February 2010

INITIATIVE RADIO SALUTES BLACK HISTORY MAKER BOB MARLEY

Had Bob Marley survived his battle with Acrolentiginous Melanoma, a form of skin cancer most common in the black race, February 6th 2010 would mark his sixty-fifth year and like many living musical legends and fellow Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductees, he could very well have staged a successful comeback tour with his musically gifted children in tow.

Initiative Radio's Salute to Black History Maker Bob Marley is a dream come true for both commercial and Roots Reggae music lovers, black history seekers and Bob Marley fans. The one hour program delivers a concise biography of Marley's life and is jam-packed with musical selections that reflect every stage of his career.

http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-23

INITIATIVE RADIO SALUTES BLACK HISTORY MAKER RALPH MCDANIELS

Over a quarter of a century ago, Ralph McDaniels, known as Uncle Ralph by fans and music industry peers, approached WNYC TV - New York City's public broadcasting station, with the idea of airing music videos in a one hour package called "Video Music Box" (VMB) to showcase musicians who told tales of inner-city life through their beats and rhymes. Needless to say the idea was met with initial resistance but VMB's Nielsen ratings surpassed those of the station's traditional content and cleared the way for McDaniels to bolster famous and almost famous Hip-Hop artists of the past present and future. In fact it is fair to say that any Hip-Hop artist one can bring to mind, megastar or otherwise, made his/her debut on Uncle Ralph's VMB.

Continuing on with Initiative Radio's month-long Salute to Black History Makers, Angela McKenzie re-airs portions of her exclusive interview with Ralph MaDaniels along with commentary from a new generation of Hip-Hop artists and entrepreneurs; an interview with Kool DJ Red Alert, the man who bestowed the moniker Uncle Ralph upon McDaniels early in his career and shout-outs from other music industry insiders. This broadcast precedes a live event honoring McDaniels, scheduled for February 19th, in New York City at the Bowery Poetry Club.

http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-24

SANA BUTLER
Author & Newsweek Correspondent

Sana Butler is a special correspondent for Newsweek International and has previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. Raised in Connecticut, she attended Georgetown University and earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. In her first book Sugar of the Crop: My Journey to Find the Children of Slaves, Butler shares her eye-opening and uplifting conversations with the sons and daughters of parents who had survived the most barbaric period in U.S. History. In her travels from the Los Angeles residence of a millionaire to nursing homes and churches across Kentucky, Virginia to Mississippi, she got to know many remarkable men and women - most in their nineties or older, who were raised by former slaves. Overwhelmingly, these progeny of America's black pioneers were brought up in loving, hardworking, patriotic families and instilled with pride, ambition and a determination to contribute to the re-building of what was to be a new America.

This program is the third installment of Initiative Radio's Salute to Black History Makers.

http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-25

DASHAUN JIWE MORRIS
Author

In his book War of the Bloods In My Veins: A Street Soldier's March to Redemption, author and motivational speaker Dashaun Jiwe Morris examines a life wrought with sadness unknown to many Americans. Jiwe's transition from a child full of promise to the boy who commits his first drive-by at age 11 is a tragic tale of modern childhood. It is this pivotal moment when the reader knows that his relationship with the Bloods is no fleeting romance but a long-term commitment. Neither the passing of friends, fears for his own safely, nor the guilt which plagues Jiwe, are enough to extricate him from the grip. It is later, through a high school football coach, that Jiwe finds a substitute father; one of a few adults looking after his best interest. When he is recruited by Delaware State University on a football scholarship, he has every reason to look forward to a future in the NFL. Things are even looking up on the personal front, as he has found true love and is awaiting the birth of his first child. However, his past catches up with him and he is charged with attempted murder. Prison time, though lonely, allows Jiwe time to reflect on the true purpose of a gang; to protect and support the community. Now, he looks to reform the very concept of gang culture. War of the Bloods In My Veins is a revelation for the vast majority of Americans, including those familiar with urban communities as well as those who see themselves as separate. What Jiwe wants readers to know is that no one is separate or removed from the bleak truth related in his book and that, if ignored, the current definition of gang culture will claim many more victims.

In this final edition of Initiative Radio's Salute to Black History Makers, program Angela spends an hour with Jiwe who retells and reinforces his message for all to hear.

http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-26