Building New Narratives on Work and Opportunity in the US South

Narratives about work in the American South have often centered on attracting business through lower labor costs, restrictions on unionization, and deregulation. The Southern economic development model, as this approach has come to be known, promised broad growth and prosperity. That prosperity has not materialized for most. Many workers and communities in the South have been left behind, with some regions experiencing poverty rates well above the national average.Narratives shape public perception, policy, and practice. They can also be challenged and changed. Across the South today, workers, business owners, and communities are advancing a new vision, reframing what opportunity and good work look like and who gets to share in economic success.This event — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on February 19, 2026 — is the first of four conversations with members of the Aspen Institute’s Job Quality Fellowship who are working in the South. In it, we examine narrative challenges around work and opportunity, highlight strategies for change, and explore how to amplify approaches rooted in worker dignity, quality jobs, and community wealth-building.Our speakers include Shuh-Marraka Johnson (Principal Consultant, Deep South Strategies, LLC), Dom Kelly (Founder, President, and CEO, New Disabled South), Rachel Merfalen (Interim Executive Director, Tennessee State Center of Employee Ownership; Founder, Good Future), Alexis Tsoukalis (Senior Policy Analyst, Florida Policy Institute), and moderator Matt Helmer (Director, Job Quality and Worker Well-Being, Economic Opportunities Program, The Aspen Institute).For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel.Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go.This event is part of our Job Quality in Practice series.