Dr. Della Taylor Hardman made it her mission to talk to influential and promising African Americans inside and outside of West Virginia. Her interviews became the local Charleston radio show "The Black Experience." A professor, artist, poet, columnist, and photographer, the title radio host was just one of many hats she wore.

Narrated by Peabody award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, this documentary revisits some of Dr. Hardman’s interviews from that time and offers reflections on her life from friends and family. 

Interviewees include Ralph Abernathy, Ann Baker, William Warfield, Gwendolyn Brooks, Scatman Crothers, Clint Thomas, Mary Thomas, Dr. Margaret Cyrus Mills, Carmen McRae, and Dorothy West.

Major funding for The Black Experience comes from the West Virginia Humanities Council.  Additional funding provided by West Virginia American Water.

SueMedia Productions, in conjunction with the National Audio Theatre Festivals (NATF) is offering William's Leap for Freedom for stations to broadcast during Black History Month (February) 2011.

Hosted by Dion Graham, this one hour audio drama is available through the PRX for free. This original play is based on the life of freed slave William Wells Brown. The performance was recorded live at the June 2010 NATF workshop in West Plains, Missouri and stars Mirron E. Willis as Wells Brown and features Barbara Rosenblat along with a multi-voice cast.

William's Leap for Freedom is a two part drama; a play within a play. This performance, was adapted for audio from the stage play, William Wells Brown's Leap for Freedom written for the stage by Dr. Cheryl Black of the University of Missouri Department of Theatre.

Dr. Black's play was written and produced in 2008 for the Missouri State Historical society's Missouri History in Performance Theater. In 2009 it was adapted for the National Audio Theartre Festivals by Renee Pringle of NPR, with assistance from mentor Sue Zizza.

Beginning with a fictionalized conversation between William Wells Brown and Mr. Polite, this audio dramatization then introduces part two of the play which features selected portions of The Escape or Leap for Freedom, as it relates to the tale of three slaves, Cato, Glen and Melinda.  Brown often stated that this play specifically was autobiographical.  The couple, Glen and Melinda, did exist, while Cato is Brown himself.

ABOUT WILLIAM WELLS BROWN

Wells Brown was born a slave in Lexington, Kentucky in 1814.  It is said that his mother was the daughter of Daniel Boone and a black slave, while his father was known to be a member of the Wickliffe family of Kentucky and Louisiana.

Throughout his lifetime, Brown was a fugitive slave, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, an abolitionist, an anti-slavery lecturer, an historian, a medical doctor, and a poet.

Brown is the author of the first novel, the first drama, and the first travelogue published by an African American in the U.S.  His particular life experiences gave him a thorough education and with that came an understanding of human nature, and of American culture and society, from 1814 through 1884.

In 1856, Brown decided to stop giving lectures at paid abolitionist engagements and instead began performing his dramas.  Through drama he emphasized that all Americans, northern and southern, participated in deceptions necessary to support the system of slavery.

A popular form of drama at the time was the blackface minstrel.  Using minstrel comedy in reverse, Brown was able to dispel familiar stereotypes and ridicule the perpetrators of those misrepresentations.  In this way, Escape or Leap for Freedom is also a commentary on the minstrel style.

Brown consistently emphasized that blacks should use wit and trickery to fight against and survive their oppression, not heroic confrontation.  His dramas emphasize the oppressive circumstances of black and white women; sexual violence against black women; the emasculation of black men; the hypocrisy of the religious community, and the paradox of a system of slavery in America, the so-called land of liberty.

Brown was known as a trickster among scholars.  With guile, wit, and charm, he moved his white audiences to face issues without insulting them.

This production, directed by Pringle, with assistance from producer Sue Zizza was post produced by SueMedia Production's David Shinn.

Through story and song, author Russell Goings has adapted his epic poem “The Children of Children Keep Coming” into an hour-long spoken word performance that delineates and celebrates the too often unsung African American cultural history.  His inspiration comes from friendship of iconic collagist Romare Bearden and from the voices of the ancestors.

Infused with the improvisational feel of jazz, this program celebrates the soulful spirits of ancestors through Goings’ masterfully poetic prose.  Narratives of historical figures Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass and Phillis Wheatley intertwine with mythic characters Evalina, Banjo Pete and Black Tiny Shiny to tell the important story of the African American heroic journey.  

