Wednesday, December 20, 2017

The Life and Mysterious Death of WGBH Producer Ray Richardson


Was the Beloved Activist and Hero a Victim of CoIntelPro?

(From the Archives)

This exclusive report was originally posted on YouTube on November 29, 2013. 

From The G-Man urges news outlets and civil rights organizations across the nation to call for an official re-examination of Richardson's death. 

The following is an excerpt from a 2001 PBS.org article entitled "The History of Say Brother", written by Sarah Ann-Shaw. 

"Say Brother made its debut July 15, 1968. Ray Richardson, one of the show's first producers, was a brilliant young man in his early 20s. He never wavered in his commitment to portraying all facets and accomplishments of Black life. Say Brother grappled with issues of housing, employment, and education; showcased local and national performers from all segments of the arts; provided a platform for political discussions; and much more, all from a Black perspective. This is what Ray Richardson said in 1969 on the show's first anniversary:

'We attempted to create an outlet for many of the viewpoints that exist in our community and to deal with political, educational, and cultural activities relevant to Black people. We have had successes, occasional failures, and many memorable incidents.' 

Renowned scholar and activist Dr. Jeffery B. Perry joined me to discuss the circumstances that led to the creation of the groundbreaking series and the mysterious death of its maverick host . Dr. Perry was educated at Princeton, Harvard, Rutgers, and Columbia University and has been involved in domestic and international social justice issues for more than 30 years. 

Dr. Perry preserved and inventoried the "Hubert H. Harrison Papers" and helped to place them at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University. Harrison was a West Indian-American political activist and educator who came to be known as 'the Father of Harlem Radicalism'. Dr. Perry was also responsible for developing the "Hubert H. Harrison Papers, 1883-1927: Finding Aid."

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