- Just ahead on "American Black Journal," longtime radio personality, Gerald McBride, is here to talk about his new memoir, and the importance of black radio in Detroit and across the country.

Plus, we'll preview the new PBS documentary from Dr.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., which focuses on the historical relationship between the black and Jewish communities.

Stay right there.

"American Black Journal" starts right now.

- [Presenter] Across our Masco family of companies, our goal is to deliver better living possibilities and make positive changes in the neighborhoods where we live, work, and do business.

Masco, a Michigan company since 1929.

Support also provided by the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit PBS.

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Through our giving, we are committed to meeting the needs of the communities we serve statewide to help ensure a bright and thriving future for all.

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Thank you.

(bright upbeat music) (bright upbeat music continues) (bright upbeat music continues) - Welcome to "American Black Journal."

I'm your host, Stephen Henderson.

It's Black History Month, and my first guest was instrumental in helping to shape black radio here in the city of Detroit.

Gerald McBride has been a fixture in broadcasting and production for more than four decades.

His old-school, house party radio show is heard in more than 32 markets all across the country.

And now, McBride has released his memoir titled, "God and The DJ."

It chronicles how faith and resilience guided his professional journey.

He is also the filmmaker behind the award-winning movie, "Black Ice, The Rhythm," which tells the story of young black hockey players from the inner city.

I am really pleased to welcome, Gerald McBride, to American Black Journal.

- [Gerald] Man.

- It's great to have you here.

- Man, thank you so much for having me My first time.

- You're an institution.

- Oh, wow.

- How have you not been on this show?

That's a great question, right?

- Oh, no, I dunno.

I'm just so excited to be here.

Thank you so much for having me.

- So, let's start with the memoir, of course.

- Yeah.

- "God and The DJ."

I'm gonna say this, it's an unusual title for somebody in the industry that you're in to use, to tell his story.

- Yeah.

- So, tell me how you came to that.

- Well, you know what?

Actually, this was motivated by a cousin of mine who called me a few years ago and said, "Hey, you know, I'm putting together a family book and, you know, just a photo book, but I'd like to get some information on a few of our relatives."

And she asked me to write a couple of paragraphs.

- Right.

- You know, which I think is a good idea for all families to do that.

- Yeah.

- You know, just so generations can go through and see who this person was and, you know, how you ask those questions.

Hey, ma, who was my so-and-so uncle or whatever?

- Yeah.

- You know?

A lot of times, you know, our parents didn't have the answer.

So, anyway, she asked if I could write a couple of paragraphs, and I just started writing, Stephen- - Yeah.

- and I kept writing and writing.

I was like, wait a minute.

I think this is going to be a book.

- This is gonna be a book.

Yeah.

- And I contacted a friend of mine who put me in touch with a publishing company, and it was a small publishing company.

So they kind of just walked me through the entire steps of writing this book.

And when I started explaining and sharing some of my stories, they were like, "We think you have something that's really interesting here."

- [Stephen] Yeah.

- I was like, "Really?"

- Okay.

(chuckles) - Yeah, yeah.

But the role of God and faith and resilience in that.

- Yes.

- I think is the, is the kind of pleasant surprise.

- Yes.

Yes.

- It's an industry that doesn't always align itself with those kind of ideas.

- Absolutely.

And, you know, here's the thing.

I think, a lot of people hear us on the radio, and we're having a good time.

- Right.

- Which we do.

- Right.

- You know, we're laughing, and we're joking, and we're playing songs, but, you know, sometimes our lives behind the scenes can be really interesting and.

- [Stephen] Yeah.

- And sometimes, tragic.

- [Stephen] Yeah.

- And, you know, I went through a lot in my life, and I just wanted people to understand the twist and the turns and really, how I was rescued by God in my life.

- [Stephen] Yeah.

I mean, I think, for me, one of the things that kind of shines in the text is that idea of you're never finished with- - Right.

- whatever it is you're doing.

- Right.

You might make terrible mistakes.

You might have bad judgment about something or- - Absolutely.

- or find yourself in a terrible situation, but you're not done.

