As I continue my Walk Across America through the great state of North Carolina, I have heard from people in the North that “the South is America’s problem.” These friends of mine, who are not very familiar with this region, often think of it as the country’s hotbed of backwardness, where lingering echoes of slavery, segregation and Confederate nostalgia fuel divisive debates about race, guns and social progress. They believe this region is mired in poverty and prejudice and forever embroiled in battles over ancient monuments. But they are outsiders who have never taken the back roads that I have.
I’ve met farmers, factory workers, professors, business people, churchgoers, chefs, and veterans, and I call it like I see it: these outsiders are flat out wrong.
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The truth is that the South – and North Carolina in particular – is the backbone of what makes America strong. People forget that I spent the first twelve years of my life in the South, in Kenton, Tennessee. We all grew up with a deep faith in God and in America. We believed in strong families, a work ethic that doesn’t give up, and a resilience that gets us through all kinds of adversities. I see all of this today as I walk, and I have thanked the Lord for these sights, for they strengthen me.
When Hurricane Helene crashed into the North Carolina mountains last year, flooding small towns, the FBI was worse than the Keystone Kops. But the churches? They took action. Volunteers from all over the area saved what could be saved, covered the roofs with tarpaulin and cleared away the rubble.
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I met a retired couple and they told me that their house was under three meters of mud and water. A team of church people they had never met came and prayed over the ruins. Then they built it back, wall by wall. The woman said to me, “Pastor, we lost our home, but never our faith, and that is why God’s people showed up.”
Everywhere I go I have seen a hardcore work ethic. I’ve walked through factory towns where people aren’t looking for viral fame, but the ability to provide for their families.
I have also seen great family values in this state. One morning at a restaurant, I read in the local newspaper that the North Carolina House of Representatives had created Opportunity Scholarships for every family, using a sliding scale based on income. The goal of this program is to free children from failing schools. As the state’s website explains, “The Opportunity Scholarship helps North Carolina families pay tuition and other mandatory fees to attend registered private schools.”
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When I talked about this with a family I met, they told me there were also programs like All Pro Dads & Responsible Fatherhood, which teach men to advocate for their families.
Culturally, lawmakers have kept girls’ sports only for biological girls, removed explicit books from elementary shelves, and lowered taxes so that hardworking mothers and fathers can keep more of their paychecks. Personal income tax has fallen to 4.25% this year, with further cuts expected if revenues remain stable.
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I have long hated the government for the dependency it created in communities like mine on the South Side of Chicago, but this feels different. It is our money that is used to create choice, responsibility and accountability. That saves the state money in the long run. And ultimately it is up to the individual to benefit – or not.
Speaking of the individual, I have seen a hardcore work ethic everywhere I go. I’ve walked through factory towns where people aren’t looking for viral fame, but the ability to provide for their families. The number of manufacturing jobs in North Carolina last year was 473,000, and they say there will be a 3.5% growth through 2032, adding more than 16,000 jobs.
But it’s the stories that stick. More than 20,000 veterans are leaving the armed forces this year and bringing that military discipline straight to the workplace. And the numbers support that.
This is a record year for jobs, with 33,745 new jobs announced and $23 billion invested. JetZero invests $4.7 billion in an aircraft factory in Guilford County that will create 14,500 jobs; Vulcan Elements, $918 million in Benson for 1,000 magnet factory sites; Novartis, $771 million in Durham for 700 pharmaceutical positions. These are not handouts; they are jobs for men and women who show up on time, work overtime and thank God for the opportunity.
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The South has its sins and struggles like everywhere else. But the claim that it is a hindrance to America is false. The South is the elevator – the faith that rebuilds, the family that fights for what is right, the work that provides that, and the patriotism that unites.
As 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, if my people humble themselves and pray, God will heal the land. North Carolina lives that out, and it’s a model for the nation. This is where the heart of America still beats strong.
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