With introduction by acclaimed Tony Award winning Broadway actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, the radio adaptation of “The Children” will be available for broadcast on public radio stations nationwide starting Black History Month, February 2010.  It is the first part of a yearlong audio and lecture series exploring African-American narratives through art and storytelling, in partnership with WNPR – Connecticut Public Radio and Fairfield University.


Russell Goings graduated with honors from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1959.  He briefly played professional football, and then headed to Wall Street to become the first African-American brokerage manager for a New York Stock Exchange member firm.  Later, he became the first black owner of an investment firm, which managed the assets of some of the world’s largest companies along with many legendary athletes and entertainers.  He was founder of Essence Magazine and became the chairman of the Studio Museum in Harlem.  Goings is an inductee into the Wall Street Hall of Fame.  He spent thirteen years writing the “Children”, studying under Pulitzer Prize nominee and Fairfield University poetry professor Kim Bridgford. 

Ruby Elzy was one of George Gershwin's hand picked leads for the original production of Porgy and Bess.  Hailing from the small Mississippi town of Pontotoc, Ruby Elzy's voice carried her to Ohio State University, Juilliard, Broadway, and concerts coast to coast.  Tragically, her life would end before she took the next step to the Metropolitan Opera stage in Aida.

In the year 2000, soprano Ruby Elzy was one of the first inductees into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. Sixty-five years earlier, she was chosen by George Gershwin to create the role of Serena in Porgy and Bess. Ruby appeared in feature films with Paul Robeson and Bing Crosby. She attended The Ohio State University and Juilliard School of Music and performed on Broadway, in Hollywood, and on national radio. Ruby would have been one of the first black artists to appear in grand opera had she lived beyond her 35 years. 
  This program is based upon the book Black Diva of the Thirties - The Life of Ruby Elzy, by David E. Weaver, published by the University Press of Mississippi.  Archival recordings for this program were also provided by Mr. Weaver.

Over the decades, the relationship between African Americans and Jewish Americans has been a push and pull of common
interests and mutual recriminations. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's the Jewish concept of "Tikkun Olam" or Repairing the World was a driving force for young Jewish activists who went to the South to register Black voters and link arms with Black protesters. African Americans embraced these Jews as brothers and sisters from another oppressed group. However, with the rise of Black nationalism at home and increased turmoil in Israel, this hopeful period was followed by an angry break between the two groups, resulting in racism and anti-Semitism. "Can Your Hear Me" follows this saga and then looks at how these two cultures have worked towards reconciliation through a rediscovery of their common humanity. (Each of the 3 shows in this series can be broadcast as stand-alone programs.)

Very few are aware of what became known as “The Elaine Massacre,” where hundreds of blacks were murdered and five white men were killed. Nor are many aware that Scipio Jones, a black attorney from Little Rock, Arkansas succeeded against all odds, and brought about the reversal of several lower court decisions. His tenacity resulted in the release of all of the imprisoned black sharecroppers; this included the 12 men sentenced to die.

The Undiscovered Explorer: Imagining York explores the making of an American myth. This hour-long audio documentary, narrated by Danny Glover, is a production of Oregon Public Broadcasting. Through a rich weave of music, interviews, performance and dramatic readings, this program tells the story of York, William Clark's slave and the only African American member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. York's story is both heroic and tragic. He began life as the childhood playmate of Clark, but at age 12 their relationship was transformed into that of master and slave. On the Expedition, York experienced a rare level of freedom and equality, working shoulder to shoulder with white men. Upon their return, the other members of the Corps of Discovery were welcomed home with gifts and praise. York was plunged back into bondage and subservience, which ultimately shattered his life. The facts of York's story are based on fragmentary evidence. Forbidden by law to read and write, York left no written record of his own. We only know about him through the writings and stories of others. Depictions of York have changed through time, always colored by the social era in which they are told. York has been characterized as a valiant hero, an insolent and sulky slave and a happy, dancing darkie. Yet, how York himself really felt about his experiences remains a total mystery. Today, artists and historians continue to give words to this man who has no voice in history. Poetry, opera and rap -- all in York's "voice" -- are being performed as part of the current bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A look at how York is portrayed through history opens the door to many questions about American society at large and about how history is recorded, remembered and created. It is this aspect of York -- the "Invisible Man" who exists only as a reflection of ourselves -- that informs this documentary.

