Wow, tough question ! Having lived all over the USA most consider me a "Southern man" since I was born, raised and live in Kentucky...which by proclamation is below the Mason Dixon Line and therefore closely associated with the old Southern slave states.
Let's see if I can summarize this.
I like pinto beans, pecan pie, rhubarb pie, corn bread, country ham, corn on the cob and Hall's beer cheese. I prefer sour mash Bourbon rather than Scotch. I prefer Southern women for their presence, grace, poise and beauty.
I believe that there are good and bad folks in all religions and races, and I tend to stay away from the bad ones. I had relatives who fought in the U.S Calvary for the preservation of the Union. They fought in the towns they were born in, raised in and had families in.
I believe that being "Southern" is my cultural heritage, a slice of heaven and a state of mind.
The world needs to understand that being "Southern" does not mean being a red neck or a Confederate.