The Southern Patriot was a progressive southern newspaper that ran from 1942-1976? out of South Carolina. The newspaper supported and advocated desegregation before and after the Civil Rights Movement. It covered groups like the militant-leaning Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in a favorable light. It covered the youth movements, sit-ins, and acts of civil disobedience surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and inspired activists in their endeavors.

The Southern Patriot was the newspaper arm of The Southern Conference Educational Fund or SCEF a group that led in the fight against segregation.  Its first editor was James Dombrowski, “a white, Florida-born reformer who had been active in southern causes sine the 1920’s.” (Southern Patriot, 503). The Southern Patriot was named in an attempt to avoid the communist slurs that aimed at most anti-segregationist organizations. In the mid 1950’s editorship was assumed by Anne Braden a white Kentucky anti –racist activist, who with her husband Carl Braden became leaders and strong voices within the anti-segregationist movement throughout the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  The Southern Patriot was an important voice on the left uncovering often overlooked stories of racism.  Carl Braden was often jailed and called a communist for his outspoken opposition to institutionalized racism. Anne served as a mentor for student groups such as SNCC and she worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King.  In 1973, due to a challenge on the left, the Bradens left SCEF and the paper became more Marxist Leninist.  (Southern Patriot in The Encyclopedia of Social Movement, SAGE: Three Oaks CA, 2011, pp 502-506.)

Our Southern Patriot holdings have been completely indexed.  To search by topic or keyword, go to our index: https://archives.valdosta.edu/civil-rights-index/

Harmful Content Policy: Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collection’s collection houses materials collected to elucidate the past. We recognize that users may encounter some items within these collections that contain offensive language, viewpoints, imagery or other forms of objectionable content. Such materials document the past and should be viewed within the context of their original time period. Providing online access to these historical materials does not endorse any attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors depicted therein. Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections is committed to upholding the principle of equal and free access to unaltered historical information. (based upon the statement for the Georgia Public Library Service on harmful content)