This is an exciting week for “Black Women in Radio’s (BWIR), Distinguished Inaugural 30”, a class of women whose careers will be archived in the Library of Congress by the Radio Preservation Society.
The Founder and President, Felesha Love shared with the On Point with Juandolyn Stokes listeners why she felt compelled to start BWIR, which was due in large part to the lack of representation women in the radio industry receive.
Two of Audacy’s own talents, Joyce Little, Brand Manager for WAOK and Angela Greene, Executive Producer of On Point with Juandolyn Stokes are in the Inaugural class; seven other women are also from the Atlanta market.
“There is no evidence that we were doing great work,” said Love.
She says she inadvertently started a media campaign in 2017 using the hashtag Black Women in Radio and it caught on.
The BWIR National Historic Collection and Oral History Project has documented radio career contributions, legacies, and over 150 hours of sound.
“We wanted to create a body of work that can be preserved,” said Love.
The celebration, which also includes a visit to the White House to meet with Karine Jean-Pierre, the first Black White House Press Secretary, followed by a discussion on “The State of Black Radio,” and an Announcement of the “Legends Historic Collection” Project Launch, which features women and men who have had significant careers in radio. The celebration will end with a ceremony for the attending members.
“We have 75 years of radio history that is being told of the Black woman. It’s an out-of-body experience for me,” said Love.