It has been said by many a disgruntled old man that "The South will rise again!" Indeed, the South is rising, but not by the rebel yell of a rifle-toting Johnny Reb confederate soldier. Instead, the South has become more diverse, is the fastest growing region of the country, and has become one of the most economically promising regions in the United States. Despite its rapid progress, both socially and economically, the South still has one of the most negative reputations of any area in the world.

Even uttering the phrase, "the American South" brings the image of a primitive Faulknerian landscape dotted with white plantation houses surrounded by pastoral fields of cotton and sugar cane. While a large portion of the South, similar to California, is covered with rural farmland, it also contains some of the largest and most exciting urban areas in the United States. Houston is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the nation. Hotlanta has hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, spawned many new hip hop acts and is so civilized that its traffic is second only to Los Angeles. In the past four years, Chapel Hill has been voted America’s Most Desirable Place to Live. New Orleans is revered as a major historical and cultural center, not to mention a culinary delight. The stark contrast provided between the natural, not irrigated, agriculture and the vibrant new urban areas makes the South one of the most exciting regions in the country.

Part of the South’s bad reputation comes from its long dark history. Slavery, the bulk of the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement were all realities that still scar the landscape. However, this history has also provided the impetus for the South to be one of the most rapidly changing social arenas. Many southern residents of our generation are descendants of bitter racists; however, they themselves are as disgusted by racial prejudice as the rest of the Pomona community. People who have made this leap from racist to accepting in two generations or less have had to stand up to their relatives and have changed faster than most in American society. It was Cincinnati and Los Angeles that had race riots in the past decade, not Jacksonville and Charleston.

Since the end of World War II, particularly in the 90s, the South’s economy has grown by leaps and bounds. The Southern staples of Carolina tobacco and Tennessee whiskey remain strong sellers, but the economy is also strong in many diversified areas. The South manufactures a large percentage of the country’s plastics and refines most of the country’s domestic and imported oil. Soy is produced in abundance and is refined into innovative products, which range from plastic substitutes to vegan foods. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is one of the nation’s hubs for cutting edge pharmaceutical technological research and development.

Keeping this evidence in mind, maybe it’s due time that America seriously begins to accept the South as one of its most important, vibrant regions. Southern culture is being gradually incorporated into popular culture; NASCAR is the most watched sport in America, and mullets seem to making a strong comeback. Soon enough, everyone will know the difference between Eastern North Carolina barbeque (vinegar) and Western North Carolina barbeque (tomato). Don’t y’all forget it.