Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Event Recap
At the Black Power TV event on September 18, author Devorah Heitner discussed her new book Black Power TV, which documents the history of black-focused news programming in the late 1960s and early 1970s, highlighting the contributions of shows like New York’s “Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant” and Boston’s “Say Brother” to American television. Ms. Heitner was joined by Trudy Haynes, black TV news pioneer; Louis Massiah, documentary filmmaker and Scribe Center Director; and Sara Lomax Reese, President of WURD Radio, Philadelphia’s only black-owned radio station. The event showcased portions of black-focused news programming including clips on the controversy of black policemen in the community, black soldiers returning from the Vietnam War and urban renewal in Philadelphia. Each clip was interspersed with moderated discussions of the importance of Black television and efforts to preserve independent Black news.
