Interesting trend. The south will rise again I've heard people say (I'm not sure in what way they meant it) but good for those states I say.
Discussion
I first wrote “The South’s GDP will rise again,” but thought better of it. The general connotation is negative, as it refers to a time of slavery, but that time is long ago. There are still plenty of “those people” still in the south, but over time, their presence and influence diminishes.