Happy Black History Month!
You might recognize the faces of the many African American actors pictured here who brought the fictional stories of Space (and Deep Space) travel to life in the long standing Star Trek franchise.
May you boldly explore the mulitlayered universe of the often groundbreaking accomplishments and history of Black Americans this month.
And may you, in the words of Lt. Spock, “live long and prosper!”
Each week, journalist Julia Barton whips out her fascinating online newsletter, Continuous Wave. It explores the forgotten history of broadcast and all electronic media, and she recently featured an excerpt from my biography of Radio Hall of Fame writer Richard Durham.
Please see Julia’s introduction to her post below, and then check out her newsletter excerpt on Durham by clicking on The Price I Pay to be Free link.
Happy Reading!
Note from Julia: I’ve said it before — US network radio in the 1920s and 1930s was an absolute embarrassment when it came to race. Not only did early radio deploy crude ethnic stereotypes — with popular shows like Amos’n’Andy built around the “racial ventriloquy” of white men depicting Black characters — but it was almost impossible for actual Black people to get on network air as themselves, or Black writers to get dramatic scripts past gatekeepers.
That started to change with the onset of US involvement in World War II, as the government, which needed enlistment and buy-in from Black communities, asked radio to open its doors to more voices and points of view. From this opening came a new generation of Black radio actors and writers. One of the best was Richard Durham, a journalist with the Chicago Defender who in 1948 started the history series Destination Freedom on Chicago’s NBC powerhouse affiliate WMAQ (ironically, the same station where Amos’n’Andy got its start).
Howard University professor Sonja D. Williams has written a fascinating biography of Richard Durham called Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio, and Freedom. Williams is also a Peabody-award-winning audio producer, and it was in the course of researching the Smithsonian’s documentary series Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was that she first encountered Durham’s work. “I was struck by this series’ lyricism, dramatic flair, and fiery rhetoric,” she writes.
Today, with Williams’ permission, we’re bringing you the story of Destination Freedom, an excerpt from Word Warrior. After this, I hope that if you haven’t already, you’ll go read the whole book. Here’s Sonja Williams:
“The Price I Pay to Be Free” Sonja D. Williams on the timeless radio of Richard Durham
On August 8th in San Francisco, California, I became this year’s receipient of the annually-awarded (since 1983) Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Education from the Broadcast and Mobile Journalism division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
As the first African American woman and only the sixth woman to receive this national recognition, I was blown away by this honor!
For 25 years at CBS News in New York City, Edward L. Bliss served as a producer, writer and editor for legendary journalists like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. Then in Washington, DC, Bliss went on to develop American University’s journalism program, nurturing its growth for nearly 30 years.
So needless to say, receiving this award in Bliss’ name was an exciting and a humbling experience.
This photo features the Howard University Cathy Hughes School of Communications alumni who attended the ceremony, including (front row) Dr. Rochelle Ford & Jane Philpott; (back row) Charles Turner, Pendarvis Harshaw, Dr. Kimberly Moffitt – HU School of Communications Dean, Dr. George Daniels & Mela Woods. The other photograph features Bliss Award Committee chair, Dr. William Silcock and I.
And if you’re so inclined, feel free to click on the link below to see videos of Dr. Moffitt’s and Dr. Ford’s speeches, the Bliss Award tribute video and my acceptance speech.
Enjoy and thanks so much for your support!
As this days of this month roll along, there’s still time to celebrate Black Music Month and African American music in all its forms.
With that in mind, feel free to check out this rendition of the spiritual Deep River, as performed by my choir – the Prince George’s County Choral Society, based at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.
Enjoy it and more Black musical creativity as the summer heats up!
Summer’s here (Yay!)
And once again, the Unversity of Illinois Press (UIP) is inviting book lovers to take advantage of its annual summer sale.
From June 1st through June 16th, ALL UIP books are discounted 50%.
So why not find your favorite UIP book – including my own book, Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio and Freedom – and pick it up for half price? You and your wallet will be pleased. 🙂
Click here for more details and enjoy!