The Rick Smith Show

Mayor William Bell Talks About Economic Equality and the City's Efforts to Raise the Wage

William Bell is the Mayor of Birmingham and he talks about economic equality, the city's effort to raise the wage and how he came up through the civil rights movement

Richard Franklin, AFT Local 2115 President, Talks About the History of John Herbert Philips School and School Integration

Richard Franklin is the AFT Birmingham Local 2115 President and he explains the history of the white John Herbert Philips School, school desegregation and the education challenges we're still fighting today.

Janice Wesley Kelsey was in the First Group of Students Arrested in the 1963 Birmingham Children's March

Janice Wesley Kelsey was part of the Birmingham Children's Crusade.  She was in the first group of students who marched out of the 16th Street Baptist Church in May 1963, and she shares her story about the march and getting arrested. 

Ahmad Ward Sheds Light on Some of the Birmingham Civil Rights Icons That Were Left Out of the History Books

Ahmad Ward is the Head of Education at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.  Ahmad sheds light on some of the city's civil rights icons that are left out of the history books & talks about the tour he gave the show through the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Horace Huntley Talks About Birmingham's History of Using Convict Labor That Pitted Black Miners Against White Miners

Horace Huntley is a Professor of History at the University of Alabama and he came on the Peoples Tour to talk about Birmingham's history of using convict mine workers that pitted black miners against white miners. 

From New Orleans

Frank Figgers Gives the Storied History Behind Jackson's NAACP Hall

Frank Figgers is the Jackson, Mississippi NAACP Chapter President and he gives the detailed history behind the NAACP's building and Medgar Evers' office.

Minnie Watson Talks About the Life and Death of Medgar Evers and the House He and His Family Lived In

Minnie Watson is the Director of the Medgar Evers House, which is owned and operated by Tougaloo College, and she talks about the life and death of the famous civil rights icon Medgar Evers and the house he and his family lived in. 

Robert Luckett Explains Why History Forgets the Gibbs-Green Murders that Occurred on Jackson State's Campus & More

Robert Luckett, Director of the Margaret Walker Center, explains why history forgets the Gibbs-Green police murders that happened on Jackson State's Campus and more of our walking tour through Jackson, Mississippi. 

Hezekiah Watkins was Placed on Death Row for Watching the Arrival of Freedom Riders in Jackson Mississippi

Hezekiah Watkins is a life long Jackson, Mississippi resident and civil rights activist.  At 13, he was arrested and placed on death row for watching the arrival of Freedom Riders in Jackson, Mississippi.  

Nelson Johnson Gives a General Overview of the Greensboro Beloved Community Center

Nelson Johnson is the Pastor of the Faith Community Church and the Executive Director for the Beloved Community Center of Greensboro and he gives a general overview of the Beloved Center's Mission

Norman Hill Explains What it was like Working with Iconic Civil Rights and Labor Leader A. Phillip Randolph

Norman Hill is from the A. Phillip Randolph Institute and he explains how he met the iconic civil rights and labor leader and how it was working under A. Philip Randolph

William LeFevre, Senior Processing Archivist, Talks About Former UAW President Walter Reuther's Role in Funding the Civil Rights Movement

William LeFevre is the Senior Processing Archivist at the Walter Reuther Library on Wayne State University and he joins the Peoples Tour to talk about former United Auto Workers President Walter Reuther's involvement in funding the Civil Rights Movement. 

Robert Luckett, Civil Rights History Professor, Previews of We Should See While Visiting Jackson, Mississippi

Robert Luckett is a Civil Rights History Professor and the Director of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University and he previews what the Peoples Tour should visit while travelling through Jackson, Mississippi

United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard Discusses USW's Past and Present Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement

Leo Gerard is the President of the United Steelworkers Union and he disccuses the USW's past and present involvement in the civil rights movement

Former New Orleans Resident Kendrick Jones Shares His Heartbreaking Experiences in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Kendrick Jones moved back to New Orleans for an apprenticeship a month before Hurricane Katrina struck and he shares his experiences in the wake of the disaster

Donnie Small, President of Local 1535 ATU Jefferson Parrish, discusses the transportation issues facing Jefferson Parish

Donnie Small, President of Local 1535 ATU Jefferson Parrish, discusses the transportation issues facing Jefferson Parish in the wake of Katrina

Joseph Prier, President of ATU Local 1560, Discusses Transportation Issues Affecting New Orleans' Poor In the Decade Since Katrina

Joseph Prier is the President of ATU Local 1560, which represents the streetcar and bus drivers, and he discusses transportation issues affecting New Orleans' poor In the decade since Hurricane Katrina

Dana Columbo, UA 60 Member, Talks About the Rebuild That Happened After Hurricane Katrina

Dana Columbo is a member of United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 60 in New Orleans and he shares his experiences after losing his home during Hurricane Katrina & the rebuild that happened in the decade since.

Former New Orleans Resident Kendrick Jones Shares His Heartbreaking Story in the Wake of the Disaster

Kendrick Jones moved back to New Orleans a month before Hurricane Katrina and he shares his heartbreaking story and the issues he faced when leaving the city in the wake of the disaster