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.
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.
