The First 'Shock Jock' of the Radio - "Nothing But a Con and a Thief"

Please excuse the references to doing things 'today'; this post was supposed to have been published  yesterday, July 3rd.
Warning: Very Long Post 


I watched a movie today on the Bounce Channel called Talk To Me. I didn't recognize it, other than to identify that it was sometime in the 70's. Although not a big time fan of the 'Blacula' era movies I began to find myself interested in this one, which was about a young radio DJ and the radio station he worked for. The DJ had become very popular in that city; very well-liked, respected, and listened to when he spoke. He was always quick to tell his audience though that he was "nothing but a con (someone who'd done time in jail) and a thief".  It didn't matter to them, they loved him all the more.

The city was  Washington, DC., and the radio station was WOL 1450 AM. The movie was based around the time of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination, and the DJ was heralded as being a voice that calmed down the angry mobs who surged through the streets vandalizing and looting the businesses there. They were pulling people out of their vehicles (white people) and beating them unmercifully with whatever weapon came to hand. The DJ, instead of fleeing as most people were doing, went back into the radio station and began a broadcast vigil that lasted for hours. During this time he was able to calm some of the emotions that were threatening to bring down the city, to talk some of the residents down from the precipice of anger and hate which they found themselves perched on. The man's name was Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene.

Petey Greene

Earlier today I also read an article about a certain FOX newscaster's reaction (and the video she made) to Jesse Williams' speech at the BET Awards. (Of course her opinion wasn't good!) How she ran on, showing just how unintelligent she really is! (IMO) Of course there were many comments; very few agreed with her. Mostly the comments were people railing against her and her nerve to say anything against Mr. Williams. Here's an exchange that really struck me: evidently the  first poster was in support of the newscaster's video.

You said:

    " What would happen if whites had a white entertainment award? Or white Emmy award?  Or white music award? Or white history month? Or even a white miss America pageant??? Well we don't have any of these things...."

<quote>How old are you? I'm asking because obviously you don't remember the Miss America Pageant years ago, from when it first began in Atlantic City right up until 1970. Eleven months out of the year our children are taught American History in school, with no mention of the things that the children learn about during Black History Month. Now who is it that decrees every year (since 1976) that February is Black History Month? Oh yes, the President... and it hasn't been Obama! Now why would all those Presidents have made that decree if somewhere along the line the disparity had not been obvious? Or is it only those who refuse to see beyond someone's color who cannot admit that there HAS been a time when blacks couldn't do any of the things you mentioned because they were still being 'downtrodden'; they couldn't vote, they couldn't sit in the first seat they came to on the bus, they couldn't even walk into a carry-out and order a soda like everyone else! Just as you seem to have forgotten about the Miss America Pageant being all white for the first 30 years it was in existence, there are many other people who have not forgotten how things 'used to be', and for years have tried to retain their so-called white supremacy through use of the KKK and other organizations like it. When they couldn't be that open about their feelings, many of them have found whatever ways they can to let that hatred out.
What I really find hard to understand is how so many people who claim not to be prejudiced still cannot see that the disparity which has always existed is STILL HERE! And it's a shame that so many refuse to see it; I think we'd go a long way toward healing the breach if first we acknowledge that there IS one. All this constant back and forth does is make it worse, with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else.
What was that old punch line from a few  years back? "Can't we all just get along?" No one says we have to like each other, but we shouldn't be killing each other either. </quote>
                                          
Watching that movie, and watching that video and reading the accompanying article made me look at the two periods in our history; comparing the times and comparing the reactions of people. Do you realize how similar these periods are? Times in the 70's and  80's were the same as they are now in 2016. Events happen, people object and/or protest, and still others wonder what the big deal is, there's no problem... What do you think about what's happening to our society, our children, our businesses, our self-respect? Is racism 'better' than it was? (What constitutes better?) A lot of people, black and white, are saying that we really should just relax and enjoy what strides we've made; we should stop making something out of nothing!!

Brothers and Sisters, how can we not worry about what is happening when so many of us are being beaten and/or killed and everyone is telling us that there's nothing wrong? smh