Evening Exchange; Hal Jackson Interview

Jackson is truly a legend in his own time. The black announcer on network radio first black inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame first black to do play by play sports announcing on radio. And do you know where he got his start. Right here in Washington D.C. and reported Hinton was fortunate enough to catch up with this always on the move living legend. During one of his visits here Mr. Jackson it's a pleasure to have you with this evening. We are just so happy to have you here. Well it's only my pleasure because I think you must. Heard how close I feel to the entire organization and. Well I've just been a part of it. When I was a real little guy I used to Mascot the basketball team at Howard and now dominate on the court and do the scoring. I had just come up from South Carolina and I used to just love being around and the players and the coaches were just wonderful. And then I never stopped being a part. Of.

How would visit Howard University. You had this great love of sports where you were always working your way around the field and always listening to the play by play and so forth and then you realize this is something you could do and that black sports needed to be broadcast on the airwaves. So you went to a local radio station w i n x and you were met with resistance actually racism but you had a very clever way of getting around that once you were told that no black person would ever broadcast a show from that station. It's a very clever way how to get around it. It's many years ago was that was. I can always picture this man. Calling his staff in you know before I meet you gave me that. And I said boy this is really something. And I remember it getting dark going outside and you know it just stayed with me as I walked down the street. He thought I know it Wes and it said to me and I'm going on there

he is on stop me I'll find a way. And it was just great. You came up with the idea for the bronzer of your radio program and you got some white people to fight for you that this was their program is that how you did it. Cal Ehrlich and Derrick they were the biggest wholesale as of radio time in the country. And well you know what they would do buy blocks of time and buy OUR see an RCA and nobody would block them because they were given the station so much money and now they just went out. But this time we talk about it. I didn't tell the station anything. And then 15 minutes before time here we got out the car we were said Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Dr. childs drew myself. We just sit there. Everybody knew what was going on and then we walked and. You've never seen such expressions on their faces and it was nothing they could do at that

time. So we were able to get the thing started. But I have never seen. A reaction like that before in my life. We you know we just went on they ass start talking about the blondes would you and we're going to be featuring after I go after Americans he said. And you're going to like it. Scott given the phone numbers the phones went off the hook it was on believe never ever had they had you know any blacks on there. Washington was you know really a prejudiced town he came into Washington D.C. As a child really. And you found that it's a very racist city when you go on the air with the Bronx with you and it's immediately apparent that black people in his city want it their own is their own people talking to them. They want it time on the air and you proved that. Yeah. And you know the good thing about it to

black people is some support of you know supportive in every way. Everything we did we Hmong still a lot of things like um collecting toys and clothing at Christmas. Working with retired people you know the elderly and it was just a bold program. And your career as a broadcaster and based on the started you got a W I N x or as one point in the 1940s when you were working for a USC for which you craft the call letters W Street the i in X and w o ok and then also a and then an Apple says that he had was he working at a store station simultaneously. How did you do that. Well it looks like I always ran into that during my life in New York I was on three stations every day and I always did different things. So it was a different appeal. And with that you know w o k w y n x

we always found different things and different audiences more or less. But I gotta say it was you know kind of lucky. And and I never. I felt it was me me me. It had to be the people. How did you get these insights into what audiences want to it and how you could meet their needs. I always felt close to the people the people who listen the people who are a part of you and I would try to find what they wanted. This was before radio consultants. So did you actually go out into the community and talk to your listeners and get a sense a better sense of what people really wanted to hear. I was one who always believed in and valving a community don't speak don't get up on the Hill and talk down to people go out in the community. That's all I got my purse sponsors for football games at Howard University. They didn't have any rating services or

anything. So I would let the people like that up Mars. They came in town and they were talking to me and they said well we had a person broadcasting his games but we don't know what kind of listenership you have. And I took them all over we drove up. Who do you listen to on the radio. Hound Saxon. Let's talk a little bit again about your love of sports which really kind of got you into broadcasting. You spent a lot of time at the baseball games the old Negro League baseball games at Griffith Stadium and you became very close to a lot of the players like Jackie Robinson for instance very close with Jackie and in my book the house Jack. You know you see a picture Josh Gibson I used to watch the nodes the homestead Grays games at the stadium and amazing thing about it. The Washington team the white team couldn't draw many people three four times and whenever we came 30000 32000 you saw another knee here in the nation's capital and doggone it figured out a way

to fill that need. So it had to do with Black teams here in the nation's capital. You organized a leak for African-American players. Washington As I mentioned before we couldn't even go there was a place called you lion arena and this was a gorgeous. It was a skate in the arena. They could play sports but they did not permit blacks. I was sports editor of The Washington Afro-American. And I would go out alone Jackson come on and so and so yeah I don't know why they say that. I don't keep black people are in it. Still when I went in I was the only black one sent in there watching it or if I took two or three people. But anyway it was then the AB eight that's before the NBA no black players were allowed. And I tell some people that even now they research it none. They didn't want any and all of the teams

