and his partner Steven Mora purchased this nearly 200-year-old home in Franklin, Louisiana, to incorporate it into a walking tour of antebellum homes. But after a team of paranormal investigators visited their home in hopes of featuring it on a TV show, the couple decided to do a ghost tour instead. The tour launched just in time for Halloween and helped to revive their tourism-driven business. If you dare, you can read about the spooky encounters (and business pivot) here. 

What's the South talking about?

Civil rights icon Ida B. Wells might get her own statue in Memphis if the Memphis Memorial Committee has their way. You can read the full story here. Small town of Waverly, Alabama reflects on year without 'Old 280 Boogie.' Do they really want us to survive?’: A Mississippi town could be left in dark over unpaid power bill.

We promise, this will warm your heart

Rodney Smith Jr. has already mowed thousands of lawns in the U.S. for free. When the pandemic hit, he took his efforts one step further.

Thank you for reading!

Have a thought? I would love to hear from you at: theamericansouth@gannett.com

Ashley Hopkinson 

Editor, The American South