black radio in st. louis

Growing up black in St. Louis, Missouri , in the 1950s and '60s, black radio was the tie that bound us black teens together socially and politically beyond any other means or medium. Our radio personalities were that, literally, with the "Rocking Mr. G,"--George Edward Logan; Bernie Hayes; and my favorite, the mighty Steve Byrd, who featured our black student group from Webster Groves High School, Students for Black Awareness and Action (SBAA), on his very popular afternoon program on several memorable occasions to the chagrin of some! One prominent program each morning on KATZ-AM was "Roll Call." Students from area high schools would call in and state the name of their school, in sort of a show of camaraderie and popularity, while popular music singed the airwaves in the background. At the end of the program, when most students were already in school, that day's winner of "roll call" would be announced competitively, setting up the next day's show.