Civil Rights and Black American History
This website contains at least 73 audio programs that relate directly to the American Civil Rights movement and 34 that relate to Black American History. Mainline churches have often been intentional in working in these fields, and many of their audio programs reflect this work.
These subjects were also a focus of the “Night Call” radio program, which ran from 1965-1969. The nightly show was created by The United Methodist Church, and produced in conjunction with the National Council of Churches, and the Urban League, along with other faith partners.
One of the programs in these areas is selected randomly on the right side of this page. On this site, you’ll find dozens of key figures represented, giving speeches or appearing on a radio program.
To find all the programs, go to our Audio Programs page and use the search system drop-downs:
Subject: look for Civil Rights, African-American, or any other subject you wish.
Selected Speakers: find speakers like Ralph Abernathy, Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael, Stephen Carter, Shirley Chisholm, Kenneth Clark, Eldridge Cleaver, John Conyers, Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, Jocelyn Elders, Dick Gregory, Vincent Harding, Reginald Hawkins, Dorothy Height, Roy Innis, Jesse Jackson, A. D. King, James Lawson, Chester Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Ralph McGill, Frank Robinson, Frankie Robinson, Nina Simone, Cecil Williiams, and Andrew Young.
Randomly-chosen Civil Rights and Black American History Program:
The Church on the Frontier of Racial Tension
Speaker(s): Martin Luther King, Jr.
Description: This address was delivered at the Christian Action Conference in Montreat, NC, in August 1965. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1925-1968) was delayed several days while responding to the Watts Riots of 1965, a series of violent confrontations between Los Angeles police and residents of Watts and other predominantly African American neighborhoods of South-Central Los Angeles that began August 11, 1965, and lasted for six days. He says a shift toward integration is causing a crisis in race relations - and the church must respond. He calls for Christians and churches to call out the immorality of racism. Secondly, the church must get to the roots of racial prejudice -- the common misconceptions of differences among the races. And thirdly, the church must take action ... social action. And he details the devastating reality of poverty for so many Black families. The church's challenge is to "care for the least of these."Length: 57:45
Recording Date: August 1965
Recorded at: Montreat, NC