From the classic radio drama Destination Freedom, you're going to learn the story of The Knock-Kneed Man. Crispus Attucks, was a stevedore of African and Native American descent, and is widely regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre, and thus the first American killed in the American Revolution.

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Life with Luigi is an radio situation comedy series which began in the 1940s. The action centered on Luigi Basco and his experiences as a newly arrived Italian immigrant in Chicago, and his interactions with other refugees from different countries. In this episode Luigi writes a play to celebrate America, and decides to cast an African-American, which was rarely done at the time.

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Our focus is on the great Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Robinson broke the color barrier when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. We'll hear his story as told by legendary sports reporter Bill Stern. Then two episodes from Jackie Robinson's own radio show, and his radio biography from a 1948 episode of Destination Freedom. All this is followed by Jack Buck's interview with Robinson on KMOX radio in the early 1960s.

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A lesser known adult western series from 1958, Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone. Sam Buffington stars as Luke Slaughter, a Civil War cavalryman who turned to cattle ranching in post war Arizona territory.

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From it's early days in the 1920's news was an important part of radio. The first newscasts were little more than announcers reading press releases and police reports. In the 1930s and 40s, network newscasts evolved into audio versions of newspaper columns. During the World War Two and into the 1950s there was the arrival of the radio news anchor, who presented reporters on the scene, with commentary confined to the people actually making the news. You're hear this transition develop over decades of radio news coverage.

Elmer Davis on CBS Radio in 1939

HV Kaltenborn on NBC Radio in 1940

Walter Winchell in 1941, American Radio's most popular newsman at the time, and was heard on the Blue Network, which later became ABC.

Fulton Lewis Jr on the Mutual Radio Network in 1942.

Raymond Gram Swing on ABC Radio in 1945

Mutual Newsreel Digest in 1950

Taylor Grant suffers the news anchor's nightmare on ABC in 1953.

The legendary Edward R. Murrow on CBS Radio in 1957.

Frank Bourgholtzer on NBC Radio in 1961.

Charles Osgood before he became famous in 1966 on ABC Radio

Bill Maher Jr, father of the famous comedian on Mutual Radio in 1969.

Mike Stanley on CBS in 1969.

James Limbach on Associated Press Radio in 1977.

Al Williams on the Mutual Black Radio Network in 1978.

David Leslie on ABC in 1978.

Pat Prescott on the National Black Network in 1981.

Becky Bailey on Mutual in 1988.

Jim Lounsbury on the United Press International radio network in 1989.

Sheri Preston on ABC radio in 2004.

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The radio broadcast of Joe Louis battling Max Baer at Yankee Stadium on September 24th, 1935. It was Louis' 10th fight that year, after defeating 9 other opponents. Joe Louis reigned as boxing's World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. The Brown bomber won 26 world heavyweight title fights, the most in history.

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On this edition we spotlight Jack Paar. The author, comedian, and actor is best known as one of the most successful hosts of NBC's Tonight Show. The Canton Ohio native began his career working in radio, despite growing up with a stutter. Paar was a humorous DJ at radio stations in Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, and was then given his own network radio show on NBC in 1947. After getting into a disagreement with the show's sponsor, Paar briefly worked as an actor for RKO Pictures. In 1950 Jack Paar returned to radio as a game show host but again clashed with his sponsor. He got a few jobs in television, and was given his big break, as host of the Tonight Show in 1957. Ten years after his first network radio shows, which are coming up next.

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Before Martin Luther King Jr, there was Paul Robeson, who became an international activist for human rights and racial justice just as radio was beginning to become popular. Robeson used his fame as a star football player, and a popular singer and actor to fight for equality, not only in the United States but around the world. You will hear Paul Robeson perform on the Magic Key radio show on NBC in 1936. After that you will hear his business manager. Paul's wife, Dr. Eslanda Robeson was an anthropologist, author, actress, and civil rights activist, who urged African-Americans to be proud of their history. In 1949 she published her third book, American Argument, which was edited by fellow anthropologist Pearl Buck. In it she spoke freely about society, politics, gender roles, and race relations. You'll hear Eslanda defend her book on the radio show, Author Meets the Critics on NBC in 1949.

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