Public radio is not known for its diversity. I know this well, I've often been the only black man in many a newsroom, show or desk in my career. It didn't quite like the Twilight Zone until I contributed to @nprfreshair

I interviewed @eveewing about her book of poetry 1919 last year. She also wrote a landmark book "Ghosts in the School Yard" about Chicago schools, she also has a comic book series #ironheart She teaches at U of C and she hosted the Studs Terkel pod. My interview never aired.

A few weeks ago, the show exec Danny Miller emailed to give me "credit" for introducing the show to Eve (as if she'd been hiding under a rock) and Terry Gross would be doing it. https://www.npr.org/2020/06/15/877108426/poet-eve-ewing-connects-1919-chicago-to-todays-racial-unrest

For Dr. Ewing's sake it's clearly better to have done the full scale interview with Terry Gross on @nprfreshair than a member of the JV squad like me. However, erasing a conversation between 2 black Chicagoans talking about race and violence seems, tone death.

What stuns me about @nprfreshair is the power it has in the publishing, tv and film communities. Juxtapose that to the appalling lack of color on the show. In Fresh Air's history it's only had 1 black editorial staffer in nearly 45 years on the air! Read that again.

Book publicists consider a booking on the show to be the Holy Grail. When a book gets on @nprfreshair it sells out. Hollywood stars often refuse to do other public radio shows unless they talk to Terry.

I went to @nprfreshair with open eyes. Hearing the stories from my #wemakewhyy colleagues as part of @sagaftra I knew of many problems. But a show about culture that's broadcast from Philadelphia without black staff? A city that's 44% black. C'mon.

Fresh Air in many ways sets the standard for public radio's sound, and is powerful enough to set or change the agenda in publishing and Hollywood. It does it without any black voices at the table. I know public radio can do better.