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 us 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 Dr. 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.