TMI Show Ep 146: “Southern Accents: Gone with the Wind”

"The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan" is back from the holiday weekend, droppin’ some serious knowledge on a cultural shift that’s got everyone talkin’—talking vanilla English, that is!

The Southern dialect among Black people in Atlanta has been fading fast over recent decades, and it’s all tied to the “Reverse Great Migration.” Back in the day, from 1910 to 1970, African Americans left the South for northern cities like New York, Detroit, and Chicago during the Great Migration. Now, their grandkids and great-grandkids—many college-educated—are moving back . A study shows the Southern accent among Black Gen Z (born 1997–2012) has dropped off big time, largely because over 5.8 million people have flooded the U.S. South in the 2020s, bringing speech patterns that dilute the classic drawl. Researchers, who previously studied white Atlantans, note that younger generations are leaning toward a pan-regional accent, sounding more like Californian dudes and babes than their Boomer grandparents. Cultural homogenization, social mobility, and even stereotypes are pushing kids to switch up their speech. But not everyone agrees—some argue the shift isn’t just due to migration but a sign of broader identity changes, sparking debates on what “Southern” even means anymore. Tune in for a convo that’s as real as it gets!

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