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
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!
Award Winning “Golden Voice” narrator and actress Robin Miles narrated my audiobook, Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio, and Freedom – now on sale for half-price at Downpour.com.
But Miles is also featured in the AudioFile Magazine articles below. Check them out, along with info about her latest audiobook read, and enjoy!
Robin Miles gives voice to everything New York in N.K. Jemisin’s THE CITY WE BECAME, a fantastical celebration of the city’s spirit. Channeling a bit of that spirit in the video below, Robin shares how the audiobook represents New York’s resiliency.
“We’re a hodgepodge of different cultures, incomes, languages, sensibilities, but we band together, and when we do, we are so much greater than the sum of our parts.” — Narrator Robin Miles
THE CITY WE BECAME
by N.K. Jemisin, read by Robin Miles
Hachette Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
As the novel opens, New York City is going through a transformation–it’s becoming sentient, embodied by six human avatars who represent the city’s five boroughs plus New York as a whole. Along with creating distinct voices and accents for the diverse cast of characters, Miles communicates their full range of emotions, from fear to defiance to NYC pride; select sound effects add even more atmosphere. Miles goes all-in with her energizing performance, making listening a joy.
Find more audiobooks from Robin Miles in her audiography.
