The month of February kicks off with our fund drive beginning February 1st at 6 a.m. Help us to make this the shortest fund drive in WAMC history! Your continuing support allows us to keep bringing you the programming you love. Call 1(800)323-9262 or pledge online at WAMC.org. We couldn’t do it without you!
Throughout February and in early March, WAMC will air NPR’s special live coverage of the first five major contests of the 2016 presidential candidate nomination process. On Monday, February 1st, hosts Ari Shapiro and Audie Cornish will anchor coverage of the Iowa Caucuses. New Hampshire’s live event will start at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9th. Ari Shapiro and Michel Martin will host coverage of the GOP South Carolina primary on Saturday, February 20th starting at 8 p.m.
We have some exciting special programs coming up this month to honor Black History Month and President’s Day. Our celebration begins with King Stories, February 15th at 9 a.m. King Stories is a one-hour documentary of captivating stories told by friends and associates who were intimately involved with the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Host Julian Bond, along with insiders—Ralph Abernathy, David Garrow, Dick Gregory, Mark Lane and Larry Williams—share rarely documented stories about the personal and private sides of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At 10 a.m. we will enjoy State of the Re:Union-Leadership from the Bottom Up A Black History Month Special. Usually during Black History Month, we remember civil rights icons and reflect upon their legacy. Over the past couple of years, State of the Re:Union has met a new generation of African American leaders, the people you may not see on TV specials or making nationally acclaimed speeches. Most of these men and women are on the front lines of their communities, rolling up their sleeves and diving in to what can be unglamorous work. In this episode, we would like to introduce you to this group of leaders and what they’re accomplishing in their various corners of America. The celebration continues with encore broadcasts of our award winning Power of Words series at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Coming up on February 19th, at 11 a.m. it’s Race and the Space Race. The Space Age began when America was going through a wrenching battle over civil rights and because the heart of the old Confederacy was chosen as its base, NASA played an unintended role in civil rights history. In this program, we hear how this happened and we hear the stories of the people who broke the color line at NASA. Produced by Richard Paul with Soundprint and narrated by Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in Space; Race and the Space Race tells the unlikely relationship between civil rights and the space program.