In this time of long-overdue national reckoning, The Bitter Southerner's core beliefs are the same as they ever were. We believe every single human being was put on this earth as an equal, a being worthy of respect.  We believe the South is a beautiful place with beautiful people and one of the ugliest legacies in human history. And we know, as we always have, that Black Lives Matter.

To all our readers on the front lines: attending protests, organizing, calling, signing petitions, writing, grieving, paying bail funds, pushing for an end to racialized violence throughout our country’s infrastructure, take care of yourselves, keep washing those hands. We are in it with you for the long haul.

We encourage all our readers who don't know enough of the long history and ongoing oppression of Black people in the South (and across the planet, for that matter) and the ways that oppression is hurting us all: Now is the time to educate yourselves deeply and figure out how to invest in a healthy future.

If this is all a little new to you, we are so glad you want to learn more. There are more than 400 years of quality and easily accessible anti-racist material at your fingertips.  Some of the stories from our seven years of grappling with the South might also help you learn. As for material for this moment, we were pleased to see the debut this week of the new "Waiting on Reparations" podcast  of our friend Mariah Parker, aka Athens-Clarke County Commissioner, aka rapper Linqua Franca. She and fellow Athens rapper Dope Knife have created a podcast that is a unique blend of their discussions on institutional racism and their raps, which are as relevant as their commentary. While it's not for the ears of children, it's must listening for adults who want to understand.
 
Read, listen, repent, engage, repeat.

Until true justice emerges, we will press on with the work in front of us: 

1) Telling the stories of those who reject the violent, racist, sexist, white supremacist mythology of the Old South and do the work of building a Better South.  

2) Using our megaphones to amplify the voices of — and put money in the pockets of — organizations and contributors that work for justice and healing.

Every shirt sold will put $10 into our Better South Initiative, our five-year-old fund to put money in the pockets of organizations that work on the front lines of issues facing the South, including the long fight for racial justice and the critical issues of voting rights and registration. As we begin adding specific recipients to the fund, we will update our readers. And your first update will come to you quickly. Believe that.

Because "not a racist" was never enough.

Because our democracy depends on it.

Since Charlottesville, it's been every Bitter Southerner's  mantra. It will remain so  forever.