The Facade of Southern Manners: Beneath the Surface of Hospitality The Southern United States is often stereotyped as a bastion of hospitality and etiquette, where strangers are welcomed into homes and politeness reigns supreme.
However, beneath this veneer lies a complex web of social norms with roots in the region's troubled past. Growing up in Tennessee, I was taught to respect my elders and adhere to traditional notions of courtesy.
But it wasn't until I began exploring the history of Southern manners that I realized how intricately tied these customs were to the experiences of enslaved Africans.