Black Leaders '73 hosted by Tony Brown

In 1973, journalist Tony Brown hosted a "Black Journal" television special featuring the time's most prominent Black leaders. Audiences were tuned into a rou...

In 1973, journalist Tony Brown hosted a “Black Journal” television special featuring the time’s most prominent Black leaders. Audiences were tuned into a roundtable that included thought leaders such as Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael; Fannie Lou Hamer, and Angela Davis. Other voices included politicians such as Congressman Louis Stokes, then of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton while organizations such as the National Business League, National Urban League, and NAACP were represented by Berkeley G. Burrell and James D. Williams, respectively. The programming wasn’t an uncommon sight with “Black Journal” becoming a routine platform for the African-American community to become acquainted with its leaders via public broadcasting. With these leaders came definitive voices distinctive from one another, but uniform in their grander objectives. Such a character was a common feature of the Black Power Movement that fueled the ‘70s along with the Civil Rights Movement that preceded it. It’s a characteristic that challenges our current landscape.

-Milca Pierre, Revolt TV