Join WRKF as we address Black History Month this year with a selection of special programming focusing on the legacy of slavery in formerly Confederate America and centering Black voices, experiences, and contributions.
The Reckoning: Facing the Legacy of Slavery in America
Sundays this month at 6am and 9pm
The Reckoning traces the history and lasting impact of slavery in America by looking at the experience of Kentucky, a slave state which stayed in the Union during the Civil War, but then aligned itself with Confederate ideals in the decades thereafter. Tune in for this four-part documentary series airing weekly each Sunday on WRKF.
Celebrating James Baldwin
Sunday, February 14 at 10pm
LeVar Burton presents a program celebrating the author he calls "potent and polemical." Christopher Jackson reads an excerpt from Baldwin's famous letter The Fire Next Time. In "My Dungeon Shook," he addresses internalized racism. Next, Anthony Rapp performs an excerpt from Giovanni's Room, in which an expat comes to terms with his sexuality and loneliness in Paris. And Baldwin contemplates The Great Migration in his novel Go Tell It On The Mountain. We hear an excerpt performed by Charlayne Woodard.
Lift Every Voice: A Musical Story From Sorrow to Justice
Sunday, February 21 at 10pm
A collection of powerful songs, stories, and interviews with some of today's most acclaimed Black artists and scholars. This program was curated with the intent of creating awareness around the African American musical past, while inspiring listeners to cling to the hopefulness of our musical future together as every voice is heard and celebrated.
Witness History: Black History Month
Sunday, February 28 at 10pm
A special hour-long edition of Witness History from the BBC World Service, bringing together some incredible interviews looking at the African-American experience. Told by people who were there, we hear stories that are fascinating, harrowing, and inspiring. Topics include: NASA's pioneering black women; when Nelson Mandela went to Detroit; African Americans and the Three Strikes Law; the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade; and Ann Lowe, African American Fashion Designer.
