Oral History Project Highlights Outstanding African-American Women

WNED’s new oral history radio series, Uncrowned Queens: Voices of African-American Women premieres on Friday, October 31 at 1 pm on WNED-AM 970.  The programs will be rebroadcast on Sundays at 7 pm as of Nov. 2.  The project is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with support from BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and Rich Products.

Produced by WNED in conjunction with the Buffalo-based Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research & Education on Women, Inc., the series highlights the accomplishments and viewpoints of exceptional African American women. Each hour-long program is introduced by Award-winning actress and The Cosby Show co-star Phylicia Rashad.

Among the first women featured are Erie County Legislator Crystal Peoples; librarian Glendora Johnson-Cooper; choir director and music teacher Ella Robinson; nurse and UB faculty member Dr. Juanita Hunter; and Executive Director of the Arts Council of Buffalo and Erie County Celeste Lawson.

In a unique partnership with Regent Broadcasting of Buffalo, WNED is offering a special abbreviated edition of UNCROWNED QUEENS: VOICES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN, which will air on WBLK 93.7 FM on Sundays at 8:30 am.  This effort will help reveal these unique stories to an audience beyond that of public broadcasting.

The project begins with 13 Western New York-focused shows. Future plans call for distributing the series nationally, allowing other public broadcasting stations to share the stories of their region’s own “Uncrowned Queens.”

UNCROWNED QUEENS: VOICES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN is a production of WNED Radio, which is solely responsible for its content. Lorna C. Hill is producing the series. WNED’s Stratton Rawson is the Executive Producer.  Peggy Brooks-Bertram, Dr. P.H., Ph.D., and Barbara A. Seals Nevergold, Ph.D. of the Uncrowned Queens Institute are Consulting Producers.  For more information or to nominate an Uncrowned Queen, visit uncrownedqueens.com.

Through WNED-AM 970 The Information Station, Classical 94.5/WNED-FM, WNED-TV, and ThinkBright Lifelong Learning, the member-supported Western New York Public Broadcasting Association provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate our communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at www.wned.org.