As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, there’s a gem in the city of Detroit that some may not know exists. The William V. Banks Broadcast Museum holds a vast amount of broadcast history and tells the stories of legendary black journalists.
“We got together and were talking about the importance of the station and the fact that we were the first,” Joe Spencer, President of the WGPR Historical Society said.
He’s talking about how the idea of the museum came about. The museum, which pays homage to the history of WGPR, the first black owned TV station in the nation, is located inside what use to be their broadcast studios.
Visitors to the museum will see artifacts like gold records from iconic music legends that visited the station. There are also displays of famous Detroit Broadcasters, some even beginning their lucrative careers at WGPR.
This year marks 50 years since WGPR opened, and the museum is celebrating with a series of events.
On Saturday, February, 22, the museum will hold a Black History Celebration with food, live music, and a panel discussion with Detroit broadcasters. The museum is located at 3146 East Jefferson, Detroit, MI.
To see the full interview, click the video above.