Southerners

Southerners are people associated with the Southern United States, a cultural and historical region that overlaps with, but is not identical to, geographic state boundaries. Core states commonly linked to the South include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas. Boundaries vary by context and criteria such as self-identification, language, or historical tradition.

Historically, the region depended on plantation agriculture and slavery and played a central role in the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow. The 20th century brought economic diversification and large-scale migration, including the Great Migration to northern cities and later growth of metropolitan areas in the Sun Belt. Today Southerners inhabit both rural counties and urban centers with growing cultural and demographic diversity.

Language varies, with Southern American English as a defining feature; accents range from mild to pronounced. Southern cuisine reflects local agriculture and immigrant influences, featuring barbecue, fried seafood, Cajun and Creole dishes, grits, and biscuits. Religion has historically been influential, especially evangelical Protestant communities, shaping culture and civic life. Music traditions span country, blues, gospel, and bluegrass; notable writers from the region include Faulkner, Welty, and others.

Contemporary Southerners are ethnically and politically diverse. Economies include energy, manufacturing, agriculture, and services, with growth in several urban centers. Regional identity remains a strong cultural factor, yet stereotypes are increasingly challenged by urbanization, education, and civil rights progress. The term thus denotes a broad spectrum of communities linked by shared regional history and ongoing cultural exchange.