Celebrate Black History & Culture with KPFA!
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, KPFA will present a day-long series of shows celebrating the Black experience.
6:00 am – 9:00 am: THE GOSPEL EXPERIENCE
The Gospel Experience, Hosted by Miz April, features spirituals and vintage and contemporary gospel music selected to inspire, uplift, and educate our worldwide community. In this special Black History presentation, Miz April features a segment highlighting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” who lit the light of Rock n Roll, and influenced countless musicians who still carry the flame today.
The Gospel Experience can be heard every Saturday morning from 6-9AM here on KPFA.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: HARRY BELAFONTE
From the Pacifica Radio Archives, this program features Harry Belafonte responding to questions posed by Dr Rae Richardson, founder of Oakland’s Marcus Books, the oldest independent Black bookstore in America. Topics include Malcolm X, Hollywood, and his life as a civil rights activist. Belafonte was a very popular singer and actor, especially in the ’60s and ’70s, who became a member of that select group of performing artists known as EGOTs, who have received all four of the top performance awards in the U.S.: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. He was a committed civil rights activist, and a close confidant of Martin Luther King, Jr.
10:00 am – 12:00 noon: LET’S TALK BLACK MUSIC HISTORY
D Minor and Thomas Jay take us on a musical exploration of the beginnings of jazz and its roots in ragtime. As a proud native of San Francisco, where music and radio have always been a constant in his life, D Minor brings his experience and musical expertise to every aspect of his radio productions. Thomas Jay is also a Bay Area native, DJ, audio engineer, Radio Host, and lover of music! From the Doo Wop stylings of his Dad to the funk and soul of his mother, he has been ensconced in the magic of music since birth! Together with his musical brother, D Minor, he hosts Let’s Talk Music every Sunday at 8:00 pm on 94.1 KPFA and digs deep into the real of soul on his show the Soul Suite every Saturday at 11:00 pm!
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm: IDA B. WELLS: A CHICAGO STORIES SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY
This program presents a well-documented account of the life of Ida B. Wells: the woman who deserves a place in history among the great for her fight against lynching and her tireless efforts to create opportunities for the improvement of Black lives. Written and produced by Stacy Robinson, this documentary originally aired on public television in Chicago and is shared here with permission.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: THE STORIES SHE HOLDS
The Stories She Holds shares the wisdom of three women who are Bay Area treasures: Claressa Darden Morrow, a 94-year-old woman who began her storytelling journey in her 60’s; Regina Evans, a poet, playwright, activist, and abolitionist; and Valerie Troutt, a vocalist, educator, songwriter, composer, and producer. Rashida Chase, producer of this program, is a former cohost of Motown On Mondays DJs Radio and a frequent KPFA contributor. She is a dedicated advocate for art, wellness, and culture, and has a distinguished history of community organizing and a wealth of experience with community arts organizations.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: AMERICA’S BLACK CAPITAL
A conversation from Hard Knock Radio with Davey D and Dr Jeffrey Ogbar, author of America’s Black Capital, who shares the history of how Atlanta’s Black citizens survived and thrived in the face of often brutal white supremacy. Hard Knock Radio airs at 4:00 pm Monday-Friday here on KPFA.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: NIKKI GIOVANNI
Nikki Giovanni was a writer, poet, activist, and educator who was one of the world’s best known African-American poets. Her work expressed outspoken views on race, gender, violence, and inequality. Shortly after her death last year, Davey D spoke with poets who knew her and were deeply influenced by her work. This program also includes a 2020 interview with Cat Brooks, host of KPFA’s Law & Disorder (8:00 am Monday-Thursday), as well as a talk given at a KPFA event in 2013 (from the Pacifica Radio Archives).
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: STOKELY CARMICHAEL (KWAME TURE)
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) was a true activist. Joining the struggle for civil rights in his teens, he went on to become a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, an Honorary Prime Minister of the Black Panther Party, and a survivor of the FBI’s CoIntelPro. In this talk from the Pacifica Radio Archives, given at UC Berkeley in 1966, he clearly shares his views on the war in Viet Nam, the Draft, the struggle for civil rights, and the need for systemic change in America.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: A TRIBUTE TO QUINCY JONES
The World Famous Show brings together two Bay Area legends: Russell “Big Russ” Gatewood and Chris “C.J. Flash” Jourdan-el, whose combined talents have shaped the region’s music scene for decades. Together, their synergy fuels The World Famous Show, an entertainment powerhouse renowned for its ability to electrify audiences from intimate gatherings to international stages. In this tribute, they share that talent and energy in a musical salute to Quincy Jones, one of the most talented, versatile, creative, and prolific musical artists of all time.
Individual episodes can be accessed via the Special Broadcasts page. Please note that the pages with the audio for these episodes will only become available after the episode airs.