Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics & Society

Defining the South in the 21st Century

Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics & Society

Key Projects & Events

The Blair Center Poll (BCP)

The Blair Center Poll (BCP) is a presidential election year survey conducted in partnership with Knowledge Networks (Stanford) which includes an oversample of southern, African American, and Latino respondents and examines political behavior and attitudes.

The Arkansas Poll

The Arkansas Poll, under the direction of Janine Parry and Bill Schreckhise, is an annual statewide public opinion survey of Arkansas residents.

The Blair Legacy Series

The Blair Legacy Series is our major conference series held in the fall of odd-numbered years. An invited group of interdisciplinary scholars examine the legacy of key figures (Clinton, Bush, V. O. Key, C. Vann Woodward, Fulbright, and 2nd Wave Feminists, thus far) in southern politics and history and publish conference proceedings in book form.

The Blair Spotlight Series

The Blair Spotlight Series brings influential public figures to the University of Arkansas campus to reflect on their journey from student life to the national spotlight.

The Minor in Southern Studies

The Minor in Southern Studies (SOST) launched in Fall 2015, includes an interdisciplinary introductory course, as well as electives in history, English, political science, and sociology, and emphasizes critical analysis of the region and its relationship to the nation.

The Blair Graduate Fellowships

The Blair Graduate Fellowships fund graduate students in the departments of English and history (per the original endowment agreement).

The Blair Faculty Summer Fellowships

The Blair Faculty Summer Fellowships support one faculty member in the humanities and one in the social sciences conducting research on the South.

Co-Sponsored Programs

Our Co-sponsored programs support programming in African American Studies, Latin American Studies, Gender Studies, as well as mentoring events at national academic meetings.