You always have a chance to do more or to correct what you did.

- Absolutely.

- Talk about how you've come to that idea- - Yeah.

- over that four decades.

- Well, if I could just tell you just kind of just one story.

After graduating outta Specs Howard School of Broadcasting, I had been waiting to be on the radio all my life.

And my mother played the radio constantly in the house.

And so, we grew up listening to WCHB and WJOB.

I became a sole team reporter at WJOB and worked on the Donnie Simpson.

(Stephen laughing) And man, you know, after being in that environment and watching, especially Donny, I'm just like, "Man, I have got to do this."

- I wanna do this?

- Yeah.

I have got, this is what I wanna be.

And I went to Spec Howard School of Broadcasting and started sending out tapes after I graduated.

And it took me a while to get a job.

You know how it is in broadcast.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- It's not like you just soon graduate- - You don't just roll up.

- And get a job.

- (laughing) That's right.

- Anyway, you know, after getting so many nos, I finally get a, yes, from a radio station in Flint, Michigan called WAMM.

And the program director said, "Hey, look, we got a part-timeship for you from three to six in the afternoon."

I was like, "Yes, this is it.

I've been waiting on this all my life."

I would go up there for an orientation the week before my shift on that Saturday and sit in with one of the other DJs.

And back then, you know, Stephen, they had all of these knobs, you had turntables, you had cart machines, you had all of these things that you had to remember which buttons did what.

- The studio was like an assembly.

- It really was.

- Yeah.

(laughing) - Man, it was really something back then.

Everything, of course, is computerized.

It's like easier now.

But, yeah, so, I had to learn all of these different things.

So, Saturday rolled around, and I'll never forget standing in that studio while the other DJ was on, and he said, "Up next is Gerald McBride."

And he got out of the seat, and it was my turn, and I was like, "Oh no, this is it.

- (laughing) What do I say?

- What do I say?

What do I," Stephen, I forgot everything I was supposed to do.

- Oh, no.

- Anyway, I sit down in the chair and cue up my record turntables were.

Actually, you had to reach really way back in order to start the turntable.

And I remember getting ready to turn on that mic, and I reached back to start my record, and I knocked the arm off the record, and it goes, (imitates scratching noise) over the air, and the program program director runs into the studio and says, "You're fired" before I can say my first words.

- (laughing) Right, yeah.

I can't do it.

- So, yeah.

Yeah.

(laughs) So, but, you know, I learned right then and even, and the reason why I told that story, you know, even though you may make some mistakes in life and even something that I had just been looking forward to, so excited about doing, God gave me another chance.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

And I really didn't know God then.

- Yeah.

- But He was still a part of my life, even when I didn't know Him.

A friend of mine worked at the radio station and called me and said, "Hey."

Three months later he called me back and he says, "Hey, man, I talked to program director into giving you another chance."

And I go back on and, of course, the rest is history.

- Yeah, right?

- Here I am, 45 years later, 45 years later, here I am on the air.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

But there would be things like that throughout my life that would happen.

And I think people will probably read this book and like, oh no, this guy is just messing up, just over and over and over again.

- That's okay.

- But that's okay.

You just have to get back up.

- Gotta keep going.

- And keep going.

Absolutely.

I'm sure you have some stories too, huh?

- Well, not ones I wanna tell on air.

(both laughing) - Right.

I'll let the skeletons out of the closet.

- Yeah, right.

Right?

- Okay.

Yeah.

- So, four decades in- - Yeah.

- how does it look different to be doing the work now for you than it did when you were younger and making those mistakes?

- Well, you know, it looks a lot different.

I think, radio was a lot different, first of all.

- Yes, of course.

- I mean, with technology, the choices that people have is, you know, back when radio, when I was growing up, we depended on the radio.

I mean, it was our place for information for the community.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- I think, radio is more of a background.

I'm fortunate enough to have a show where older listeners listen to me, I'm playing, well, I shouldn't just say that.

We got some young people listening too.

- Yeah.

- But, yeah, it's a little different now.

But I can say that I'm very fortunate to have a show that people make an appointment to listen to on the weekends.

