The Black Hour broadcasts every third Friday on 9th Floor Radio, a Peralta TV college radio station based at Laney College in Oakland. The show is produced by African American students at Laney, and deals with various issues affecting black people. It is the only public affairs show for black students on the station.
And April 17, The Black Hour is "goes green."
The April episode of the monthly show will focus on the "Green movement, as it relates to environmental racism, environmental justice, and social equity," said Executive Producer and Host Reginald James.
"It is our show's one-year anniversary and we want to celebrate the life of the show by honoring the planet that gives life to us all," said James, referring to the show that launched from the Laney Black Student Union (Laney BSU) in 2008. The show also precedes this year's Earth Day, as well as Focus the Nation, an event educating Americans on climate change.
Nehanda Imara, an adjunct professor in Environmental Studies and African American Studies at Laney and Merritt Colleges is the shows premiere guest. Imara is also a community organizer with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE).
Also appearing on the show, Tyrone "Baby Champ" Stevenson, inventor of the "Scraper Bikes" and rapper Tevan El "Virtuous" Emmett. Each will their efforts for environmental justice using Hip Hop and Bay Area youth culture.
And lastly, Peralta recycling interns Tiana Drisker (Laney) and Bhret Skipper (Berkeley City College) will discuss their campuses' efforts to promote sustainability on Peralta campuses.
The show will also discuss the upcoming Proposition A: EasyPass Program, appearing on the Peralta student election ballot on April 28-29. The proposition seeks to lower the cost for Peralta students to ride AC Transit by continuing the Peralta EasyPass program.
Last May, The Black Hour was also featured in the Laney Tower.
