Salvation South: Recent Episodes
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece comments on Southern culture and values in a weekly segment that airs Fridays on GPB Radio.
Salvation South is an online magazine inspired by hope, healing and — most importantly — the desire to create a place on the web and a community of people where civil conversation can happen. We celebrate the culture of the South, and discuss issues of importance to our region.
Chuck Reece tells the story of the Dothan High School graduating class of 1972, the first integrated class in the history of Dothan, Alabama. Fifty years ago, Dothan High students did their best to navigate a social environment defined by segregationist Governor George Wallace, and profound racial tension. Fifty years later, two friends and alumni, a black student and a white student, came up with a plan to try to treat these long festering wounds, in the form of what they called a Unity Reunion. The result shows the power of what good faith, accountability and honest dialogue can do to heal even our deepest traumas.
All throughout this sweltering Georgia summer, people across our state have bravely gone into their yards with dangerous implements—mowers, shears, weed whackers, and other weapons of lawn maintenance. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece did the same, until he learned this painful lesson.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Chuck Reece details the United States's brutal program of forcibly assimilating Native American children through boarding schools in the late 19th and early 20th century. He learns the historical context of this act of warfare; the lasting trauma it created; and the Native-led efforts to heal its generational wounds.
This weekend, DeKalb County officials will gather on the courthouse square in Decatur to dedicate a statute of the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis. The statue replaces a monument installed in 1908 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here with some memories of his conversations with John Lewis.
Martin Luther—not Atlanta’s own Dr. King, but the sixteenth century priest who was his namesake—once wrote, “Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” Salvation South editor Chuck Reece believes the music we take to heart when we're young can change us forever. Here’s Chuck with some thoughts on that.
Young boys have been worried about what it means to become a man since the beginning of time. And for years, they have tried to prove they are men by imitating the so-called “manly” behaviors modeled by earlier generations. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece thinks that perhaps the time has come to rethink that method.
Is a story worth telling if it doesn’t have a moral or a point? Sometimes, stories without a purpose need to be told if only because the preservation of memories has a value all its own. Salvation South founder and editor Chuck Reece has just such a story for us today.
On this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Chuck Reece goes deep into the complicated history of the banjo, from its origin on the shores of the Carribean and West Africa to its rise as a ubiquitous icon of Southern "hillbilly" culture and beyond.
Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public spaces, even if the city doesn’t have enough shelter beds. With more people living unhoused than ever in America, and governments struggling to help, providing a little help often falls to people who are willing to do the work themselves. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has some thoughts about such good samaritans.
Much of today’s political news is filled with discussion and debate about immigration. Which people are coming to America? Which should be permitted to come? And how many should be permitted? Can immigration and Southern hospitality live in the same community? Salvation South editor Chuck Reece today invites you to visit a place where it does.
On this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Chuck Reece talks with "Rednecks" author Taylor Brown and scholars Gabe Schwartzman and Lloyd Tomlinson. He learns the ugly truth behind the origin of the term 'redneck' -- a shocking story of warfare carried out against American citizens by none other than their own government, which has been suppressed for nearly a century.
This year, people in North Carolina are celebrating the hundredth birthday of one of their most beloved sons, the revolutionary and legendary bluegrass banjo player Earl Scruggs. He defined how most of us believe the banjo is supposed to sound. But the story is a little more complicated than that. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here with his tribute to Earl Scruggs.
People from the American South have distinctive ways of speaking. But losing the accent has become big business. It’s easy to find companies that charge big bucks to teach you to lose your Southern accent. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece wonders why you would want to. Our accents, he argues, are as diverse as our region’s population.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: we explore the storied life and career of Southern Baseball legend "Hammerin" Henry Aaron. Chuck Reece discovers the lasting impact of Aaron's legacy, and learns that Hank's yearning for social justice extended to the Baseball field and far beyond.
Many of us could look back at our lives and be astonished at how much time we had spent reading. Hours. Weeks. Even years, for some of us. But fewer people set out to write a story that others might want to read. Our resident Southern storyteller, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece, is here with a few tips to help you give writing a try.
Next Monday marks the beginning of National Teacher Appreciation Week. During this annual celebration, we pay tribute to teachers who make a difference in our lives. And we remind those in power how important teachers are to the future of our nation. In this week’s commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece is here with a memory of a teacher who helped him find magic in the written word.