- I think that's really important, right?

- Yes.

- The intentionality that goes along with listening.

- Yes.

- Right now, especially the radio, but, you know, it's all streaming over the internet.

- Absolutely.

- Anyway, but to say, at this day, at this time, I'm gonna sit and listen.

- Yes.

- It's more important now than it used to be, I think.

- Yes.

And the show is really like, Stephen, if you ever invited your friends over and put out all your old albums instead, hey, you guys remember this, you remember that?

- Just listen to this.

Right.

- Yeah.

When we were growing up, we listened to that song and The Temptations were singing this and Earth, Wind, and Fire, and the Isley Brothers.

And then we throw a battle in there like, "Okay, let's put Earth, Wind, and Fire against the Isley Brothers, and let's see who wins.

- Right.

- How many people are voting for the, I mean, it really, and that's the reason why I call the show the old-school house party because that's exactly what it is.

It's just a party on the radio where we just pulling out all the old songs that everybody remembers.

And these songs are, you know, 50 years old that I'm playing.

I mean, Earth, Wind, and Fire, that's the way the world, it's 50 years old, you know?

- (laughing) It's unbelievable.

- So, yeah.

(laughing) - So I'm gonna ask you this.

How much longer do you think you'll do it?

You're doing some other things now.

This film that you were involved in?

- I am.

I am.

- Does radio still have your absolute love and attention?

- You know what?

It does.

- Yeah.

- It still does right now, but I'm willing to do it as long as I possibly can.

Of course, things change, but I'll continue to do this show as long as the radio stations will have me.

- [Stephen] Yeah.

- And as long as the listeners will continue to listen to me.

But, yeah, I am trying to make a transition into film.

I have a movie out called, "The Rhythm" that is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV and- - Black kids playing hockey.

- Black kids playing hockey.

- [Mr.

Palmer] Where'd you learn to skate like that?

- [Buck] Father taught me.

- Good job, son.

- Any interest in playing with us?

- Me playing with a bunch of white guys?

My father was murdered right in front of me.

- I got you in here in the first one.

- I got into a fight on the ice.

- I didn't even think black people played hockey.

- I get the idea for that movie after a client of mine who I did or still do radio commercials for comes into town and asked if I could take him to a hockey game.

And we end up at University of Michigan where his son was playing for UMass.

And I'm the only black guy in the entire arena.

And I'm thinking, "Wow, world of black people in this sport."

So, it kind of roused my curiosity.

But I think right then and there, God gives me an idea for a movie.

I mean, I just, when you get an idea for a story, - Right, Yeah.

No, you can't.

- You just, you gotta let it out.

You gotta tell people about it.

And I just kept writing and writing, and it turns into a movie and- - Yeah.

That's amazing.

- here we are.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- All right, well Gerald, congratulations on the book.

- Thank you so much.

- The film and thanks for being with us.

- Yeah.

Thank you so much for having me, Stephen.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- A new four-part documentary from Dr.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

premieres tonight at nine o'clock here on Detroit PBS.

It's titled, "Black and Jewish America, an Interwoven History."

The docuseries examines the rich and complex relationship between black Americans and Jewish Americans throughout history.

Here's a preview.

- When I was growing up, I only thought of race in terms of black and white.

It wasn't until much later when I learned about antisemitism that I realized blacks and Jews face common enemies.

But when we stand together, we are a formidable force.

- The relationship between African Americans and Jews in the United States, it's not a simple story, and it cannot be a simple story.

- It's got a really long history.

- When these two communities get together, and they synergize creatively or politically, they're a juggernaut, and they can't be stopped.

- Jewish people have always been some of the first outside of the culture itself to embrace black music.

- A white Jewish producer, and the greatest black jazz singer of all time.

Why can't the world be like this?

(crowd shouting) - Rabbi Heschel just told me, "He might not live because the killing folk in Selma."

- I think the Civil Rights Movement healed our souls after Nazi Germany.

- There was a very visible black Jewish alliance during the Civil Rights Movement.

- That relationship accomplished incredible things.

