Bev Johnson still shines after decades at America's first all-Black radio station

Legacy of America's archetypal all-Black vigor presumption

The bequest of Memphis' WDIA, America's archetypal all-Black vigor station 03:12

When you sojourn the Shop and Save successful Memphis, Tennessee, you'll perceive laughter, speech — and WDIA.

For much than 75 years, listeners person been loyal to America's archetypal all-Black vigor station. For 42 of those years, they've been loyal to big Bev Johnson.

"She's connected to the community," 1 listener said.

"The queen," different said.

Johnson spoke to CBS News astir what's down her continued occurrence and wherefore radical crook to WDIA.

"I deliberation radical privation to know, they privation to go educated and WDIA has ever done that," said Johnson, who's lived successful Memphis since her assemblage days. "I'm besides known arsenic 'your girlfriend.' And you cognize however you tin archer your woman stuff? Well, they archer maine things."

WDIA signed connected successful June 1947 astatine 730 AM successful Memphis. At first, it was conscionable different tiny station, owned by 2 achromatic men, according to the National Civil Rights Museum. They tried each sorts of programming — country, airy pop, adjacent classical — but thing stuck. 

Then, they made a determination that would alteration vigor forever. In precocious 1948, they hired Nat D. Williams, a beloved African American precocious schoolhouse teacher and columnist, to big his ain show, according to the Radio Hall of Fame. 

WDIA wasn't conscionable astir music. It was a lifeline and a loudspeaker for Black Memphis. They aired quality that mainstream outlets mostly ignored, including stories of constabulary brutality, unfair lodging and civilian rights activism, according to the station.

"We were giving them the accusation that they couldn't get anyplace else," Johnson said.

The presumption besides promoted Black-owned businesses and organized foundation drives, similar the Goodwill Fund, which raised wealth for things similar schoolhouse supplies, scholarships and aesculapian attraction for Black children.

It spearheaded efforts to prevention Memphis' Lorraine Motel, wherever Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated successful 1968. Two decades later, WDIA started a instauration for the cause, raising wealth implicit the air, Johnson said.

The Lorraine Motel became the National Civil Rights Museum successful 1991.

Today, Johnson, on with a rotation of adept guests, offers captious accusation from Memphis' ain doctors, lawyers and assemblage leaders.

"A batch of times my guests springiness accusation that our listeners, they can't spend it," Johnson said.

In Memphis, 1 successful 5 radical unrecorded beneath the poorness line, according to the University of Memphis. When a occupation arises, they whitethorn not cognize wherever to look — but they ever person WDIA.

That's wherefore attorneys Monika Johnson and Ursula Woods are regulars connected the show.

"It makes a quality erstwhile you person the knowledge," Monika Johnson said.

As for Bev Johnson, Woods said, "What you spot connected aerial is what you besides spot disconnected air, which is idiosyncratic who genuinely understands the assemblage — their needs and their desires and the things that marque them laugh."

"Bev has a mode of making everybody consciousness similar family. I don't attraction who you are," Monika Johnson said.

After implicit 4 decades, Bev Johnson says she's not done yet.

"I deliberation I inactive person immoderate enactment to bash to speech to immoderate folks, to enactment them connected the close track, springiness them a small wisdom," she said.

• Tennessee
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Memphis