Sarasota’s Community Radio Station plans day of programming that honors Black history
Taking the lead from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) which has chosen ‘Black Resistance’ as their theme for 2023, WSLR 96.5 FM celebrates a “Day of Resistance” this Saturday, February 25 with special programming centered around the contributions of members of the African diaspora, the fight for equality in Black social movements, and the music that inspires and powers the struggle against oppression.
In explaining their selection of the 2023 theme ASALH’s website states, “As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push us back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist.” Throughout history, black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all.
“It is important that WSLR, as a community radio station, takes a stand against ongoing attacks on the presentation of African American history because we embrace honest education and open discourse for everyone,” says WSLR Board member and Jazz and More Programmer Brian Jones. “We realize distortion and dilution perpetuate separation and anger. We embrace the strength found in truth.” Jones will present a special two-hour edition of his program starting at 5 p.m. that will feature Manasota ASALH President Dr. David Wilkens and Washington, D.C.-area jazz flutist Carl Carrington.
The day is packed full of content that will confront hard realities and dig deep into historical conditions that continue to affect our society while energizing and inspiring listeners to push forward in the fight for equity and economic and social justice.
Tune in all day on Saturday, February 25th to WSLR 96.5 FM, stream live on wslr.org the WSLR App, or listen back in the archive at wslr.org
Day Of Resistance Programming Schedule – Saturday – Feb. 25th
6-7 am – ArtBeat – Kathleen Murray talks with emerging fine art photographer Jesse Clark, whose vibrant and poetic work primarily explores consciousness and identity as it relates to cultural issues. Jesse has selected for the show music from Coldplay, Dinner Party, Swoope, Ogi and Jaden Smith.
7-9 am –The Saturday Morning Gospel Beat with Jonah Ray-This special edition of The Saturday Morning Gospel Beat with Jonah Ray explores the evolution of gospel music in the African-American culture – experiencing the five phases of gospel music together to celebrate Black History Month.
9-9:30 am – Manasota Arts Connection – Jonah Ray will interview Michael J. Kinsey, the creator of the Facebook group Support Sarasota-Manatee Black Owned Businesses with over 15.1K members. Kinsey is also a professional photographer, theater actor, film director, and screenwriter and owns his own studio. The conversation will revolve around Kinsey’s creation of the Facebook group – its purpose and benefit to the community – as well as his history and experiences living in Sarasota.
9:30-11 am – Radio Reset with Sharon Preston-Folta – This week’s Radio Reset playlist will consist of music that speaks to the personal power, resilience, and pride that propel our ancestors to success and that exist in the Black communities today. That despite all of the adversity, we continue to move mountains.
11 am-12 pm – Hard Knock Radio: Education of the Black Child -The Education of The Black Child with Zakiya Harris and Candice Davis. Later Poor News Network explores America’s war on the poor.
12-12:30 pm – Critical Times: Week in Review – The WSLR News Team reports on politics and grassroots activism all happening in our backyard.
12:30-1 pm – Arts Works: A Conversation with Isabel Wilkerson -Isabel Wilkerson talks about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, focusing on the transfer of Southern culture to the North, creating a new, vibrant culture in the country.
1-3 pm- Attitude of Gratitude -For the 25th, the GratiDread (Cosmic Producer and Music Historian for the program “Attitude of Gratitude”) will select some notable excerpts of speeches for the GratiDude to utilize in their weekly time-traveling tune playing adventure. Speeches will be from the likes of Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley. All speeches will be dubbed over rare instrumental roots reggae music making for easy and inspiring listening. WSLR (like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup), is bringing two great things that go great together; reggae and resistance…….oh, make that three great things…..we’ll also include an Attitude of Gratitude
3-4 pm –Community Conversations with Ralph Barnette. Ralph and his guests will be discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
4-5 pm – Vibrational Journeys with Perette Cannady – Vibrational Journeys returns for a one-hour show. Perette will program music used to express and reject the oppression of Black Americans through the ages — music that will unite and uplift the human spirit in everyone.
5-7 pm – Jazz and More with Brian Jones– A special two-hour edition will begin with a guest artist, Mr. Carl Carrington, a D.C.-based jazz flutist who will discuss his music and how other musicians are creating music in response to social justice issues and hardships affecting creativity and performance. The program will bring in Dr. David Wilkins, president of Manasota ASALH, to discuss DeSantis’ initiatives that reduce the academic integrity of African American history instruction at the secondary education level. They’ll discuss the history of mandated instruction of African American history in Florida’s public schools; and, the response to these new attacks on the efficacy of African American history instruction by ASALH as it moves to create Freedom Schools.
7-9 pm – New Radio with Ash H. – Ash takes us on a guided listening through Questlove’s book Music Is History, while investigating how Black identity is weaved into the cultural politics of music in America. Listeners will hear music from artists like James Brown, Kool and the Gang, Diana Ross, The Bar-Kays, J Dilla, Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, Toro y Moi, Rihanna, and much more!
9-11 pm – The In Between with Jay Ackermann– Celebrating Black history, Jay will be taking a deep dive into the history of ska and punk by featuring artists dating back to the old days of Jamaica, bringing listeners along for the ride up to scenes in currently active in the US. Every artist played unapologetically defined the black community in the scene and helped build a community of inclusion and unity.
11 pm-1 am – Eclectricity with Ishmael Katz– In this special edition, host Ishmael Katz celebrates Black history as he takes us along with him on a trip to the historical civil rights locations while playing music and sounds that inspired him along the way…from to Greenwood Rising in Tulsa; Civil Rights Institute at Lorraine Hotel in Memphis; Harriet Tubman museum in Macon; Bessie Smith Institute in Chattanooga, TN; Negro Baseball League and Jazz Museum in KC; National Blues Museum in St. Louis.
