On the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, let community radio inspire you.
Community radio embodies Dr. Martin Luther King’s spirit with its people-inspired approach to media. On Jan. 16, the day America honors King, take some time to enjoy remarkable community radio.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a playlist:
- WEAA | stream: Baltimore’s institution for jazz, talk, soul and more is celebrating 40 years this month. It’s weekday mix of community conversation and music is sure to be a great start to your holiday. Tune in throughout the day.
- WEFT | stream: The state of Illinois has been a hotbed of activism for decades, and the station features a range of podcasts, including CU Progressive News, focusing on social justice in the community. This and other WEFT podcasts are impressive in their diversity of subjects.
- KCSB | stream: Community radio is full of blues programs, whose rich sound punctuates the Civil Rights period. On this college radio station, you get one of the better ones with Views of the Blues, 3 in the afternoon Pacific time.
- WYSO | stream: The venerable community radio station features a superb local podcast worth a listen this holiday. The Antioch Word is a monthly podcast produced by Antioch College students, and it’s often poignant. One of the recent editions explored the matter of visibility and race on campus, from the perspective of students of color.
- WTJU | stream: From 12-2 Eastern, enjoy Soulful Situation, which bills itself as music from “the Southern soul centers of Muscle Shoals, Memphis, New Orleans and Shreveport to the Uptown Rhythm and Blues shots from the Northern cities of Chicago, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia.” Sure to turn up your vibe.
- KPTZ | stream: Many stations will be breaking from regular programming for words from the Rev. Martin Luther King, and Port Townsend, WA’s community radio is no exception. Tune in at 11 a.m. Pacific for MLK programming.
- KDRT | stream: It may be a replay of the Wednesday show, but how can you resist The Grapevine at 3 Pacific? After all, it’s billed as “the best of classic R&B, soul, funk, the blues, Motown and other sounds that’ll put a smile on your lips and a swing in your hips.” And it delivers.
- WMPG | stream: This community radio station is doing a special MLK program, featuring two hours of rarer speeches and gospel music. It airs at 4 Eastern.
- KSVR | stream: Some forget that, in addition to his Civil Rights activism, Dr. King also did a great deal of coalition work, including with Cesar Chavez and others. KSVR features a full day of Spanish-language public affairs and culture very much in the same spirit.
- WNCU | stream: Featuring two full channels of jazz and community, the award-winning North Carolina staple is sure to boost your holiday. Don’t miss the Legal Eagle Review podcast, with a Jan. 8 episode looking back on the legacy of President Barack Obama.
Today the world remembers Civil Rights icon and messenger of peace, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In the United States, it’s a federal holiday. Globally, Dr. King is recalled for his example to us today. As a medium lifting up local voices, community radio is worth your time today and every day. Join us as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. together.
