Nine students in Neumann’s honors program produced an hour-long radio interview with Timothy Hayes, a veteran Civil Rights activist, as a project in their Race and Media class.

Hayes is the founder of the Atlanta chapter of the Black Panther Party. In his life, he crossed paths with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali, Bobby Seale, John Lewis, and other icons of the Civil Rights Movement.

As a teenager in 1965, he was teargassed and beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on Bloody Sunday. As a young man, he led Panthers’ service projects in his city and later volunteered to dig wells to provide fresh water in Angola during the war for independence there.

During the interview, part of a series entitled Living Black History on WNUW 98.5, Hayes touched on the influence of his activist mother, segregation in the 1950s and 1960s, and his dedication to social justice.

“What impressed me the most was that he met historical figures from the Civil Rights Movement,” said Danielle Dinafo, one of the student interviewers. “But even more inspiring was his dedication to fighting for his community, despite the challenges he faced. Hearing about his determination to stand up for what’s right, no matter the obstacles, was very powerful.”

Ariana Gilmore found value in every story that Hayes told. “The insight he provided is information that you don't find in history and information that is often dismissed. His remarkable life was extremely informative.”

Jaelyn Watkins agreed. “His words will leave you wanting to create change for not only yourself but for the ones around you.”

Undergraduates in Neumann’s Race and Media class examine media representations of various social groups and conduct research about why such images matter.

Four of the students conducted the interview with Hayes while others directed from the control room and provided technical expertise for the live broadcast.

This is the fourth year that Professor Janis Chakars’s class has produced a Living Black History radio show as part of the Neumann curriculum. The show has been named Best Collegiate Radio Show by the Catholic Media Association and has received honors from the College Media Association and Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.

Future episodes will focus on the Nile Swim Club, which was formed in Yeadon when African Americans were denied entry into the white swim club, and the NAACP of Media, Pennsylvania, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Living Black History airs live on WNUW 98.5 and is rebroadcast on WGGT 92.9 (G-Town Radio) in Philadelphia.

CAPTIONS:

Civil rights activist Timothy Hayes with Neumann students.

Timothy Hayes on WNUW.