Originally called Decoration Day, Congress established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in 1968. The undertold history of Memorial Day dates back to the Civil War. First observed in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865, thousands of African Americans, including the formerly enslaved, 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, and 34th and 104th United States Colored Troops, were led by children as they gathered to honor 257 Union soldiers who were buried in a mass grave on Washington Race Course which was used as a Confederate prison camp. The ancestors exhumed the mass grave, reburied ..read more

Two days after Lee Morgan’s historical marker was unveiled, The Philadelphia Inquirer published this demeaning and defamatory headline. Writing for The Inquirer, Shaun Brady dug up fake news that Lee Morgan’s gravesite had “vanished” and a white fan “unearthed” it. Even if the claim were true, why did Brady and his editor, Bedatri Choudhury, devote coverage of the dedication ceremony to “news” first reported by NPR in 2022? Shaun did not interview Lee’s family members. In an email, Choudhury wrote, “In retrospect, he should’ve spoken to Mr. Morgan’s family.” Lee is buried alongside his father ..read more

An African proverb says, “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” On International Jazz Day, we told the story of Lee Morgan, a story of Black Excellence. Even when we tell our story, a white journalist lionizes a white man in his report on the dedication of Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker. Writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Shaun Brady dug up the sensationalistic claim that a white fan “discovered” Lee Morgan’s “lost gravesite.” The “discovery” was made after the fan wandered around White Chapel Memorial Park during the coronavirus pandemic. When he fi ..read more

On February 23, 1974, the Philadelphia Tribune published an open letter, “From A Sister, With Love,” written by Ernestine Morgan Cox, Lee Morgan’s sister. On April 30, 2024, this sister, along with Lee’s family and the community that loves him, unveiled Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker. Lee Morgan was celebrated for the life he lived and the legacy he left. But the struggle continues. Stay tuned ..read more

I nominated Edward “Lee” Morgan for a Pennsylvania historical marker on February 19, 2022, the 50th anniversary of his death. I chose that date to ensure the conversation was not solely about how Lee Morgan died. I wanted to shift the conversation to how the legendary trumpeter lived. In an open letter published in the Philadelphia Tribune on February 23, 1974, Lee’s beloved sister, Ernestine Morgan Cox, wrote: [T]hough he only lived to be 33, he managed to accomplish more than some of us who have sixty or more years in which to do it… Lee Morgan really lived a full life… Lee did indeed live ..read more

Billie Holiday was born at Philadelphia General Hospital on April 7, 1915. Located in the Black Bottom, the public hospital was the “hospital of choice” for African American women during the Great Migration. WKCR is hosting a special birthday broadcast in honor of Lady Day. You can listen to the 24-hour broadcast on 89.9 FM or stream it live here. My appreciation for Billie Holiday is well-documented. I made some noise when I found out that Lady Day was not honored on Philadelphia’s Walk of Fame. I ruffled some feathers but Billie got her plaque. It’s Lady Day’s heavenly birthday but April 2 ..read more

Jazz Appreciation Month, also known as JAM, is an annual celebration held in April to honor and promote jazz and its cultural significance. JAM was conceived by the National Museum of American History in 2001. This year, Jazz Appreciation Month celebrates the 125th birthday of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. However this year in Philadelphia, it’s Edward Lee Morgan Appreciation Month. Join us on International Jazz Day for the dedication of Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker. The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. Please click here to register ..read more

Women in Jazz Month is celebrated annually in March. It is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of female vocalists, composers, bandleaders, and instrumentalists. Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan are jazz icons who are ensconced in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. With a voice that evokes Ella and Sarah, 24-year-old Samara Joy McLendon has already achieved GRAMMY recognition. Samara Joy won the 2023 GRAMMY awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist for her second album, “Linger Awhile.” Samara Joy won the 2024 GRAMMY for Best Jazz Performance for “Tight.” Samara Joy co-wrote ..read more

Augusta Savage was a sculptor and arts educator, and a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. She founded the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem, where she mentored and inspired many well-known Harlem Renaissance artists including Ernest Crichlow and Jacob Lawrence. Like her monumental work, Savage’s story was almost lost to history. “The Harp” was created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The design was inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem. Viewed by more than five million people, Savage’s sculpture was destr ..read more

March 10-16, 2024 is Sunshine Week, a time to celebrate transparency, and the right to know what government officials are doing and saying behind closed doors. I used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know Law to tell the story of the deteriorating condition of the John Coltrane House and the drama over ownership of the National Historic Landmark. John Coltrane’s beloved “Cousin Mary,” Mary Alexander, sounded the alarm about the physical deterioration of the property as early as 1987. From time to time I would check on the Coltrane House. Without access to the ..read more