[1] The CIC formed in response to the increased tensions between white Americans and black soldiers returning from fighting in Europe after World War I.

African-American veterans and others resisted being treated as second-class citizens and fought back, especially in Chicago and Washington, DC,[3] during what has been called "Red Summer" because of the widespread violence.

[4] In 1943, leaders from the CIC, including sociologist Howard W. Odum, held a series of conferences in Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Atlanta, Georgia.

[1] The SRC avoided taking a public stand against legal segregation, on the belief that this would hinder progress toward its economic planning goals.

[5] Often partners with other groups involved in the civil rights movement, the SRC used communications and analysis to try to reach people through facts and education.

[10] Emory University, in partnership with the Library of Congress, has digitally preserved the journal, described as "an alternative and groundbreaking news outlet for stories on social justice in the South.

[12] The SRC served as a liaison between a number of southern organizations and northern foundations, providing resources and opportunities for mutual understanding.

[14] The Lillian Smith Book Award was established by the SRC in 1968, shortly after writer Lillian Smith died, to "recognize authors whose writing extends the legacy of this outspoken writer, educator and social critic who challenged her fellow Southerners and all Americans on issues of social and racial justice.