‘Stunt and flex’: This student’s new fashion brand wants to make voting cool and hip
Historically, American's have adorned themselves with clothing that sends a signal. This Southern college student wants to make voting a fashion statement.
My COVID diagnosis gave me crippling anxiety. Then I learned to let go.
By Christopher Harress Reckon Staff Writer I always thought I [...]
Learn more about higher education’s racist past with these reads
By Lily Jackson Taking that first college campus tour [...]
Pandemic victory gardens remind us that Southern agriculture is a form of resistance
I grew a garden during the pandemic for the first time and learned about the South's history of gardening during strife.
‘No word of support’: The University of Georgia has a history of dodging campus racism. Students say that ends now.
The University of Georgia released a hoard of "diversity initiatives" this week, but students are asking what makes these any different than previous fruitless efforts. "This is not the end."
Alabama fails young people on sexual health, report finds
Abstinence only sex ed, poor access to health care linked to high cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infection rates
What’s the best case scenario for a coronavirus vaccine?
UAB's Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo discusses potential vaccines, hospital capacity, school safety and more.
Reckon Creates master class series presents: Trace Barnett, The Bitter Socialite
If you grew up with a Southern grandma who lived [...]
New Reckon top editor, leadership
Veteran journalist and news leader Ryan “R.L.” Nave has joined [...]
‘We will escalate’: LSU students vow to take anti-racism fight beyond renaming buildings
LSU acted fast when they changed the name of one building, but now, students say university administration is slowing the change. Some students won’t accept that this fall.
At Ole Miss, despite Confederate statue’s relocation, a fight to support Black students is far from over
Mississippi has seen changes over the past few weeks, but students are far from done fighting for equitable education and reparative justice.
A new generation of Black mayors walks a fine line to confront policing in their cities
Young, black mayors in cities across the South are finding the balance between answering to their communities and managing law enforcement.
Alabama’s largest universities to grapple with deep wounds from slavery, Jim Crow. Can they build a better future?
It’s no surprise that Alabama and Auburn share dark histories of racism. But as a growing number of students demand to bring those injustices further into the light, can reconciliation and healing begin?
Remember Silent Sam: Student activists head back to campus more determined than ever to address racism
Students are heading back to campus in August, ready to overthrow white supremacy. Are universities ready?
“Coming together to fight injustice”
Over the last week, thousands of people across Alabama have turned out to protest police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Pictured is Mia Speights of Birmingham.
‘I’m scared of you,’ young speaker says to police officer at Huntsville city council meeting
They came to the Huntsville city council to ask questions and levy criticism after police twice last week released tear gas to break up protests over the death of George Floyd. More than three dozen people spoke, some firing harsh words at Huntsville police Chief Mark McMurray and Mayor Tommy Battle and others wanting to know why the protests were halted in a militaristic manner.
Kneeling is healing
Kneeling is healing. Listen. Look around. Pay attention. Who is humble? Who is kneeling? Listen. Love.
University of Alabama, in first step, to remove three Confederate plaques from campus
Three Confederate memorial plaques are to be removed from the University of Alabama campus. The decision came from the Board of Trustees of the UA System, in consultation with Stuart Bell, UA president, according to a release from the UA System on Monday afternoon. The three plaques are located on and in front of the Gorgas Library, and they will be relocated to a “more appropriate historical setting.”
Admiral Raphael Semmes statue removed overnight
The 120-year-old Confederate statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes was removed overnight without any warning by the City of Mobile. The removal comes after days of peaceful protest in the Port City and after Birmingham removed its Confederate memorial in Linn Park Monday and Tuesday.
Books on racial justice, anti-racism fly off bookstore shelves
Major retailers and local bookstores alike have seen a surging demand for books about racial justice as protests and demonstrations against police brutality have been held around the world. Of the top 20 best-selling books on Amazon the morning of June 5, 14 of those books were about racial equality.
Protest at Memorial Park in Mobile
This young child is protesting today on the edge of Mobile’s Memorial Park. Situated between a monument to those who died in the Great War fighting against colonial powers and a Confederate Civil War cannon, around 100 young activists lined the park to protest the death of George Floyd and other black people who have died at the hands of police officers. 📸 @charress
Protest in Mobile is young, diverse and very peaceful
Situated between a World War I monument and a Confederate Civil War cannon, around 100 young activists gathered in Mobile’s Memorial Park Thursday afternoon to protest the death of George Floyd and other black people who died at the hands of police. Compared to the civil unrest seen in Mobile on Sunday and in Birmingham and Huntsville over the last five days, Thursday’s protest in the Port City was remarkably different. Protesters, who lined Old Government Street and Government Street, were young, diverse, and very peaceful.
