anything Faulkner would be great...also, I'd look at some Ferrol Sams...say, "Run with the Horsmen" or even some Afrian American lit from the likes of Ralph Ellison or Richard Wright...depending on what angle you are approaching the south from of course
But if you are looking to highlight the racial climate, I'd go for Ellison's "The Invisible Man" or Richard Wright's "Native Son"
Even Alice Walker would be a good choice...any of hers actually..."The Color Purple" specifically
or, Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes were Watching God"
and for nonfiction or memoir style, try James Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time" or Richard Wright's "Black Boy"
if you would like to PM me I might be of more help if I knew exactly what angle you are going at....I'm southern...and studied quite a bit of Southern lit, specifically African American lit
Good luck