About South

In this episode, we talk about the myth of southern hospitality with Tony Szczesiul, Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Tony traces the long history of the myth and explores how it is embedded with the region’s other non-hospitable traits including enslavement and segregation. Tony describes how enslaved people performed the labor that made southern hospitality possible and how the term emerged as a shorthand justification for southern plantation life in the 1820s. Tracing the history of southern hospitality throughout the twentieth century reveals its importance to contemporary debates about immigration, tourism, and the culture industry. About South is produced by Gina Caison, Kelly Vines, and Adjoa Danso. Lindsey Baker is our Marketing Director. Music is by Brian Horton. You can find his music at www.brianhorton.com. Learn more at www.aboutsouthpodcast.com.