Southern Exposure
EDITORIAL STATEMENT
Our first editorial-published in 1973-says it best:
"As the South blends into the national picture, its problems are less unique, more national in character. Yet there is a continuing uniqueness to the region-both in its history of struggle and its possibilities for developing alternatives to the rest of America's crisis-prone growth."
For us, this statement remains true today. The South is still unique, and we still share problems and strengths with the rest of the nation. We still believe that both the uniqueness and commonality need to be explored in ways that are honest and honest, ways that encourage creative means of strengthening the positive, sustaining traditions of the South: love of the land, self-reliance, community sharing, humor, and striving for social harmony in the face of prejudices based on sexual, racial, and economic differences.
As a magazine published by a grassroots group struggling for social change, Southern Exposure recognizes that journalism and activism are inseparable. We write about our region because we wish to understand it and, ultimately, to change it for the better. As journalists and activists, we seek to provide the diverse cultural groups in the South with the information, ideas, and historical understanding we all need to bring about lasting change.
We wish to dispel stereotypical images of the South and its people by documenting and participating in movements for social change that help all of us as Southerners gain greater control over our lives.
We look to our past, to our contemporaries, and to the rest of the world for any information and inspiration that will further our vision of a South we can all safely call home.
In the years ahead, we
hope to change and grow with the South. We want to share our discoveries
with more people. We want to hear from more of our neighbors. We want
to have a say in the changes to come, at home and around the world.