- But I don't wanna romanticize the alliance because it wasn't an untroubled relationship.

- We want black power.

- There is a profound sense of the Jews are the haves, the blacks are the have-nots.

Nothing has separated the Jewish and the black community more than this issue of affirmative action.

- It's dangerous to make it all the same.

We're not the same.

We come from different histories.

- I don't consider myself white.

And when I once told our class that, they laughed in my face.

- We laughed.

(laughing) - You laughed in my face.

- I did.

- [Reporter] Blacks and Jews in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn clashed, inflamed by the death of a young boy.

- The old alliance between blacks and Jews, is that in jeopardy now?

- Very much so.

- We must not allow the relationship between Jews and African Americans to suffer.

- The whole purpose of this meal is to let you know we are Jews too.

- [Reporter] In Charlottesville, violent protests broke out at what was supposed to be a white nationalist rally.

- When you see Charlottesville, you see that most people that are anti-semites are also racist.

- [Protesters] Black lives matter!

- When everything blew up on campus, I wasn't sure about how I would navigate the conversation.

- We have to find a way to listen to all the rancor, even when it makes us uncomfortable.

(protesters cheering) - It's dangerous 'cause it's a really hard time to talk about either black people or Jewish people.

It's just become fraught in so many ways, but anything that's dangerous is worthwhile.

(calm foreboding music) - Sara Wolitzky and Phil Bertelson, directors and co-executive producers of "Black and Jewish America."

It's really great to have both of you here on "American Black Journal."

Thanks for joining us.

- Hey, thanks for having us.

- Thank you so much.

- So, Sara, I'll start with you.

This is a story that is very familiar to us here, of course, in Detroit, given the large populations of African Americans and Jewish Americans here, and the history between them.

But talk to me about why this is such a relevant story to tell now.

What is the sort of modern urgency of this tale?

- Well, I think, in many ways, it's always relevant that it has become increasingly more so for Dr.

Henry Louis Gates, our, you know, host and executive producer of the show.

You know, the turning point for him feeling the urgency was really Charlottesville.

Charlottesville coming on the heels of the Mother Emanuel Charleston shooting.

And then not that long after, we saw things like Tree of Life.

And I think, it's undeniable to all of us that there is a resurgence of a sort of unapologetic white nationalism in this country.

And one that has always sort of targeted both these two peoples in it's cross hairs in a way that's connected and separate.

And so, we thought it was really an important moment to look back at the history of how these two peoples have both experienced that, but how that's often connected us never perfectly, never without tension, but has produced a lot of incredible things for this country.

And the moment of general divisiveness, not just between these groups, but efforts to try to sow divisiveness in this country.

The, you know, what's possible, when you can feel this cross-cultural solidarity.

Phil, anything you wanna add to that?

- No, I completely agree.

- Okay.

(laughs) - Yeah.

- Yeah, so, let's talk about that allyship though, and that closeness, you know, as I said here in Detroit, we're extremely familiar with that.

Phil, talk about how the allyship and the connection sort of supersedes, I think, in many ways the commonality that both communities have with oppression and marginalization.

In other words, there is a connection that has nothing to do with the hardship that both communities feel.

There is a genuine crossover that dates back decades, if not longer.

- Yeah, no, absolutely.

And in fact, it's foundation is rooted in a shared oppression, different experiences of oppression and, you know, exile.

But those common histories are what brought Black and Jewish communities together in the early 20th century in the United States.

And when you say you're no stranger to it in Detroit, we're no strangers to it in New York.

We're no strangers to it in Chicago.

These major urban hubs were where these communities first began to flourish.

And as you know, one scholar says in the series lived, "Cheek to jowl" for some time.

But, you know, with the advance of suburbanization, you know, those communities separated.

And so, we find ourselves now no longer living side by side necessarily, but certainly having an allied view of what, you know, democracy is.

And I think Black and Jewish Americans have done a disproportionate amount of work to ensure democratic principles are upheld, and that this is a nation of laws and, you know, with equality in mind.

And it was that allyship that really shaped the civil rights movement and advanced many of these common values that we now hold dearly, but find slipping away.

