Building New Narratives on Work and Opportunity in the US South

Explore how workers, business owners, and communities across the American South are challenging traditional economic development narratives and advancing new visions for opportunity and quality work in this webinar from The Aspen Institute. Examine the limitations of the Southern economic development model that promised prosperity through lower labor costs and deregulation but left many workers and communities behind with poverty rates above the national average. Learn about innovative strategies for narrative change that center worker dignity, quality jobs, and community wealth-building as alternatives to the conventional approach. Discover how narratives shape public perception, policy, and practice, and how they can be effectively challenged and transformed. Hear from Job Quality Fellowship members including Shuh-Marraka Johnson from Deep South Strategies, Dom Kelly from New Disabled South, Rachel Merfalen from Tennessee State Center of Employee Ownership and Good Future, and Alexis Tsoukalis from Florida Policy Institute as they share their work reframing economic opportunity in the South. Gain insights into amplifying approaches that prioritize inclusive economic success and understand the broader implications for regional economic development policy and practice.