Salvation South

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 M. 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...

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 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.