2/28/2008 Write On Radio!

*KFAI Presents Black History Month Specials*

*11am: _What’s The Word: W. E. B. Du Bois_*
An exploration of the life, work, and lasting influence of African American teacher, author, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois.

*11:30am: _What’s The Word: The Blues as Literature_*
The music that we call the blues emerged in the south in the early twentieth century. An expression of African American experience, the blues touched on everyday hardships and realities. On this special, Houston Baker, Jr. talks about the songs of Charlie Patton and the work of novelist Richard Wright, Robert Cantwell shares his vision of the blues as poetry in the lyrics of Robert Johnson, and Angela Y. Davis talks about the 1920s recordings of classic blues women Gertrude Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.