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FAIRHOPE — This is the story of the descent into partisan, racist politics. And, optimism.

The parallel narratives in a series of essays in "The Southernization of America" offers what author Frye Gaillard said "is a glimmer of hope in the increasing disfunction all of us feel."

The book, written by Gaillard and Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker, is a raw look at the deep divides that have cracked the United States in half along party, family and neighborhood lines.

The essays address the rise of the politics of Trumpism by bringing the reader back to the actual beginning. The Republican party began embracing white supremacy and the subversion of democratic ideals as part of its strategy during the tenures of many Southern politicians decades ago, Gaillard writes.
However, Gaillard said as the hateful ideas rose so did those opposing them.

"The South has been the epicenter of some noble impulses as well," Gaillard said, noting that there is an ironic parallel meaning of Southernization. "The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most idealistic efforts in American history. It is one of the most far-reaching, profoundly American things that has ever happened."

Currently, those two qualities of the Southern character, and increasingly the national character, Gaillard said, are in a tug of war.

He pointed to recent elections in Georgia, a deep red state that has supported state and national Democrats in recent elections, as an example.

"Georgia is a conservative state, yet we have Warnock, Ossoff and Biden who all won Georgia. There is a coalition of decency that crosses racial lines," he said.

Gaillard said as authors, he and Tucker add that today those on both sides of the aisle need to "relearn the art of civil disagreement."

"This is so we can try to compromise and have honest discussions about our problems," he said. "Democracy should be as broad and inclusive as possible, but we also believe in wisdom among traditional conservative values, and that should be part of the discussion.

"But when it devolves into hate speak and accusations and deliberate division, that just doesn't work and so we're trying to do our part to deliver that warning," he said.

"In our current moment with its bitter, deep, division and refusal to talk to each other across the aisle in Congress, that just won't work. We have to do better and if we don't the country as we have known it, the country we have all hoped we could live in is in real peril."

Gaillard said he believes we have and can do better.

"We want people to remember the possibilities that are sprinkled through our history of progress. Moral ethical, progress toward justice and prosperity. A more perfect union," he said.

Gaillard and Tucker have spoken to several groups since the book's release last year and have found that most people in the audience agree.

"We find the same yearning for healing there. There are some people that don't yearn for it, clearly in a divided country. But we think it has to be pursued," he said.

The pair will speak at Fairhope Public Library on Monday, Jan. 30, at 5:30 p.m. as part of a program sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Baldwin County. There will be a question-and-answer session as well.