The CCC has its roots in the Citizens Councils of America, a racist organization formed in the 1950s and dedicated to states rights and the preservation of segregation in the South. The Citizens Councils, known for intimidating and harassing Blacks involved in the civil rights movement, printed and distributed pamphlets containing inflammatory racist speeches by various segregationists. The pamphlets had titles such as "Segregation and the South," which described Black Americans as having "an inherent deficiency in mental ability," and "a natural indolence," and "The Ugly Truth About the NAACP," which accused the organization of being controlled by Communists intent on destroying America.

The intertwining of the Citizens Councils of America with the CCC is evident. Gordon Baum, the CEO of the CCC, was a field director for Citizens Councils of America. William Lord, the state coordinator for the CCC in Mississippi, told a Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS) reporter in 1994 that the Citizens Council shared its membership list with the CCC, and that many members of Citizens Councils joined the new organization. In addition, the CCC named its official organ Citizens Informerafter the publication of the Citizens Councils.

Robert Patterson, the founder of the Citizens Councils, is a regular contributor to Citizens Informer. A quote from one of Patterson's columns is typical of articles found in the publication: "[Americans] did not foresee a revolution launched by white liberals and professional Negro organizations that would evolve into an all out drive for racial amalgamation and black political domination of our country." Other essays in the publication speak of the "victimization" of whites who are at the mercy of minorities and the liberal "elite," the latter often used as a code word for Jews. The material in the CCC's official newspaper points to the group's apparent desire to continue the legacy of its predecessor.

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