Audio Antiques

How to keep from going broke during the Holiday Giving Season. Also, why society gangs up on fathers.  More at KRobCollection.com

Comedy Teams have a long history in the world of entertainment, beginning in British music halls, and then in vaudeville in America. They were also popular during the golden age of radio. Among the many comedy teams on the air at the start of commercial broadcasting were George Burns and his wife Gracie Allen. They got married in Cleveland, Ohio in 1926 and never looked back, performing in early t...

In this edition, we learn about the woman who was named one of the most important people of the 20th Century. Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, feminist, political activist and humanitarian. The Alabama native, lost her sight and her hearing due to illness when she was just 19 months old. However, Keller later learned to speak and write with the help of her first tea...

How to find a good mate, and how to get rid of a bad one.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Duke Ellington was a major influence on music during the jazz age. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899, and in 1927 had his first international hit with Creole Love Call. The African-American composer, pianist, and orchestra leader would remain popular for this rest of his life, touring the world, while based at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. Ellington was given many awards, including...

Ken interviews Gerome Warcloud of the American Indian Center, and the American Indian Movement on the struggles and concerns of North America's indigenous people. (1981) More at http://krobcollection.com

This podcast focuses on the contributions made during the times of Jim Crow segregation, to promote racial harmony during World War Two, in two episodes of the show New World A-Comin', both aired during the war on New York Radio Station WMCA. First, we'll hear a 1944 play about one of the 125,000 African Americans who fought in World War Two, all in segregated units. Then we'll hear a...

Superman first appeared in comic books in 1938, and quickly became one of America's most famous fictional heroes. In 1940, The Adventures of Superman appeared as a radio serial that appealed to kids, it was an instant success. The serial continued until 1951, with more than 2,000 original episodes produced. In 1946 the producers began focusing on racial and ethnic issues to fight the rising po...

Fear of Public Speaking, Divorce, and Sick Buildings. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

An interview with Jerry Johnson of the rehabilitation center Orca House, and Beverly Bell of the Urban Minority Alcoholism Outreach Program. He reveals how alcohol can affect African-American families.  More at http://krobcollection.com

On this podcast we take examine of two historic and legendary African-American educators. First, there's the story of philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune who was an advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt. She was the founder of what would become Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Bethune will also speak to us in her own words. Then, the story of Boo...

Josh White was a rock star, before there were rock stars. Joshua Daniel White was born in 1914, and overcame tremendous odds to become a world famous musical powerhouse. By mastering the guitar, he took the world of folk, blues, and pop music by storm. Growing up as a young African-American child prodigy, he was forced to perform under involuntary servitude. As a young man, White was able to break...

It seems the United States always been a divided nation in many respects. Since its founding, proponents of the right and left have battled for influence and control. It was no different during the Great Depression of the 1930s, as the struggle played out on the new medium of radio. Father Charles Coughlin was a Catholic priest who's radio shows reached millions. He promoted right wing conspir...

We're going to the theater! Live radio theater was very popular during the medium's golden age. There were many theater-like shows on the networks. We're going to hear 3 installments of the Screen Guild Theater, which ran from 1939 to 1952 and featured movie stars, primarily in original dramas and sometimes comedies, or in adaptations of movies. All three are from 1939, the first featu...

Ken Robinson interviews art gallery director Ernestine Brown, about collecting and investing in contemporary artworks. There also advice on creating your own art gallery and furthering a career as an artist, with a special focus on people of color.  (1982) More at http://krobcollection.com

America's Town Meeting of the Air was a public affairs discussion program which began on NBC radio's Blue Network in 1935 and ran for 21 years. It was one of radio's first talk shows, and NBC did not expect it to become a success, but it did, and eventually picked up a sponsor. Each week moderator George Denny Jr presided over an examination of a controversial issue with a large audien...

Ken interviews author Whitley Strieber, and explores the subjects of miscarriage, and dating.  Details at http://krobcollection.com

William Warfield was a famous opera singer, born in the U.S state of Arkansas in 1920. Known for his rich baritone voice and commanding stage presence, the African-American rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, captivating audiences worldwide, and gracing the stages of prestigious opera houses and concert halls. Warfield served in the Army during World War Two, working in military intelligen...

She's one of the most celebrated entertainers in American history. Lucille Désirée Ball was an actress, comedian, model, studio executive, and producer. However, she's best known as the star of the wildly popular, classic TV show I Love Lucy. Before her long career on television began, Lucy had a successful radio career during the medium's golden age, in addition to occasional roles on...

Ken Robinson interviews members of the Forest City Dental Society about the challenges facing black doctors of oral medicine. (1982) More at KRobCollection.com

Arthur Lee Simpkins was an African-American singer with a unique talent. He was born in South Carolina in 1907, where he became known as the "Black Caruso" in reference to the legendary opera singer Enrico Caruso. In 1936, Simpkins recorded a hit version of "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra. That record jump started Simpkins career, allowing him to pe...

Walker Smith Jr. was one the greatest boxers of all time. You know him as Sugar Ray Robinson, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He started fighting in 1940, using the name of Robinson because he was underage. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight winning streak, the third-longest in professional boxing history. Robinson also became the first boxer to win...

Ken Robinson interviews Cuyahoga Community College instructor Lee Henn, who reveals how you can become more successful by being more assertive. (1982) More at KrobCollection.com

Richard Wright was an African American author who lived from 1908 to 1960. He is best known for his novels, which often dealt with the struggles of black Americans in the early 20th century. Wright grew up in poverty in Mississippi and faced racism and discrimination throughout his life. Despite these challenges, he became a prolific writer. His works include Native Son and Black Boy, are consider...

In this edition, history comes alive with Richard Nixon being interviewed by British journalist David Frost. This was a major news event, with Nixon emerging from seclusion after spending more than two years away from public life, when he became the first U.S. president to resign from office, due to the Watergate scandal. Nixon granted Frost an exclusive series of interviews, with the premiere epi...