PRI: Public Radio International

Indigenous people dress like Avatar, protest deforestation

Bennett Gordon — Sun, 29 May 2011 11:15:00 -0500

Indigenous groups in Cambodia say their sacred Prey Lang forest is being torn down. So many took to the streets in the capital Phnom Penh to protest.

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PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More about The World.

'The Tavis Smiley Show: Beyond February'

The Tavis Smiley Show — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:25:00 -0600

"Beyond February," a special segment from "The Tavis Smiley Show," explores the ways in which African American leaders are having a lasting impact on contemporary America. This installment celebrates the contributions of established and emerging African American leaders who are working to inspire and strengthen their communities.

Tavis talks to the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the founding president of the Rainbow/Push Coalition, about what it's like to be a living icon of Black History. Rev. Jackson says he's always seen himself as part of an "unfolding drama" -- in the 1960s, African Americans "got freedom, but not equality."

Rev. Jackson also talks about the current presidential election, advice that he would give to emerging leaders, and what community means to him.

Tavis also interviews emerging leader Van Jones, civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

"The Tavis Show is produced by Tavis Smiley productions, and distributed nationwide by PRI.

More about "The Tavis Smiley Show."

'Studio 360: Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial'

Studio 360 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:22:00 -0600

In the spring of 1939, opera singer Marian Anderson was banned from performing at Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall because she was African-American. In this segment from PRI's "Studio 360," Dorothy Height, Chair and President Emerita of teh National Council of Negro Women, remembers how that event sparked a relationship between the burgeoning Civil Rights movement and the Lincoln Memorial.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was so upset about her racial exlusion that she offered Anderson the Lincoln Memorial for her concert instead. On Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, a huge crowd gathered at the memorial, not just to hear Marian Anderson sing, but to take a stand against racial segregation in America.

PRI's "Studio 360" is public radio's smart and surprising guide to what's happening in pop culture and the arts. Each week, host Kurt Andersen introduces you to the people who are creating and shaping our culture.

Listen to entire Lincoln Memorial program.

More "Studio 360."

'Bob Edwards Weekend: Charles E. Cobb Jr.'

Bob Edwards Weekend — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:46:00 -0600

In 1962, Charles Cobb Jr. left the safety of his hometown, Washington DC, to join equality efforts in the South. He wrote about his experiences in his new book, "On The Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail." The book takes readers to places where pioneers of the movement marched, gathered, spoke, taught, where they were arrested, and where some lost their lives.

Cobb says that the students movement in Nashville, TN, was one of the most "inspiring" movements that emerged in the 1960s; on the other hand, Birmingham, AL, consistently represented some of the "ugliest" dimensions of the Southern reaction to the civil rights struggle.

"Bob Edwards Weekend" is a two-hour interview showcase, in which celebrated host Bob Edwards highlights the life and work of interesting people, from newsmakers, historians, and authors to artists, actors, and regular folks too. The show is produced by XM Satellite Radio and distributed nationwide by PRI.

More "Bob Edwards Weekend"

'Swingtime'

Ann Phi-Wendt — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:31:00 -0600

During the 1930s and 1940s, many black schools in the U.S. fielded traveling swing bands to keep their doors open during the Depression. Narrator Tonea Stewart profiles three of the era's most famous bands in "Swingtime," an hour-long showcase of the Bama State Collegians, the Prairie View Co-eds and the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Stewart artfully weaves the era's music around interviews with surviving band members, scholarly commentary and archival sound from now-deceased band members, including the great Erskine Hawkins. The traveling ensembles influenced mainstream music on a grand scale. Harlem's top jazz orchestras pulled talent from these bands, whose members made enduring contributions to American culture. Hawkins' "Tuxedo Junction," for example, became the anthem for American GIs in World War II.

"Swingtime's" music goes beyond the iconic — "Tuxedo Junction," "In the Mood," "Take the A Train," "Henderson Stomp" — to include lesser known gems like "Vi Vigor," composed for International Sweethearts of Rhythm saxophonist Vi Burnside. And the program draws listeners in as band members describe what it was like for them as teens, many from poor homes, to travel the country as stars of swing.

"Swingtime is produced by Artemis Media Project and Kathie Farnell, and distributed nationwide by PRI.

'Autobiography of a Hero: The Story of Dorie Miller'

Ann Phi-Wendt — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:11:00 -0600

Dorie Miller joined the Navy in 1939 with dreams of becoming a gunner. The U.S. military's long-standing policy of denying blacks leadership roles and skilled training stood firm — many in the military believed that African Americans inherently lacked the qualifications for combat duty. As a result, Miller was relegated to the mess hall, assigned to work as a dish washer.

Miller was on board the "USS West Virginia" when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Initially ordered to help carry the wounded to safety, he saw how desperate the fighting had become and took command of a 50-caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine gun. He fired on attacking Japanese aircraft until he ran out of ammunition and was ordered to abandon ship.

Miller was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's second highest honor. Further recognizing his courage and unflinching valor, the "USS Miller" was named in his honor. During his tour with the escort carrier "Liscome Bay," Cook Third Class Miller went down with that ship on November 24, 1943, when she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

In "Autobiography of a Hero: The Story of Dorrie Miller," producer and host donnie l. betts uses radio drama to share the remarkable story of a remarkable sailor.