
As February arrives each year, it brings with it an important opportunity to celebrate and reflect upon the rich tapestry of African American history and culture. Black History Month stands as a beacon of remembrance, recognition, and resilience, commemorating the struggles and triumphs of Black individuals throughout history. Throughout the year, G-Town Radio produces and shares programming that appreciates and amplifies the lives, accomplishments, history and issues of African-Americans. We feel this is an important time for community radio to engage with its community and celebrate Black History Month.
G-Town Radio is celebrating all month through our programming.
Check out some recent and forthcoming Black History Month specials.
Follow us on social media for updates and additional Black History Month programming infomation.
Thursday 2/6
5pm: Living Black History – Alvin Randall
Alvin Randall, who worked as a station engineer at 710 WOR in New York City for decades, including years when African Americans in the business knew it as “Whites Only Radio” in terms of on-air talent and programming
“Living Black History” is an oral history radio program that presents African-American history as experienced by everyday people that you won’t find in textbooks and school curricula.
It is produced by students at Neumann University where it airs live on WNUW. This year, the Catholic Media Association gave it an award for Best Collegiate Radio Show.
6pm: Big Questions w/ Nigel Ousey: Compositions of Black Joy – A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival
Tieshka K. Smith is a Photographer/Author. Listen as she joins Nigel for a discusssion on her work and book, Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022), which captures the essence of Black culture, history, activism, families, and the Germantown community through powerful images.
Saturday: 2/8
9am: Big Questions w/ Nigel Ousey: Compositions of Black Joy – A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival
Tieshka K. Smith is a Photographer/Author. Listen as she joins Nigel for a discusssion on her work and book, Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022), which captures the essence of Black culture, history, activism, families, and the Germantown community through powerful images.
Wednesday: 2/12
1pm: The Paisley Underground
Host Chuck Wortham dives deep into the rich music history of soul and R&B that emerged in the 1960s. Hear songs of joy, protest and empowerment.
Thursday: 2/13
5pm: Living Black History – Regina Paige Garretson
Garrettson spoke about growing up in the projects of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, NY (with “a sense of community and togetherness”), moving to East Orange, NJ (where she first realized that her family was poor), her marriage and career, and the Civil Rights movement (she was “wowed” by the celebrity of Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers).
6pm: Neglected Stories: People, History, Movements – Journalist Terry Johnson
Veteran journalist Terry Johnson as the featured guest
With a career spanning decades across some of the nation’s most prominent media outlets, Terry Johnson has left an indelible mark on journalism. Currently a Senior Editor at The Village Voice, he has also worked with Real News, Newsweek, Westside News, Jet Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His experience extends beyond journalism, having served as Communications Director for SEIU Janitors Local 36 (now 32BJ) and the Pennsylvania State Council, as well as working in public health policy with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
This special episode will explore the role of Black journalists in America today, their impact on media representation, and the challenges they face.
Friday: 2/14
8am: Say It Loud
Tune in when Mercer Redcross will be the guest on “Say It Loud!” The founder of October Gallery talks about celebrating 40 years in the Black Art business. One of Philadelphia’s iconic institutions, October Gallery has been at the forefront of art sales in the nation. Mercer shares his view and “secret sauce” for success.
Thursday: 2/20
5pm: Living Black History: Rhonda L. Hazell
The guest on this episode is Rhonda L Hazell, a Doctor of Podiatry, a college professor and a missionary with deep experience in Haiti.
6pm: Big Questions w/ Nigel Ousey – Menika Dirkson. Hope & Struggle in the Policed City
Menika is the author of Hope & Struggle in the Policed City: Black Criminalization & Resistance in Philadelphia.
Menika is a Philadelphia native and an Assistant Professor of African American History at Morgan State University. She received her PhD in History from Temple University. Her research focuses on police-black community relations in Philadelphia following the Civil Rights Era. She is currently researching race, policing, and graffiti surrounding the public transportation system in post-1958 Philadelphia. She lives in Germantown and regularly volunteers at the Friends of Joseph E. Coleman Library.
Friday: 2/21
8am: Say It Loud
Your host Supreme Dow will present discussions of national and local topics, focusing on the impact on the African American community, particularly in Germantown. Expect a lively, and at times, heated discussion with expert local and national guests with insight and foresight.
Thursday: 2/27
5pm: Living Black History – Tim Hayes
In his eventful life, Timothy Hayes met Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali. He founded the Atlanta chapter of the Black Panthers. He inoculated children in Angola during its war for liberation and spent time in an Israeli prison. He now lives in Germantown.