Five Days in July Special
From Charles Schultz
| 00:59:00
Producers: Chuck Schultz & Esther Podemski
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Broadcast History
WHYY - Philadelphia 91FM July 12th, 2007 9PM
KUT - Austin 90.5FM TBD
Transcript
FIVE DAYS IN JULY
HOST (Nancy Giles
Hello, I'm Nancy Giles, and this is 5 Days in July. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the 1967 riots in Newark, New Jersey. Today we will hear an original radio play by Tracy Scott Wilson. Later, a distinguished panel of scholars will join us to discuss the significance of the events.
The unrest in Newark began on July 12, 1967 when musician and cabdriver John W. Smith was arrested for a minor traffic violation. Police brutality was a part of everyday life for African-Americans living in Newark's Central Ward, and Smith's mistreatment pushed many Newark residents over the edge. Listen, as we take you back to the summer of 1967?.
SCENE 1 1967 STATION IDENTIFICATION (AB)
This is WNJR 1430 on your dial. Have a safe night Newark. And now we return to the Jimmy the Jock show from Newark?s number one soul station WNJR.
SCENE...
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Timing and Cues
No Break 19 minute break in first half hour
1:15-2:22 Respect by Aretha Franklin
2:35-3:36 Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
3:40-4:08 Cold Sweat - James Brown
8:30-8:46 Baby I Love You - Aretha Franklin
8:53-9:05 Funky Broadway - Wilson Pickett
12:40-12:53 Close Your Eyes - Peaches and Herb
21:48-22:25 You're My Everything - The Temptations
24:27-24:49 I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
29:00-30:00 One minute break
30:00 Host introduces panel of scholars
49:00-49:30 30 second break
Content Advisory
12:34 All you black niggers go home
14:44 Go Guard Kill them niggers
21:16 All you black niggers get upstairs
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Running Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | Aretha Franklin's 30 Greatest Hits. | Atlantic, | 1985. | 01:07 |
| Your Precious Love | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | The Best of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. | The Universal/Motown Records Group, | 2000. | 01:01 |
| Cold Sweat | James Brown | Jams Brown 20 All time Greatest Hits. | Polygram, | 1991. | 00:28 |
| Baby I Love You | Aretha Franklin | Aretha Franklin's 30 Greatest Hits. | Atlantic, | 1985. | 00:16 |
| Funky Broadway | Wilson Pickett | The Very Best of Wilson Pickett. | Atlantic, | 1993. | 00:13 |
| Close Your Eyes | Peaches and Herb | The Best of Peaches and Herb. | Sony Music, | 1996. | 00:13 |
| You're My Everything | The Temptations | The Temptations 17 Greatest Hits. | Motown Record Corp, | 1985. | 00:37 |
| I Wish It Would Rain | The Temptations | The Temptations 17 Greatest Hits. | Motown Record Corp, | 1985. | 00:22 |
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Additional Information
- Produced: No date yet
- Added to PRX: Jul 03, 2007
- This piece is in English
Anthea Raymond
Posted on July 08, 2007 at 01:05 PM | Permalink
Review of Five Days in July Special
On July 12, 1967, Newark, New Jersey exploded into the nation's consciousness.
26 people -- most of them black -- died in five days of violence quelled by a rain storm. But Newark was just one of almost 160 cities torn by violence that summer.
Charles Schultz and Ester Podemski use drama and indepth discussion to return to Newark. It's an engaging and nationally relevant redux.
The producers call first on playwright Tracey Scott Wilson. Her original 28-minute radio drama follows the arc of the violence and the misunderstandings around it -- from the first reports of cabdriver John Smith's beating and possible death to his conviction for resisting arrest (later reversed).
Scott's vignettes are short, solid, and, for the most part, well-modulated. We see the riots play out in the projects, at the precinct, among activists and politicians. We hear how no one might agree about what happened.
Historic drama isn't easy, but this is well done -- and important for anther reason: very little newsreel footage of the Newark events exists. Radio -- albeit recreated -- stitches everything together.
At the play's end the governor and mayor assure us: the riots are over.
But then Part Two, a panel of experts chaired by host Nancy Giles reminds us, "No, they're not."
Giles and her panel ask about the riot's cause, its lessons, and its legacy.
This discussion translates Newark's very specific history to other cities. Princeton's Eddie S. Glaude is particularly strong. But all agree that the growth in the African-American middle class -- sparked in part by urban unrest like Newarks' -- probably makes the summer of 1967 a one-time thing.
Stations that like radio drama might run the first half hour alone. But the one-two of the full package is worthwhile. And since unrest rippled across the country in 1967, the program has legs through the summer.
Anthea Raymond
PRX Editorial Board
July 8, 2007
Los Angeles, CA