The word from farmers around Georgia is that we are somewhere between four and six weeks between an annual cause for celebration. That's the appearance of homegrown tomatoes in backyard gardens and at farmer’s markets. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece says that with these precious fruits comes an opportunity for all Southerners—regardless of politics, philosophy, or faith—to come together.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: to celebrate National Poetry Month, Chuck explores the poetic works of black Southern women, specifically those of Dr. Jacqueline Allen Trimble. Dr. Trimble, along with her friends and colleagues Ashley Jones and Honoree' Fanonne Jeffers, offer valuable insight into the unique power of poetry to not only inspire, but to educate.
Thousands will flock once again this weekend to tiny town of Warwick, Georgia for the annual National Grits Festival. They will celebrate the importance of a food that has nourished millions of Southerners. Cooks will compete for the best dish—savory or sweet—made with grits. But that won’t be the only competition. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has the story in this week’s commentary.
Monday night will mark the golden anniversary of Atlanta Braves legend Henry Aaron breaking the Major League Baseball record for career home runs. And on Tuesday, the Atlanta History Center will open an exhibition called “More Than Brave,” which commemorates that night and the enormous impact Aaron had on Georgia and the nation. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a remembrance of the momentous achievement and the life of the legendary man.
More than four million America children under the age of eighteen are homeless. A huge number of them were abandoned by parents who could not abide it when their children identified themselves as part of the LGBTQ community. In this week's commentary Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece shares the story of one such Southerner, whose upcoming memoir is called "No Son of Mine."
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe, Chuck talks with Grace Elizabeth Hale, author of In The Pines: A Lynching, A Lie, A Reckoning. Through her story, Chuck explores the meaning and truth behind the character Atticus Finch as the Southern hero archetype.
Salvation South magazine likes to tell stories about unsung heroes of Southern culture. In this week's commentary, editor Chuck Reece has a tale about Macon’s Robert Lee Coleman, who, in the 1970"s, made history with the Godfather of Soul, Augusta’s James Brown.
A very significant figure in the history of the South was born in Mississippi in 1924. A good many Southerners remember him with great fondness. But many more have never heard of Will Campbell. He was a Baptist preacher who never once behaved as he was expected to. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here with a remembrance in this week’s commentary.
A new PBS series from Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is airing on GPB TV and streaming on demand on PBS passport. It’s called “Gospel,” and it tells the story of how the music of Black churches became a tremendous contribution to American culture. Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece has been watching, and brings us the story of how, a century ago, a man from Villa Rica, Georgia, played a historic role in gospel’s development.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Native Appalachian documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon and others talk to Chuck about "King Coal," a new documentary which uses unconventional storytelling techniques to explore mountain folks' complicated relationship with the dying coal industry.
Have you ever eaten leatherbritches? Some of you might know exactly what we’re talking about. Others might wonder if we are encouraging you to eat a pair of pants. I can assure you we are not. And Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here to tell you more precisely what we mean in this week’s commentary.
There is a word in the English language dictionary that for five-hundred years has been used to describe the food we eat. But in the last century, it became a word used by those who wanted to belittle people from the South. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here to tell us why the V-word really deserves a place of honor in this week's commentary.
When Salvation South editor Chuck Reece launched his online magazine about the South, he did not expect it to attract so many writers of poetry. And the sad truth was, Chuck didn’t know much about poetry in the first place. But thanks to those writers, he’s developed a keen appreciation for Southern poems. Here he is to share that appreciation with you in this week's commentary.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe, Chuck talks with legendary singer-songwriter William Bell about his origins, and delves into the role religion played in creating Soul Music, one of America's greatest ever contributions to culture.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece introduces you to—or at least reminds you about—one of the South’s greatest writers, Ron Rash. In this week's commentary, Chuck explains why you should pay attention to Ron’s novels, short stories, and poems because they will teach you how to pay attention to details in life.
As the year comes to a close, we bring you this special episode of Salvation South, where we take a look back on our most popular commentaries aired by GPB Radio in 2023. (Part 2 of 2)
As the year comes to a close, we bring you this special episode of Salvation South, where we take a look back on our most popular commentaries aired by GPB Radio in 2023. (Part 1 of 2)
Have you ever been to a “pounding?” Salvation South editor Chuck Reece was taken to one when he was a child, but he never knew where that name came from. That is, until a writer submitted a story to his magazine about the fading Southern tradition where those who have, help those who don’t. Chuck explains in this week's commentary.
Salvation South Deluxe is a series of extended episodes of the Salvation South podcast that unravel the untold stories of the Southern experience, narrated by the authentic voices that make this region truly unique. In our first episode, host Chuck Reece takes you to Old Fort, North Carolina, where the power of unity has rebuilt a thriving economy for this small Southern town.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece and his family had much to be thankful for as they celebrated Thanksgiving. But he couldn’t get through the day without adding someone outside his family circle, the former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, to the list of people for whom he was grateful. Chuck explains in this week's commentary.