And it's no wonder, I guess, you should, I could say that it's the division that is being sown that allows those democratic principles to feel elusive or at least, you know, evasive at this point in time.

So, you know, I think this film, you know, will go a long way to reminding people about those foundational and shared experiences that have made Black and Jewish Americans a particular group of people.

- Yeah.

- I'll also just jump in and say that- - Go ahead.

- you know, it's politics and it's civil rights and all that, but it's also cultural.

And a lot of, you know, Phil directed episode two of the series, which focuses a lot on jazz and that era and Harlem Renaissance and later years and music and film, and so many cultural things that feel quintessentially American would just not exist without these two groups and the partnership between them in a lot of places.

So, yeah, it does go deeper than that.

And, you know, comedy and sports, and all of these things, the motivation behind it might come from sort of this sense of otherness sometimes, but it converts into really incredible cultural products.

- Yeah.

Sara, the tension that you mentioned at the top of the interview, the tensions that both communities are feeling, given the sort of sociocultural and political events that we're all living through, is this a moment of sort of return to more of that connection between the communities and allyship?

Certainly, we see tensions that are playing out but is there a reckoning, I guess, kind of moment around while we're both in the same kind of position, again, in a different way than was true for a long time?

- Yeah, I mean, I think that it's certainly, we hope, the film doesn't have an agenda.

It's a historical look, but I think, personally speaking, we hope, certainly it's a moment of return, but a moment, you know, but a moment of return, I think, you can only build a relationship off of this honesty and this sort of truth and reconciliation of what are the factors that cause that tension.

And there are different, you know, it's not a, just a kumbaya thing.

There are differences and there might be some things that we're never gonna agree on, right?

But as Dr.

Gates always likes to say, you know, "Coalitions can't have litmus tests, and we have to find a way to agree to disagree on certain things because every successful coalition has done that."

And so, I think, we do hope this film, part of telling the history is allowing that process of, you know, laying it all on the table and being honest about all the things that have brought us together and divided us and not telling anyone what to think, but allowing that conversation to spark because it's very obvious.

I think it's only becoming increasingly obvious how much we need each other.

- Yeah, yeah.

Phil, what do you hope people take from this film who are not part of either community?

Obviously, the two communities, I'm sure, will really appreciate this exposition of the relationship, but if you're not a member of one of the communities, what is the sort of lesson, I guess, to take from this work?

- That's a great question.

I, you know, personally, I think, it's to piggyback on what Sara said, it's really a lesson in how to agree to disagree.

You know, we end at UCLA with an organization called Dialogue Across Difference.

And there's a lot of difference, and the diversity of this country is what makes it great.

And I think until diverse communities can learn to dialogue and talk to one another, not at one another, commune together and not against one another, the lessons that black and Jewish Americans have to teach won't be learned.

So, I think, the greater good is served by our shared and interwoven history where there are lots of lessons on how to form coalitions and build a better America.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Hey, Sara Wolitzky and Phil Bertelson, directors and co-executive producers of "Black and Jewish America."

Really great to have both of you here on "American Black Journal" with us.

Congratulations on the work and thanks for joining.

- Pleasure.

- Thank you so much for having us, Stephen.

- Hope you enjoy the series.

- And you can see "Black and Jewish America" on Tuesday nights through February 24th.

That's gonna do it for us this week.

You can find out more about our guests at americanblackjournal.org, and you can connect with us anytime on social media.

Take care, and we'll see you next time.

(bright upbeat music) (bright upbeat music fades) - [Presenter] Across our Masco Family of Companies, our goal is to deliver better living possibilities and make positive changes in the neighborhoods where we live, work, and do business.

Masco, a Michigan company since 1929.

Support also provided by the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for journalism at Detroit PBS.

- [Presenter] The DTE Foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit PBS.

Through our giving, we are committed to meeting the needs of the communities we serve statewide to help ensure a bright and thriving future for all.

Learn more at DTEFoundation.com.

- [Presenter] Also brought to you by Nissan Foundation and viewers like you.

Thank you.

(bright calm music)