While the concept of the "New South" may be perceived as "synonymous with the decline of racial hostility and violence and with political leanings similar to other regions," the rise of the southern Republicans and the dearth of African Americans in positions of power suggest enduring legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, even as other developments, such as the return of wealthier and more educated African Americans to the South, suggest that there may indeed be some aspects of reality underlying the idea. In this work, Ford (political science and African-American studies, U. of Arkansas) presents 13 papers examining the politics and policies of Georgia in relation to these tensions in the concept of the New South as it relates to the experiences of African Americans. Specifically, they examine racial politics and voter suppression; the social and political status of people internally displaced by Hurricane Katrina; the role of race and class in the 2000 presidential primaries and presidential election; African Americans in the Georgia General Assembly; the impact of African American mayors on municipalities; the impact of race and population shifts on municipal representation in select counties; gentrification in the city of Savannah; race, politics, the historically-black colleges and universities, and desegration; the status of achievement of African American youth in elementary and secondary education; health disparities; and disparities in the enforcement of drug sentencing laws. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)