When our ancestors pass away, we reckon with what they leave us. That can be objects, or money, or land, or a host of other material things. But for some folks, the most important thing bequeathed by an ancestor is the food, the recipes, because in those tastes—sometimes…if we’re lucky—there is magic. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a story about that magic in this week’s commentary.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece’s father ate sorghum syrup almost every night. In his era, refined sugar was scarce on a North Georgia farm. There wasn’t a sugar bowl on most tables; instead, there was a jar of sorghum. These days, sorghum is a necessary element of Southern food and culture as Chuck explains in this week's commentary.
One of the most famous painters the state of Georgia ever produced never took an art class. Instead, he was a small-town preacher. He believed God called him to paint what he called “sacred art.” Salvation South editor Chuck Reece remembers a day he spent with Howard Finster forty years ago in this week's commentary.
Too often, we do not think about the first thing that comes out of our mouths in a conversation. After many years of paying very close attention to the first lines of books and magazine articles, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a few ideas about why we should give our first words a little more thought in this week’s commentary.
When we think about “folk music,” most of us think about music that sounds a certain way. But really, folk music is the stuff we pass around to each other, that we sing around the fire, the songs that we let anyone join in on. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece explains the origins of one of the most famous folk songs in this week’s commentary.
One of the South’s greatest musical treasures is a gospel singing group that has been around since 1939, called the Blind Boys of Alabama. The longtime leader of that group is, at age 91, retiring after a lifetime of singing. In this week's commentary Salvation South editor Chuck Reece reflects on a recent visit with the singer and a lasting memory of one of the singer's performances.
In our public discourse these days, certain phrases are almost guaranteed to make people nervous. One of those is “white privilege.” In this week's commentary Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece explains how a long talk with Southern writer, David Joy, helped him look at the phrase differently.
Ask anyone the question, who taught you how to do that thing you love to do? The answer will often be something like, "There was this one teacher who really believed in me and didn’t give up on me." Today, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece wants to celebrate every school teacher listening, who never give up on their students.
Building a series of travel stories about the hometowns of Southern writers, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece discovered an essay by the novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston in which she discusses the town of Eatonville, Florida where she grew up. He has more thoughts on Hurston and her connection to the historic town in this week's commentary.
Due to this year’s unusually warm winter, Georgia peach growers are facing one of the worst seasons in memory. In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a few words of lament for this situation—and some thoughts about how to behave when you visit a fruit stand that has no peaches.
When Salvation South editor Chuck Reece was 19, he encountered what many people say is the greatest Southern novel ever written — William Faulkner’s "Absalom, Absalom!" The book is a grueling test for even the most dedicated reader, but in this week’s commentary Chuck says it is still worth your time.
When Salvation South editor Chuck Reece first moved to New York City, he felt like he had something to prove. But he didn’t know exactly what that was. In this week’s commentary, he reports on what he learned from an audacious experiment.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece often talks about how cultures from around the world have integrated into the culture of the American South. In this week's commentary, Chuck looks at a truly unique and harmonious marriage of bluegrass picking with the music of China direct from Nashville of course.
June is Pride Month, and LGBTQ+ communities across the South and elsewhere are celebrating, while some state legislatures across the country have passed or are considering new anti-LGBTQ laws. In the middle of this controversy, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has decided to stick with a simple lesson his father taught him years ago in this week's episode.
Food lovers often talk about “fusion cuisine,” a type of food created when a cook mixes flavors from one place with flavors from another. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a few words about a chef who grew up in India but who adamantly and proudly declares himself a Mississippian in this week's episode.
How well do you remember what you were like when you were only eight years old? Most of us would never dream of doing the things we did when we were kids. But have you ever wondered whether thinking like an eight-year-old could be a great thing? Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a story about that in this week’s commentary.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, many of us are thinking about the ones who brought us into this world. In this week’s episode, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece explains how he’s been thinking about his own mother, who left him too early but remains with him still.
After diving once again into the history of blues music — arguably the greatest Southern contribution to American culture — Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece has been thinking about music’s power to soothe even the deepest pain we feel. He shares his thoughts in this week's commentary.
April is National Poetry Month. In this week's commentary Salvation South editor Chuck Reece celebrates the occasion by looking at the richness of Southern speech — specifically at how the words we use tell the world who we are.
A new documentary from the Atlanta History Center about the history of Stone Mountain, and the memorial to the Confederacy carved into its flank, has prompted many Georgians to re-examine what they thought they knew about the carving and how it got there. It also prompted a story in Chuck Reece’s online magazine, Salvation South. Chuck has details in this week's commentary.
