Over the past six months, my wife, Melissa, has been working on Y’all Ain’t Right, an umbrella site featuring our podcast, This Ain’t It, a blog, and products filled with Southern “sass, smarts, and social consciousness.” This project originated as her way to use her talents to voice her opposition to the atrocities we see enacted around us on a daily basis. It also arose from a long journey, one that we have been walked over the past quarter of a century, that has led us away from the beliefs of our youth to a more inclusive and all-encompassing world, one where we see injustices and speak against them, one where we work to make a better place for all. With that in mind, I wanted to interview Melissa as she launches Y’all Ain’t Right. Below, you will see my interview with her.

We’ve been together for over 25 years, and during that time each of us has changed and progressed in various ways, especially in regard to politics and the ways that we see the world. Part of this includes our faith. Can you tell us some about your political journey and how your faith has impacted it?

I grew up in a Republican, Southern Baptist household where politics was never really discussed — not at home, not at church. The unspoken rule was that not everyone votes the same way, so we just didn’t talk about it. Naturally, I voted the way my parents did without giving it much thought. Up until Trump entered the presidential race, it honestly didn’t feel like it mattered much who was president. They all seemed like experienced politicians who said whatever they needed to get elected, but at least they were professional and “presidential” and seemed to be looking out for everyone, more or less.

The 2016 election was my turning point. Early on, no one in my circle took Trump seriously — even the Republican Christians I knew thought he was a joke. But over the course of that election year, SO many people fell under his spell. I couldn’t understand it. I saw through all his BS and kept thinking, “Are we even seeing the same guy?” I kept pointing out there were no fruits of the Spirit in this man. His fruit was rotten.

By the end of his first term, the pastor at our Southern Baptist church — and others we visited — had fully adopted Christian Nationalism. They were even preaching about the “dangers” of progressive Christianity. I spent four years feeling like an outcast in the church, like I was less than because I hadn’t been brainwashed by Trump.

During the COVID shutdowns in 2020, everything at church was canceled and all we had was our pastor preaching online each week. That amplified how much I disagreed with what he was saying from the pulpit. Making the rounds to other churches online confirmed my suspicions: I was very alone in my thinking among evangelical churches.

Around that time, I started seeing people on social media talking about deconstruction. I was fortunate not to have the kind of religious trauma many people carry, so I didn’t need to deconstruct in the same way. Instead, I felt like I needed to reconstruct. It’s still a work in progress. One thing I internalized without meaning to was that Republican = Christian and Progressive Christian = going to hell because you’ve got it all wrong. Christian Nationalism and this twisted form of MAGA Christianity forced me to dig in and really learn what the Bible actually says about certain things — which honestly isn’t a bad thing.

My faith is stronger now. I feel like it’s better aligned with Jesus and his teachings instead of a list of rules the church tries to push.

You’re launching Y’all Ain’t Right, a multifaceted umbrella that includes a podcast, blogs, and more. It’s an intersection of Southernness, faith, and progressivism. Can you tell us about Y’all Ain’t Right and how you decided to start it?

The 2024 election and the immediate shift to authoritarianism after Trump’s 2025 inauguration were the final straws for me. I’d been sitting with these feelings of frustration and alienation for years, but after the election, I knew I needed to actually DO something — create something — not just sit silently with my anger and fear.

I’ve never been one to hold my tongue, but talking politics around here in rural Georgia can be… interesting. Being a blue dot in a sea of red makes you learn when to pick your battles and when to get creative. I wanted a way to express my views without constant confrontations on social media, which honestly just drains my mental health.

That’s when Y’all Ain’t Right was born. I chose to make it a brand with merch because I liked being able to visually create something that someone could wear — that I could wear — that said what I thought without having to actually say it aloud. It became my outlet to speak up and say what’s on my mind with a little humor thrown in.

Where does the name Y’all Ain’t Right come from?

Y’all Ain’t Right is a Southern phrase you’ll hear said with equal parts humor and exasperation, usually when someone says something crazy or outlandish. But it also has this perfect play on words between being “right” and “left” in politics. It felt like the perfect name because it captures both the Southern vernacular and the political reality of what I’m trying to do here.

The tagline for Y’all Ain’t Right is “We’re southern, progressive, and not afraid to say it.” How does this tagline encapsulate what you want people to take away from the website and offerings that you provide?

The “not afraid to say it” part is the most important to me personally, but it’s also about embracing this identity of being a Southern progressive, which makes me pretty rare in the very red, rural South. I added “not afraid to say it” because I still need to embrace that myself and get better at not hiding the progressive part of me publicly, or even among my Facebook friends, who are predominantly Republican due to living in the South and being in church spaces my whole life. It’s kind of a rallying cry for me, a pep talk I’m giving myself as much as anyone else.

But all three pieces need to be together. I can’t separate the Southern identity from the progressive values or from the courage it takes to speak up. They’re all part of the same package.

Part of Y’all Ain’t Right is a weekly podcast entitled This Ain’t It that we do together. I think this is the first time we have done something of this nature together. Can you tell us about what inspired you to do the podcast?

My brother was actually the one who encouraged us to do a podcast. He pointed out that we have this unique perspective, as former Republicans and former evangelicals (we’re Presbyterian now). You don’t find that combination a lot in podcasts; however, we do know a lot of ex-SBC congregants at our current church.

You are an English professor and academic who’s done research, writing, and podcasts before on similar topics, but always from a more academic perspective. We thought it would be good to do this together because I’m not academic. I bring a more down-to-earth, average “Joe” perspective to it that sometimes isn’t exactly your view. That balance felt important.

How has producing and recording This Ain’t It helped you to think about current events? How has it helped you, in any way, process what we see happening all around us in this specific moment?

Before the podcast, I was processing everything by stewing privately, doomscrolling, and texting my brother a gazillion times a day. The podcast has actually helped me feel less anxious on some days because I have a certain day and time reserved to get all my feelings out. It’s contained, intentional.

It’s also made me more informed because I do research behind the topics we cover. Instead of just reacting emotionally to headlines, I’m digging deeper and understanding the context, history, and implications. That’s been really valuable.

Preparing for the launch of Y’all Ain’t Right, you have designed countless items for the website. What are some of your favorite designs and why?

It’s like trying to pick a favorite child since they’re all my creations, but my current favorites are:

“Make biscuits, not war (y’all need to leave other people alone)” — This was in response to Venezuela and trying to make a grab for Greenland. It’s got that Southern charm with a pointed message.

“Serve supper, not suffering (feed the people)” — This came out of my anger during the federal shutdown when SNAP benefits weren’t being paid out, and the incredibly cruel things people were saying online about SNAP recipients.

“Humans > papers” — A direct response to the immigration raids. People matter more than paperwork.

“Patriarchy season is over” — This is my feminist desire for men to step aside and let women take over and fix the mess they’ve created. It’s far overdue.

Each one is tied to something specific happening in the world, something that made me angry or heartbroken or fed up.

What, ultimately, do you want people to take away from the content you create under Y’all Ain’t Right? What is your motivation for embarking upon this endeavor?

I want people to feel less alone. I want them to join me in being braver about speaking up and out. I want them to find like-minded people and build community.

If someone feels seen — if they previously felt like they were alone in their thoughts or an outcast because of being a Southern progressive — then it will all be worth it. That’s success to me.

Where can people find you online to check out all that Y’all Ain’t Right has to offer?

Shop and listen to the podcast at www.yallaintright.co

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky — @yallaintrightco