Woodfin tells NBC’s ‘Today’ he’s received death threats after removing Confederate monument
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Wednesday told NBC’s “Today Show” he has received death threats after he had the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument removed from the city’s Linn Park.
Father and Daughter at Mobile Protest
Sweet father and daughter moment at a very peaceful and uplifting protest in West Mobile Tuesday evening. The protests were led by passionate high school and college-aged kids.
Mobile, Alabama Protest
Young protesters just off Airport Boulevard in Mobile. They wanted to march down on the main road but MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste threatened to arrest them if they stopped the regular flow of traffic. They stuck to the fringes of a nearby parking lot.
Obelisk Confederate monument removed from Birmingham’s Linn Park
Monday night, a day after protesters tried to destroy the obelisk Confederate monument that stood in Birmingham’s Linn Park, the statue was dismantled by a contractor hired by the city. Tuesday morning, only the base remained.
Birmingham Protests May 31, 2020
Windows were smashed, small businesses looted, and a statue of Thomas Jefferson was set on fire Sunday night in Birmingham after protestors' attempted and failed to bring down a confederate monument in Linn Park. Protests erupted across the country this weekend in response to the police killing of George Floyd on May 25.
Tell us why you mask up
We want to hear your reasons.
Why do you wear a mask?
We're sharing your reasons why you mask up.
More than 103,000 dead in the U.S. because of COVID-19
Something to think about next time you are debating whether to take precautions to protect yourself and others.
Reckon’s Handy Guide
Why would a white person want to use that word? Even if you don't mean harm, if you know that it causes painful feelings to surface or be interpreted as hateful toward people of color, is it worth it to sing it?
André Holland on ‘The Eddy,’ restoring a theater in Bessemer, and how the South shaped his art
This week on the Reckon Interview, we’re talking with Andre Holland, one of the most talented and thoughtful actors in the business. You’ve seen him in movies like 42, High Flying Bird, Selma, and Moonlight, or TV shows like The Knick and Castle Rock.
Reproductive justice non-profit buys Alabama abortion clinic
The director of the Yellowhammer Fund, a non-profit that provides financial assistance for abortions in Alabama, said she was considering shutting down the organization amid financial worry before Alabama passed a law banning near all abortions in the state in May 2019 . One year later, after an influx of more than $2 million in donations from across the country in the immediate aftermath of the ban and the support of 1,200 monthly financially sustaining members, the fund now owns and operates the West Alabama Women’s Center, one of three of remaining abortion clinics in the state.
Alex McDaniel on college football games without fans, telling Southern stories and more
Alex McDaniel, Deputy Editor, SBNation
As Alabama reopens, will people wear masks?
Crowds gathered Tuesday afternoon in parking lots surrounding Huntsville Hospital. Parents and kids, grandparents and teens sat on tailgates and waited for a promised military flyover honoring hospital workers. Few were wearing masks, but none were crowded together, keeping mostly to their cars.
How are extroverts finding purpose without people?
The unmistakable riff from the early ’90s grunge hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit," by Nirvana has been keeping Anna Mahan busy in quarantine. Mahan, a recent graduate of the University of North Alabama, has been trying to fill every moment of self-isolation with engaging activities, like learning chords on her new guitar, streaming shows, and reading books. In a non-pandemic world, the self-described extrovert would be working closely with others at her now-canceled internship in Honduras.
Here’s how Alabama parents teach during the pandemic
Alabama families are dealing with a host of compounding issues as they adjust to remote learning, including working from home while homeschooling children and protecting the family – and their finances – from the coronavirus pandemic.
Many believed college admissions would never change. Then COVID-19 hit.
High school juniors and seniors would usually be preparing for final standardized tests, polishing their college applications and rounding out their adolescence with senior photoshoots and promposals.
From how much to save to student loan payments, what young people need to know to survive a recession
As coronavirus leaves more than 20 million Americans unemployed and even more with reduced wages, it seems there are more questions than answers. Do I qualify for unemployment? Will I get a stimulus check? Is now a good time to buy a house or start investing?
Reckon Women: Pre-term Infant Loss and Heartache
"Hold on to hope, Mothers. We are some of the strongest people God ever created." Warning: This video discusses graphic elements of infant loss. These brave women shared their hearth-wrenching stories of pregnancy complications and infant loss with us for Reckon | Women. Did you know that Alabama has the highest pre-term birth rate in the nation, behind only Mississippi?
Voicing the Violence: Reflection on Lynching Memorial
It's been more than a year since The National Memorial for Peace and Justice opened in Montgomery. Since then, nearly half a million people have visited. In a moving tribute, Reckon's Starr Dunigan reflects on why it's important we remember those lynched by mobs in Alabama and around the country.