After waiting in vain for Mr. Right - and after years of fertility treatments - Suzanne, a single, white woman in her forties, decided to adopt. She chose transracial adoption. Long Haul Productions documented the entire process - beginning with workshops designed to "teach white people to raise kids of color," baby-shopping trips with Mom at Target, a critical rendezvous with a young mother at a pancake house, and, finally, a magical night at a suburban restaurant chain. Producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister followed Suzanne for several months as she waited to see if she would become a parent; she offered extraordinary access into her home, and really, into every aspect of her life. This piece debuted on May 9, 2005, on WBEZ (Chicago Public Radio), and subsequently aired May 10, 2005, on All Things Considered. "Dear Birth Mother" is a follow-up to "Babyquest," also available on PRX, which documents Suzanne's failed attempt to get pregnant via In Vitro fertilization.

In one of the last incidents of the so-called "race riot era," thousands of white men, women and children besieged, burned, dynamited, [acetylene-] torched and destroyed the stately Grayson County (Texas) Courthouse, to get at a confessed black rapist on trial inside. The mob drove off Texas Rangers and National Guards, then went on to terrorize the town of Sherman's black community and torch the black business district. African-Americans, scholars and citizens alike still struggle to understand why it happened. But one immediate result was the formation of the pivotal Association of Southern [White] Women for the Prevention of Lynching. Based on extraordinary eyewitness oral history interviews by locally-based history professor Donna Kumler and others, this powerful, music-rich 29-minute documentary explores attitudes towards racial violence; mob-rule and mass-psychology; early racist-, feminist-, and pro-civil rights organizations and activities; race and gender relations; faith, endurance, and fate.

History is filled with examples of conflict between different races. Periodically, Peace Talks Radio will explore efforts to resolve that conflict from different racial perspectives. This time, we get the African American perspective. Our guests are three African Americans ? each born of a different generation and raised in different circumstances and locales. They reflect on their greatest challenges and successes in resolving racial conflict throughout their lives. They also share specific steps that members of all races can take to make peace with each other. Our guests are Tonya Covington, Racial Justice Coordinator for the Middle Rio Grande YWCA in Albuquerque, New Mexico; James Lewis, Chief Operating Officer for the City of Albuquerque (pictured above), and Othiamba Umi, a student at the University of New Mexico. Although the guests are all currently living in New Mexico, the topic and discussion is generic. Suzanne Kryder hosts. -- Tonya Covington on White Privilege: "A lot of whites don?t believe that it exists and don?t believe that they have any privilege in being white. But there are certain things that come to you naturally or come to you easily because of the color of your skin that don?t come to us. Studies have shown that if two people walk into a store, one white, one black, the security guard is going to follow the black person regardless if they do any thing wrong or regardless of what the white person is like." James Lewis on prejudice: "As the only African-American elected state-wide in the state of New Mexico (as State Treasurer), I had a chance to go to New York for a bond closing. We had some bankers to pick us up at the airport...a white American was with me. They had a car to come pick us up and the bankers walked up to him assuming that he is Mr. Lewis, the treasurer, and walked right by me."

On April 20, 2014, Rubin Carter passed away from terminal prostate cancer. This is an in-depth radio documentary on the boxer and how he fought to help those who were wrongfully convicted in North America. The feature delves into Mr. Carter's personal life (i.e. it provides listeners with an interesting tour of his house in Toronto) and reveals the downward struggle many people, specifically young black men, face in North America's criminal justice system. 

Background: 
Rubin's life struggle was portrayed through the 1999 movie "The Hurricane". (Denzel Washington played Rubin.) In 1975, Bob Dylan wrote a song about Rubin's innocence entitled, "Hurricane." In the 1960s, Rubin was one of the world's best, professional, middle-weight boxers. In 1967, he was found guilty of committing a triple murder at the Lafayette Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. He served nearly 20 years in prison. In 1986, Federal Court Judge H. Lee Sarokin exonerated Rubin of the crimes. The judge ruled that the state withheld evidence in its attempt to get the killers.