Destination Freedom was a weekly radio program produced by NBC radio station WMAQ in Chicago from 1948 to 1950. It presented biographical histories of prominent African-Americans as written by the program's producer Richard Durham. You are going to hear episodes about three tireless advocates for civil rights, diversity and inclusion. The 1948 story of James Weldon Johnson, an attorney, diplomat, writer, and co-creator of the Negro National Anthem. The 1949 story of the legendary educator Booker T. Washington, president of the Tuskegee Institute. And the 1949 story of Mary Church Terrell, one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. Terrell was a talented journalist and charter member of the NAACP.

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Ever wonder what it takes to be a science fiction writer? You will find out as we present, the 1956 NBC radio program Biography in Sound. You will hear interviews with prominent science fiction authors, including Isaac Asimov one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time. But first, let's listen to some science fiction. Parts one and two of the Space Merchants from the CBS Radio Workshop in 1957. Then you will hear how writers put these kinds of stories together.

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The Ink Spots were an American vocal jazz group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductees paved the way for rhythm and blues and dew-wop. The Ink Spots began performing in the Indianapolis area around 1931, appearing on radio station WLW in Cincinnati. By 1934 they made it to the Apollo Theater in New York, and started touring in England. In 1936, the Ink Spots were the first African Americans to appear on television, when the medium was in the experimental stage of development. By 1938 they had their own nationwide radio show. In 1939 they recorded a ballad called, "If I Didn't Care", was a smash hit, selling over 19 million copies. Hoppy Jones, Deek Watson, Charlie Fuqua, and Bill Kenny went on to appear in movies, and made many guest appearances on variety shows during the golden age of TV, between 1948 and 1952. You will hear The Ink Spots 1938 radio show, plus an appearance on the Jack Benny radio program in 1948.

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Mystery dramas were always a listener favorite during radio's classic era. You will hear four such theater productions in this podcast. Mollé Mystery Theater was a 30-minute anthology radio program that ran from 1943 to 1948. It was sponsored initially by Sterling Drugs, manufacturers of Mollé Brushless Shaving Cream. ABC Mystery Theater was a similar series on the air from 1951 to 1954 and made a brief transition to ABC-TV. We have Mystery Playhouse from 1945, and the CBC Radio Mystery Theater which was written, adapted, produced and broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1966 to 1968.

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This podcast is about Huddie William Ledbetter. Better known by his stage name Lead Belly, was one of the most celebrated folk and blues singers of his time. His most popular songs "Goodnight, Irene", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", became American classics. Lead Belly was celebrated for his songwriting skills, strong vocals, and virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar. He's a Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Lead Belly was born in 1888, and faced many hardships as a young African-American growing up in the Jim Crow South, serving several prison sentences for murder, attempted homicide, and assault. But Lead Belly spent his time behind bars, performing concerts for his fellow inmates and perfecting his craft. Once he got out for good, Lead Belly was given a radio show, and signed a contract with RCA Victor, one of the biggest record companies at the time. You will hear 3 episodes of the Leadbelly Show on New York Radio Station WNYC in 1940, one with special guest, legendary folk singer Woodie Guthrie. You'll also hear Lead Belly perform on the show, This Is Jazz in 1947, just 2 years before his death.

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In this podcast, we pay tribute to the Mutual Broadcasting System. It was the fourth nationwide radio network to be established in the United States, after CBS, NBC, and the NBC Blue Network which later became ABC. Mutual was established in 1934 as a cooperative between WOR New York, WGN Chicago, WLW Cincinnati, and WXYZ in Detroit. The network was retired in 1999 after numerous ownership changes. During radio's golden age Mutual was was best known as the home of The Lone Ranger, Superman, and The Shadow, as well as Major League Baseball, the NFL, and college football. Because it didn't have a big budget like it's rivals, Mutual usually avoided airing expensive variety shows, and concentrated on crime, drama, game, music, news and talk programs. For example, you're going to hear, Nick Carter Master Detective from 1945. From 1946 the popular situation comedy Vic & Sade, plus Sherlock Homes starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. From 1947, the game show What Am I Offered, and the Barbara Welles Show with guest James Stewart. Finally, The Saint starring Vincent Price from 1949.

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In April 1947, modern day baseball changed forever. That's when Jackie Robinson played his first major league game as a Brooklyn Dodger. After that day, there were a string of African-American firsts in baseball. Four months later, Dan Bankhead of the Dodgers became the first black pitcher to play in a major league game. In 1948, Roy Campanella became the first black catcher. Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians became the first Black player to hit a home run in a World Series. In 1949, there were three African-Americans playing in the World Series when just 3 years earlier Blacks were still excluded from Major League Baseball. All three were playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and pitcher Don Newcombe. Robinson and Campanella would become Hall of Famers, and Newcombe would win both the Cy Young and National League Most Valuable Player awards during the same season. You'll hear all three playing in Game 4 of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees. Newcombe took the mound with only 2 days rest, from striking out 11 Yankees in Game One, but the Yankees won 1-to-nothing and would go on to take the series.

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The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. The Sweethearts were formed at Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi in 1938, to help raise funds for the facility which served poor, orphaned, and African American children. By 1941, the band was so successful they hit the road, playing swing and jazz across the nation including New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Europe. In addition to black women, members of the band included Latina, Asian, Caucasian, Indian and Puerto Rican females, making touring the Jim Crow South very difficult. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the era. They made radio and movie appearances, but despite their success, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm disbanded in 1949, as members left to start their families, as big bands started to decline in popularity. You will hear two radio appearances by the Sweethearts on the show Jubilee in 1944, and 1945.

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