Biography

Jazz and April

Sonja D. Williams African Americans, Awards, Biography, Black Music, Black Radio, Chicago culture, Documentary, Education, History, Jazz Singing, Music, NPR, public radio, Radio, Smithsonian Institution

Despite the anxiety-provoking month that April has been thus far – politically, economically and environmentally – April also is a time to celebrate.

It’s Jazz Appreciation Month, as established by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Musuem of American History (NMAH) in 2001. For 25 years, the museum and other entities around the country have celebrated the treasures that the music known as jazz offers to all who would listen.

So why not check out the remaining events the Smithsonian has scheduled honoring jazz creators and performers? To see what the NMAH has cooked up, click here.

And if you’d like to hear a few of the shows from NPR’s Peabody Award-winning Jazz Profiles series, please click here. Nancy Wilson, the late, gifted singer and artist, lovingly hosted the series that focused on the musical lives and innovations of jazz giants.

Please also note that Thursday, April 30, 2026 is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) International Jazz Day.  This year’s host city is Chicago, Illinois, and guidng the day’s activities are UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and legendary composer/pianist Herbie Hancock.

Oh, and FYI, my profile of singer, composer and bandleader Betty Carter is included in the Jazz Profiles link above.

Enjoy!

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Continuous Wave: “The Price I Pay To Be Free,” and the Timeless Radio of Richard Durham

Sonja D. Williams African Americans, Audiobook, Biography, Black Radio, Books, Chicago culture, Creative Writing, Drama, Education, Fiction Writing, History, Journalism, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Writing, Radio, Smithsonian Institution

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

 

Accepting the 2025 Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Education – Yay!!

Sonja D. Williams African Americans, Biography, Black Radio, Documentary, Education, Journalism, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Writing, NPR, Podcasting, public radio, Radio

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!

Bliss Tribute Videos

An Interview About Black Radio History and A Personal Journey

Sonja D. Williams African Americans, Biography, Black Music, Documentary, Education, History, Journalism, Music, Podcast, Podcasting, public radio, Radio, Smithsonian Institution

Last month, Mitra Kaboli one of the producers of Selects – a monthly show that unearths audio gems from the past –  interviewied me about my work as an audio documentary writer and producer.

Specifically, Mitra asked about my radio background and the role I played in the production of the Smithsonian Institution’s Peabody Award-winning documentary series, Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was. Grammy Award winning singer and artist Lou Rawls served as the series’ host.

To hear the interview, click here.

And enjoy!

 

 

 

An Exciting Summer Book Sale is Back!

Sonja D. Williams African Americans, Biography, Books, Chicago culture, Creative Writing, Fiction Writing, Journalism, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Writing, Politics, Sale

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!

 

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