Salvation South

Since Salvation South editor Chuck Reece began joining GPB every Friday, one of his most popular commentaries was about the great legacy of Southern soul music. This week, we’ve asked Chuck to treat us to some soul music that maybe we haven’t heard. He’s got two songs about desire that he believes we all ought to add to our libraries.

February is Black History Month, when we take time to honor African Americans who have contributed to the cultural, political, societal and academic evolution of our nation. And sometimes, when we dig into that history, we unearth the stories of remarkable people whose names were largely forgotten.

Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece has the story of one such extraordinary man in this week’s commentary.

Artificial intelligence — and the worry over how students might use it to cheat on their assignments — has become a dominant topic in the news of late. In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece spends some time with ChatGPT and discovers that when it comes to forming a truly insightful understanding of Southern culture and history, our teachers don’t have much to worry about.

The way that folks in the South honor their ancestors who have passed away has some elements that folks outside the region might find curious. But as Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece explains in this week's commentary, those ways of paying tribute can sometimes help to pull communities together.

A memorial service will be held Saturday in Athens, Georgia for William Orten Carlton, who was born, raised, and lived his entire life in that college town. In many ways, this man — known to most people simply as “Ort” — was the glue that held Athens together.  Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has this remembrance.

On Monday, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the national holiday that honors the late Atlanta civil rights leader, theologian and American icon. During his career, King spoke and wrote often about what he called “the beloved community.”

In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece considers what King meant when he talked about the beloved community.

There’s a good argument to be made that the greatest gift we can pass on to someone we love is a book. Books feed our spirits and take us to places we could never go on our own, and they bring us wisdom that stays with us for a lifetime.

Salvation South editor Chuck Reece gives us his pick for the best Southern novel of 2022 in this week's commentary.

So many of us in the South have seen our small towns wither to almost nothing as the economy has changed. And we wonder, is there any hope of reviving those towns? What’s happening in the tiny North Carolina town of Old Fort is an example how it may just be possible. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has the story in this week's commentary.

When we’re little kids, this time of year can produce precious memories that will last our entire lives. Then we grow up and life gets more complicated. But there’s great value in savoring those old memories. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece tells us why in this week’s commentary.

Southern holiday dinners are delicious, but they can also be predictable. You can usually expect turkey and dressing or ham or maybe both. In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece turns the tables on the predictable Southern Christmas dinner.