THIS IS AN UNLOCKED BONUS EPISODE. To get access to all bonus episodes and support the show sign up at patreon.com/leftreckoning

The relationship between capitalism, slavery, and democracy in the South is complex. Slavery was a form of unfree labor that prevented labor power and competition, which hindered the development of a capitalist system. The failure of Reconstruction after the Civil War and the subsequent rise of Jim Crow laws further entrenched the power of the ruling class in the South and suppressed the political and economic power of Black people and poor whites. To address the challenges in the South, a new reconstruction is needed, one that focuses on grassroots activism, community support, and addressing the systemic issues that have perpetuated inequality and underdevelopment.