around made this promise they would never get a black ball player. OK. So why are they war was on this was nine hundred forty two forty three. And the great ballplayers the black ones. Was that the groom an aircraft that very rich was tax exempt. I mean not tax exempt I mean you know qualified they didn't have to go to the service. And I used to bring them in on one on Sundays at a place called Turner's arena and we had sex it used to be a wrestling match. So we can play. Basketball held about 3000 people and we packed it in every Sunday afternoon interspersed here with you with your career in radio you. You made a couple of forays into television creating shows for specific audiences creating shows for young people. It's amazing how television comes up. I was in Washington I'd gone back to Washington back in 1989 and

same thing thank God the blessing was there with all the support. No matter what anything I did I could go and just do it on the stations. And I limped to get these guys they came up and sat by me and said look we want to put you on television as it were. We want to put you on television on the Dumont television network 1949. I said You're kidding. No we will support you fully. You're going w TTG in Washington and you'll be alone in New York. Everywhere you went that many sets out that oh Monday night for one hour. But people used to gather in groups at different locations to watch the show because one that many sense out there but it turned out to be a tremendous seller is still on the air every Sunday in New York. Alice Yeah From 8 until 4 every Sunday and you know two years ago we had this big celebration

60 years of broadcasting. And Ed Bradley was the host. We had quite a thing at the Rainbow Room. And so many people you know came in to herald it was really was a wonderful thing. But that was 60 now and 62. So I'm working on the next 60. Bottom line I want to mention there are yes not only are you on the air there you're one of the owners of WB Ellis you know him and yes and that was. Must mean something you know when you when this was done more than 30 years ago that a group of African-American investors were actually by a broadcast property. Was it difficult very difficult. Banks. By Nancy they did not want to lend live people money to buy a radio station. And finally we were able to just work and sail and do it was amazing. I guess the late 50s early 60s you know this young man from Detroit was

doing something very good morning founder of Motown Records didn't teach you could you tell right away that he was sending somebody with an agenda that he had a plan. Well yeah. Well he used to always call me and tell me he was writing songs he used to be a fighter and he would come in to the studio where I was. And he was writing for Jackie vote for me I'm going to promote it and he said to me one day he said you know I'm on. Get out of the stone house and watch. It don't make any money writers out there wait wait wait. My mother and father in the family has a foundation. And some of us from time to time. I've never done it and been able to borrow money. I don't know if they'll lend me the money but I want to set up my own record company. Ten days later he called and said. And a minute is hardly the

same only the money I'm going to open up in Detroit. Now the money is limited. I bond I've been working on for a while he said. When I got back three empty buildings and I'm going to use the money to take them over put it in recording equipment. Twenty four hours a day. I'm going to leave it open any. A lot of them want to come in and record 10 and when I hear it if I think they are worthy of that. I'll bring in the play. Do so. And they can have a record of time. That makes sense. I went out there and saw it and he did. The thing about Barry Gordy as he never went second class always first class. Even with the choreography. You know that he always had the best. You were the first African-American to be inducted into the radio announcers Hall of Fame.

You've been honored by the Smithsonian Institution as a pioneer in black radio. You're your honors and awards are so many. What's it mean to you to have someone stop and say look what this man has done. You know I I accepted as I told them and when they called me to Chicago and said look we got to tell you. You have done so much in so many ways and we are going to put you into the Radio Hall of Fame. The first Afro-American there I said. Well if you feel I've earned it oh no we've research. And the same thing happened with the NABJ the National Association of Broadcasters. I was the first minority there and I don't care about being the first or whatever. The only thing I always do once a step is made like that I respond I can try to open the doors for you know other minorities and I think um

you know little by little you get to realize and there's me I've been blessed. Now let me pass it on and share whatever has come to me and whatever has come to me. I've never tried to take it personally. I always feel a whole lot of people help me to make this situation possible. I found Mr. Howe Jackson for his belief in youth and his untiring efforts to exploit the performing talents of young women. And of color all around you and by the way she tried to share your blessings this with young black women to hear how Texas talent teams and national contest started off as one thing and it's evolved. Yeah it started it started off I was doing on a what is it a film Miss Black teenage America. And I have quotas that will young white children who always have followed me went through it and they came in they were upset because they couldn't get

into Miss Black teenage America. I said well what can I do. They don't want them in the Miss Teenage America. We don't want to be in a contest. So then that's the little white kids. So then we started down this. How exactions talented teens. It's been 30 years and it's just wonderful to watch all these young people. They have scholarships for college and it really is my blessing. You wrote your book how to act in the House That Jack Built. And I'm wondering if one looks back on his life his personal life his professional life and you have to kind of bring that to the fore to talk about it. Is it like a perch does it do you look or how do you reflect on your life when you sat down to write this. And as each memory came to you how do you reflect on it. Do you know everybody had been after me for so long about you know writing a book not for your ego. Hal Jackson but

because of the young people and other people will feel encouraged that they too can accomplish whatever they're trying to do. And this book that's what sold me on it. This book will let other people who feel they can't do it that they will do it. And I believe that I believe that this will. Help other people the pain goes. On that note how would you sum up your life. I'm very grateful and I just wish I could just continue my slogan. It's nice to be important but it's important to be nice. Sharon if you think if you are if you think you they're not you know if you like to wear you think you can show me this you think you. Can you will. It's. Your status. When we come back guest host Derek water and our panelists with analysis of the latest news of the

week.