The South is beloved by people around the world for its literature. The names of great novelists like Eudora Welty and Alice Walker and William Faulkner are familiar everywhere. But we should not neglect the work of the South’s poets, who move us to empathy with just a few well-chosen words. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has some thoughts on the subject in this week’s commentary.
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.
Sixty years ago, there was a long-running TV program called “The Andy Griffith Show,” which took place in a fictional North Carolina town called Mayberry. The show’s laughter and life lessons were built on small-town Southern values.Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece explores the shows deeper meaning and explains why it resonates so personally for him in this week's episode.
Pimento cheese is a classic Southern dish — a staple of Sunday dinners, Saturday tailgate parties, and late-night snacking. But did you know that pimento cheese did not originate in the South? Salvation South editor Chuck Reece was as surprised to find this out as you probably are. He explains in this week's commentary.
For a decade, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has focused his work on the region in which he lives — the American South. After spending years pondering the question of why Southerners feel such pride for their region, he’s learned some things about where that pride comes from as he explains in this week's commentary.
Few foods are as divisive as oysters. In this week's commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece shares that the divide extends beyond the taste and texture and into the very cultivation of this Southern staple.
There is a very significant community down on Alabama’s Mobile Bay called Africatown — established after the Civil War by formerly enslaved people, who were brought to America aboard the illegal slave ship Cotilda, the last to land on this country’s shores. Over time, Africatown became one of the largest African American-governed communities in America.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has the story in this week’s commentary.
Many Georgians are at work this fall, preserving the bounty of the vegetable gardens they planted back in the springtime. In this week's commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece shares found memories of canning and putting up time spent with his Aunt Mary.
In the early 1960s, in places like Memphis, Tenn., and Muscle Shoals, Ala., groups of young Black and white musicians made hit records together in defiance of Jim Crow. In this week's commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece explains why the significance of Southern soul music goes far beyond its irresistible call to the dance floor.
When Afghanistan fell back into the hands of the Taliban last year, thousands of Afghan people who had worked to assist U.S. forces scrambled to leave the country and begin new lives elsewhere. In this week's commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece has the story of one such Afghan family — and what their experience might teach us about life in America.
One of country music’s greatest and most influential stars, Loretta Lynn, died this week at age 90. Her fearless and powerful writing spoke for rural people everywhere — particularly for rural women. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has this remembrance.
The end of summer means the end of the season for what is probably the nastiest creature in the southern ecosystem according to Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece. He explains why the pesky yellow fly is so despised in this week's commentary.
In the rural South of the 20th century, country stores were the centers of community. Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece visited many of them when he was a kid, riding along with his Uncle Bob, who supplied those stores for his livelihood. In this week's commentary, Chuck reflects on life lessons that experience taught him.
There are many foods for which the South is justifiably famous, such as gumbo, fried chicken, barbecue and so many more. The casserole is not thought of as a particularly Southern dish. But as Salvation South editor Chuck Reece explains in this week's commentary, the way Southerners use the casserole — and how we fill it with love — is definitely distinct.
Salvation South editor Chuck Reece attended a whole lot of funerals when he was a child, but he never tired of hearing loved ones share sweet stories about the dearly departed. In this week's commentary Chuck discusses one recent remembrance that struck a particular chord.
The South has a history of racial disharmony and hatred that goes all the way back to colonial times. These days, we’re all waking up to the need to reach across the lines of race and come to a deeper and more genuine understanding. But can we really make that happen?
A few months ago, it did happen in a small city in southeastern Alabama. Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece tells the story in this week's commentary.
If you look at the calendar, you can find a handful of national and made-up holidays for every day of the year. There's everything from National Potato day to National Hug Your Dog Day.
In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece explores one of those made-up holidays that particularly resonates with him, National Random Acts of Kindness Day.
For many years now, Georgia has attracted new residents from all over the country. People move here from New England, from the West Coast, from just about everywhere. And sometimes, these newcomers raise their eyebrows at us Southerners when we use the word "y’all."
In this week's commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece explains why it is actually the perfect pronoun.
Gumbo is a dish that’s held in high esteem in the American South. And that’s not just because it tastes so good. Gumbo not only fills our bellies; it also tells us something about who we are as Southerners.
In this week's commentary, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece explains why gumbo is actually the best metaphor for Southern culture.
A steady stream of bad news has been almost enough to make Salvation South editor Chuck Reece lose hope altogether. But he’s found a few ways to keep hope alive in his own life — and he hopes you’ll find these useful too in the first of his new commentary segments for GPB.