Bala Baptiste, Chair of AACRC, is a professor of mass communication and chair of the Division of Communications at Miles College, earned a doctorate in mass communication at Indiana University in 2003. Baptiste is chair of the African American and Civil Rights caucus. His research interests intersect black people, mass media, and history. His mainstream articles appeared in the Atlanta Constitution, Times Picayune, and the Birmingham Post-Herald, among others. Contact him at bbaptiste@miles.edu.
Emily Bibb became collections manager for the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama in 2012. She now serves as curator of the collection. She holds an MLIS from The University of Alabama and a masters degree in museum studies from New York University. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor of arts in studio art.
Micaela di Leonardo is Professor Emerita of Anthropology, African American Studies, and Gender/Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. di Leonardo has published six books and more than four dozen articles, across studies of race/ethnicity/gender/urban life/political economy/history of thought in the US and globally.
Bob Friedman has been Director of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum (thebbrm.org) since its founding in 1992. Friedman spent 22 years on the air at Birmingham’s WJLD, has numerous awards and contributed to many other publications and films, including the 2005 Academy Award winning “Mighty Times-the Children’s March.” A quartet singer for decades, Friedman is currently overseeing the installation of a permanent BBRM exhibit at the historic Carver Theatre in Birmingham’s National Civil Rights Monument district.
Angela Greene is a media professional, author, and advocate. She was an on-air talent for WCLK twice, WFOX, WALR twice, WSB-FM, WVEE, the traffic anchor for the Tom Joyner Morning Show, WPGN, and WAOK. Presently she is the executive producer of the number show on WAOK, and she is the writer, producer, and host of Jazz Flavors. She is a board member for Black Women in Radio. She has a bachelor’s degree in English (Rhetoric/Composition) and a master’s degree in Administration of Justice and Security.
Felèsha Love helps businesses identify gaps, solve problems and influence culture through authentic leadership, effective collaboration, courage and optimism. Over the past five years, Love founded the organization Black Women In Radio (BWIR) to amplify the voices of historically underrepresented contributors. Love is a 30-year radio veteran who has hosted and produced innumerable morning and midday on-air shows, live broadcasts, docu-series, entertainment shows and special features.
Robert B. Riter is a faculty member in The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies, where he coordinates the Schools archival studies program. His research concerns topics in archival history, book history, and community focused collecting. Additionally, he regularly works with Alabama based community memory institutions, including the Birmingham Black Radio Museum (BBRM).
Jocelyn Robinson is a Producer for Emerging Initiatives, Education and Archives for The Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO. Jocelyn Robinson is a Yellow Springs, OH-based educator, media producer, and radio Preservationist. She holds a BA in Art History from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and a Masters in Cultural Studies from Antioch University. She currently directs the HBCU Radio Preservation Pilot Project, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Ron Singleton is a veteran broadcaster, community activist, and educator. He was the first African American to host a radio talk show on a predominantly white New Orleans radio station. In addition to WSMB, he has worked on-air at WWL in New Orleans, WVON in Chicago, and WNIS in Norfolk, Virginia. He also served for a number of years as the Program and Development Director for WNSB-FM at HBCU Norfolk State University. He is currently the owner and President of DesMurat and he is deeply involved in efforts to assist formerly incarcerated federal prisoners in their transition to society as successful returning citizens.
Karen M. Turner is an associate professor and director of the broadcast journalism concentration in the Department of Journalism at Temple University. She has also worked as an American Bar Association Staff Director, Philadelphia mayoral press secretary for former Mayor Ed Rendell, a broadcast journalist, and a talk radio interviewer. Turner has worked at many stations, including WMGK/WPEN (Philadelphia), WMGQ/WCTC (NJ), WWRC (Long Island and Washington, DC), and WIZF-FM (Cincinnati, Ohio). She has degrees from Dartmouth College, Northwestern University School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Brian Ward is a Professor in American Studies at Northumbria University, having previously held chairs at the Universities of Manchester and Florida. From 2016-2019 he served as Chair of the British Association for American Studies. In addition to many articles and book chapters, Brian’s eleven books include, Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness.
Sonja Williams is an award-winning radio producer who has researched, written and produced numerous features and documentaries for National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International (PRI), the Smithsonian Institution and local radio stations nationwide. Williams is a professor and former chair of the Howard University Department of Media, Journalism and Film in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications in Washington, DC. Learn more about her at www.sonjadwilliams.com.