Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / African American

Civil Rights- Live 7:46 Barrett Golding

For the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act (July 2 1964): In 1963-4 two Atlanta residents collected live recordings at freedom movement events in the deep south, mass meetings, sermons, rallies, interviews. Their collection, now at the Library of Congress, is called "Movement Soul." [transcript]

Broadcast: Feb 11 2008 on HV PODCAST; Jul 2 2004 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Music, Historical, Public Affairs, African American

Dr. King at Temple Israel 7:55 Queena Kim

In 1965 Martin Luther King. Jr. delivered a sermon at Temple Israel in Hollywood. King was invited to the temple by Rabbi Max Nussbaum, who himself used the pulpit to rail against injustices in Nazi Germany. King's sermon was recorded on an old-fashioned reel-to-reel audio tape and buried in a pile in the Rabbi's home. His widow Ruth, now 95-years-old, tells the story of that day. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jan 21 2008 on HV PODCAST; Jan 15 2007 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Historical, African American, Religious

Pastor Mike at Jordan High 4:06 Queena Kim

When the last school bell rings, Pastor Mike Cummings stands in front of Jordan High School in Watts, Los Angeles. Jordan High is next door to the gang-ridden Jordan Downs projects, which students have to pass through to go home -- sometimes with Pastor Mike at their side. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jan 7 2008 on HV PODCAST; Sep 5 2006 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Youth, Education, African American

damali ayo panhandling for reparations payments

Living Flag 10:06 damali ayo & Dmae Roberts

A woman sits cross-legged, panhandling on a busy city sidewalk. She takes money only from white folks, and gives it to blacks who pass by. Her sign reads: "200 Years of Slavery in the United States. Reparation payments accepted here." damali ayo is a street performance artist. "I offer people a convenient opportunity to pay for the unpaid labor of African Americans." This piece is part of her "living flag."

Broadcast: Nov 13 2007 on HV PODCAST; Nov 7 2004 on PRI/WNYC Studio 360 Subjects: Art, Historical, African American, Justice

Otha Turner’s Picnic 14:36 Ben Adair

Mississippi moonshine, barbecued goat and the last of the old-time Fife & Drum picnics [transcript]

Broadcast: Jun 25 2007 on HV PODCAST; Sep 1 2001 on PRI/MPR Savvy Traveler Subjects: Travel, Historical, Americana, African American

Mahalia Jackson 4:27 Barrett Golding

Gospel music's great Mahalia Jackson, was born 95 years ago today (October 26 1911). She recorded for Decca and Columbia, had her own CBS radio sow, performed at John F. Kennedy's inauguration and Martin Luther King, Jr's funeral. Mahalia grew up in the "Black Pearl" section of New Orleans, singing in the Baptist Church. In this 1950s interview, she recalls the music of her youth. [transcript]

Broadcast: Oct 26 2006 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Religious, Music, Historical, African American

Poetry Month: Song No.2 2:40 Steve Rowland

Sonia Sanchez performs her poem "To all you youndg girls." Produced by Steve Rowland and mixed by Joe Waters (a commission from WXPN with funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts) with original music by Jamaaladeen Tacuma. [transcript]

Broadcast: Apr 14 2005 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Poetry Month Subjects: Spoken Word, Literature, African American, Women

Segregated ‘Gone with the Wind’ Set 3:25 Ben Adair

On the set of the 1940 movie Gone With the Wind, black and white actors were originally segregated. Until actor Lennie Bluett, an extra on the set, alerted Clark Gable to the situation. Produced for KPCC- Southern California Public Radio series Pacific Drift. [transcript]

Broadcast: Feb 25 2005 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Justice, Entertainment, Historical, African American

Paintmixers 5:57 damali ayo & Dmae Roberts

Performance artist damali ayo heads to hardware stores looking for paint in some shades of dark brown... her own: face, inner thigh, left breast. "I asked him if he could match any color. He said yes, and then I pointed to my skin. He said (and continued to repeat), 'I've never done a flesh tone' which I liked, because it was the first time my skin was referred to as a flesh tone." (Paint-scripts at Stories1st.org.) Re-aired on "The Nude," WNYC Studio 360. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jun 4 2004 on PRI/WNYC Studio 360 Subjects: Art, African American

1930s Florida Folklife Barrett Golding

FLORIDA FOLKLIFE- Web accompaniment to the radio program: ‘Proposed Recording Expedition into the Floridas’ by Zora Neale Hurston &ndash a 1940 proposal to the Library of Congrees that instigated their Florida Folklife collection.

Broadcast: Jan 31 2002 on HV Webwork Subjects: Music, Labor, African American, Historical