The Southern Regional Council (SRC) was formed by members of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation to revitalize the effort for social reform in the South. Formally established in January 1944, membership in the interracial SRC included college and university presidents, labor leaders, church ministers, and newspaper editors from 13 Southern states. The organization worked for progress by collecting facts about racial problems in the South and making them available through publications to private citizens and public officials. The SRC also supported state committees to encourage local involvement of people in their own communities. Originally known as State Committees on Interracial Cooperation in the 1940's and 1950's, the name later changed to State Councils on Human Relations. The State Councils' bylaws, executive staff, bookkeeping and provisions for membership were subject to approval by the SRC. One of the Council's most significant programs was the Voter Education Project (VEP). In cooperation with established civil rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the SRC launched a sustained project in 1962 consisting of voter education and registration of African Americans and other disenfranchised groups. The SRC provided strategic planning, and administration to the VEP from 1962-1969. In 1970 the VEP became a separate entity and was granted its charter. Although the VEP was discontinued in 1992, the SRC continues its work today, promoting racial justice and civic participation.

The SRC Papers consists of correspondence, financial records, reports, minutes, publications, and other printed materials. The records document the activities of the SRC through 1968. The largest group of material within the SRC Papers is the Administrative Records. These records include Board meeting minutes, annual reports, financial records, and reports from the Executive Director. The Information and Research Departmental Records consist of studies, surveys, and reports created to help the SRC gather information about racial problems in the South. The records of the State Councils on Human Relations contain reports, minutes, membership lists, and correspondence. The Voter Education Project files comprise documentation of voter registration and voter education projects in small towns throughout the South. The records also chronicle the involvement of civil rights organizations such as SNCC, CORE, SCLC, and the NAACP.