White Southerner here. Southern culture is NOT all white, and most of us are actually aware of that.
When I think of southern culture I think of southern hospitality and sweet tea, neither of which are limited by race.
I've lived on 3 continents and every culture has individuals that are racist. By far the worst was when I lived in a homogeneous Asian country - people felt the constant need to stare and comment (and because I'm white they were trying to say NICE stuff) and it made me so uncomfortable. I have no idea what it's like to be black, but I got a glimpse of how people will made dumb assumptions about you based on your skin.
The biggest key to defeating racism is melting the pot further - which the South is doing. Yes, there are plenty of racists here, and plenty of racists communities, but I can guarantee you they exist elsewhere too. Fighting it only happens when we confront it.
John Oliver did a great bit on school segregation that goes into how racism isn't a Southern issue.
Personally I think we're looking at it wrong. ChatGPT is a thing now, so teach it as a tool. Instead of write me a 5 page paper about Shakespeare it's "here's a five page paper on Shakespeare - figure out what's wrong with it, edit it, check sources, etc." Because that's the stuff ChatGPT can't do, and skills that will be valuable in the future.
We can check if students know material via tests (including their ability to write). But we should be teaching the new tool, too, not trying to get around it. Imagine today if your teacher said all your research needed to be done without the internet (in library and paper book only). You'd be rightfully pissed, because in the real world you have the internet to help you do research, and that tool should be available to you as a student.
Just my two cents. I used ChatGPT to help me write some stuff for work for the first time just a couple weeks ago. I would say it only got me about halfway to where I needed to be. Just like the ability to Google stuff doesn't mean we no longer have to know how to research (source checking, compiling information) ChatGPT doesn't mean we no longer have to have writing skills. It just shifts it a bit. Most tools throughout history have done that.
I just got started here after days of no reddit as more mainstream media picked up the protests and mentioned the Fediverse. Honestly, I love it for the reasons you outlined. Can't imagine going back. There's still some communities I don't have here, but I imagine they will form up eventually, and if they don't there's nothing I'd really miss, or if I did I'd create it myself.
I had eyeballed joining Mastodon when he-who-sucks took over twitter but wasn't real comfortable with figuring out something new at the time (for personal reasons). Glad I've gotten the kick in the butt to join the Fediverse! It's fun here!!
White Southerner here. Southern culture is NOT all white, and most of us are actually aware of that.
When I think of southern culture I think of southern hospitality and sweet tea, neither of which are limited by race.
I've lived on 3 continents and every culture has individuals that are racist. By far the worst was when I lived in a homogeneous Asian country - people felt the constant need to stare and comment (and because I'm white they were trying to say NICE stuff) and it made me so uncomfortable. I have no idea what it's like to be black, but I got a glimpse of how people will made dumb assumptions about you based on your skin.
The biggest key to defeating racism is melting the pot further - which the South is doing. Yes, there are plenty of racists here, and plenty of racists communities, but I can guarantee you they exist elsewhere too. Fighting it only happens when we confront it.
John Oliver did a great bit on school segregation that goes into how racism isn't a Southern issue.