Oxford’s Own Beth Ann Fennelly to Appear on ‘Our New South’ Podcast

University of Mississippi English Professor Discusses the Evolution of the New South

A March 5, 2024, University of Mississippi professor and former Mississippi poet laureate, Beth Ann Fennelly, will be a guest on the acclaimed ‘Our New South’ podcast to discuss the transformation of Southern cities.

The ‘Our New South’ podcast, hosted by Kevin Blackstone and Robert Greene II, is syndicated and jointly produced in partnership with the revered Levine Museum of the New South, based in charming Charlotte, North Carolina. The podcast’s mission is to expand the Museum’s work in preserving history and propagating curiosity-driven questions.

A Platform for Engaging Discourse

Fennelly expressed her enthusiasm for tackling difficult but essential conversations. “I’ve accepted the offer to speak on the podcast because I want to delve into challenging conversations that can help uncover solutions. I am deeply in love with Mississippi and the South. To me, this love entails being honest about and not shirking away from social justice issues”, she asserted.

Upon receiving the invitation to be a part of ‘Our New South,’ Fennelly had authored an opinion piece in The New York Times, highlighting the campaigns in education that link educational funding with financial ‘outcomes’. Through her tenure of 21 years at the University of Mississippi, she bears witness to the transformative might of a liberal arts education. Fennelly emphasized, “A student armed with critical thinking skills is prepared for authentic success – I consider a fulfilling life to be the true measure of success.”

About the Hosts

Kevin Blackstone wears many hats – a columnist at The Washington Post, a panelist on ESPN’s ‘Around the Horn,’ a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, and intermittently contributes to NPR and PBS. In contrast, Robert Greene II, an assistant professor of history at Claflin University, chairs the Society of U.S. Intellectual Historians’ publication board and is the incoming president of the African American Intellectual History Society.

The ‘Our New South’ Episode Featuring Fennelly – A Much-Anticipated Discussion

In this contemporary era, the South isn’t merely undergoing a transformation; it is evolving into a new reality – the ‘New South.’ This phenomenon is the subject of the ‘Our New South’ podcast. Having Fennelly on the show provides a unique opportunity to discuss and chronicle this evolution from the perspective of an acclaimed poet laureate and respected professor. Hold your breath and stay tuned for this engaging discourse on the metamorphosis of the South.