Legendary Pioneers of Black Radio
Publisher: Praeger Publishers
Published: May 30, 1998
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9780275958886
Subjects: Black studies; Radio; Radio & television industry; Social history; Black American Sociology; Radio Broadcasting; Performing Arts; Pop Arts / Pop Culture; Performing Arts/Dance; USA; Communication; Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor; Radio - History & Criticism; Performing Arts / Television / General; Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General; Afro-American disc jockeys; Afro-Americans in radio broadc; Afro-Americans in radio broadcasting; Disc jockeys; Interviews; United States
First sentence: "The radio disc jockey wakes us in the morning, puts us to sleep at night, and in between, his time, weather, and music announcements take us through the day."
Description: After World War II, when thousands of African Americans left farms, plantations, and a southern way of life to migrate north, African American disc jockeys helped them make the transition to the urban life by playing familiar music and giving them tips on how to function in northern cities. These disc jockeys became cultural heroes and had a major role in the development of American broadcasting.

This collection of interviews documents the personalities of the pioneers of Black radio, as well as their personal struggles and successes. The interviewees also define their roles in the civil rights movement and relate how their efforts have had an impact on how African Americans are portrayed over the air.