My Grandfather's Legacy

My grandfather was born in Tennessee on April 4, 1901; a young Black boy from the country. From what I’ve read from his personal letters, my grandfather had a hard childhood. His mother would beat him mercilessly at a very young age. He never understood why she treated him this way and speaks of his belief that she hated him. My grandfather’s parents divorced when he was only 10 years old. In one of his letters he makes a point to note that his mother did not stop the beating when his father left. In his teenage years he would leave town as a means of escape.

In 1928, my grandfather became a pastor. He said that at first he was only concerned with visiting hospitals slums, penal institutions and conducting open air street meetings. He had a full time job and preached voluntarily, receiving no compensation. My grandfather eventually pastored a church and took on the responsibility of in-church ministry.

I am not exactly sure when my grandfather made the move from Tennessee to Chicago and what stops there were in between. Out of six children, my dad and his sister are the only two left. Over the years, we have heard stories about my grandfather but a lot of the details I’ve received later in life. I’ve asked my dad a lot about my grandfather but always with reservation. He lost his father at the age of 16; I can’t imagine anything more devastating.

My grandfather’s move to Chicago was pivotal for more than a few reasons. In the 1940s, my grandfather was the minister and founder of Chicago’s Interracial Fellowship Church. By this time, he was known in Chicago as not just a minister but a social commentator. In the Black church, religion and social justice often go hand in hand. My grandfather’s interest in the issues of society were not limited to the pulpit or even the newspaper, my grandfather’s forum of choice for his opinion was the radio.

My grandfather knew the value of the radio during that time. Without cell phones, social media and the internet, the radio was a vital way of communicating with the American people. In a newspaper article my grandfather said, “we cannot expect the world to understand the Negro’s problems unless they are properly presented by means of an unprejudiced channel. Radio provides that means.”

In 1948, my grandfather was the director of Negro* programming at WHFC Chicago and had conducted radio programs on two Chicago radio stations. All of that would have been an amazing feat in itself, but he wasn’t done. My grandfather was also a part of a firm: Kyle, Carter & Eubanks. Their firm conducted a study of economic prospects for a Black owned radio station in each city of the United States with an African American population of 25,000 or more. Their study revealed that broadcasting that focused on issues important to the African American community would be an “excellent business risk.”

My grandfather along with 21 petitioners incorporated the Afro-American Broadcasting System (AABS). Shortly thereafter, AABS petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to grant them a license for the first Black-owned and operated radio station in the United States which they proposed to call WVON for “Voice of the Negro.” The petition stated that “the Negro has utterly neglected to take advantage of the one freedom that might be his salvation...the freedom of speech possible through broadcasting.” Significantly, my grandfather believed that what African Americans needed more than sympathy was understanding.

WVON today is now “The Voice of the Nation.” It airs talk radio that is aimed towards African American listeners. Its modern evolution began in 1963 with Leonard and Phil Chess, the founders of Chess Records, and is recently credited with influencing mayoral races and documenting the rise of a young activist named Barack Obama.

My grandfather died 10 years before I was born. I never met him but heard stories of him throughout my childhood. In his later years, my grandfather remained a minister. He took very seriously his calling in the ministry and continued his tradition on the radio with religious themed broadcasts in California (where he had moved with my grandmother). I am so proud of him and what he was able to achieve. His legacy lives on in me and in today’s society.

*Term used to preserve historical accuracy. The terms “Black” and “African American” are used where possible.