MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released an online interactive tool titled “Building Economic Opportunity in the Deep South,” which examines the consequences of federal funding cuts to vital programs supporting health care, housing, education, public infrastructure and more for communities throughout the Deep South. The tool includes state-specific briefs that provide state and county-level data for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
This tool is designed to help policymakers and community leaders identify potential funding gaps that need to be addressed in order to improve the quality of life for all southerners.
“We don’t create stronger, healthier, safer, and more resilient communities by slashing the budgets of programs that have consistently lifted people out of poverty and set them on a path to financial stability,” said LaShawn Warren, Chief Policy Officer at the SPLC. “Building a better future for everyone demands bold investments in communities that have long been left behind—particularly communities of color across the Deep South. We urge policymakers and advocates to use this resource to pinpoint where those critical investments are most needed and to blunt the harms this administration is inflicting on children, families, and seniors already feeling the devastating effects of these unjust and cruel funding cuts.”
Each brief includes information on:
- Race and ethnicity
- Urban and rural populations
- Poverty and unemployment
- Educational attainment
- Voting eligibility and registration
- Health and medical care access
- Housing
- And more
The full maps can be found here.
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About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.