During Black History Month, St. Louis Public Radio is participating in the “Lift Every Voice” initiative, which highlights the lives and accomplishments of more than 50 Black Americans throughout history.
The project was created by a familiar voice in St. Louis: Geri Mitchell, who hosted Morning Edition on St. Louis Public Radio from 2013 to 2017. Now the midday host at WAMU in Washington, D.C., Mitchell has produced a new slate of “Lift Every Voice” spots in each of the three years of the project’s existence.
This year, the collection includes several historical figures with ties to St. Louis, including Josephine Baker and Tina Turner, as well as World Wide Technology founder and philanthropist David Steward.
“I knew there was a powerful way to use the airwaves to educate the listening audience as well as students,” Mitchell told St. Louis on the Air. “We also educate ourselves about the countless contributions of African Americans, many of whom were and are still obscured in history.”
To hear more from Geri Mitchell on the “Lift Every Voice” initiative, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
