Press Release: February 12, 2004

Press Release: February 12, 2004
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LISTENERS PRAISE "THEN I'LL BE FREE TO TRAVEL HOME - THE LEGACY OF THE NEW YORK AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND."

"I ran across your superb piece on WBGO Tuesday while stuck in a nasty traffic jam on West Side Highway. Though I unfortunately missed the beginning, I was so mesmerized I actually hoped it wouldn't unsnarl until the program was finished. It was Ken Burns without the pictures. I hope it gets wide distribution."

"I heard the Jan Rodrigues show. Amazing! Jan Rodrigues was really something...a real bad dude!"

"I've been leading historic tours around New York City for years, researching information about African Americans to enrich the experience. The in depth research in this series has informed me of things I had never found anywhere else. This is a treasure trove!"

Listeners are letting us know. The ground-breaking 13-part Documentary Series, "Then I'll Be Free to Travel Home," is believed to be the first in-depth historical exploration on public radio of how diverse, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial our society has always been. According to Executive Producer Eric V. Tait, Jr., "The Series uses the discovery and legacy of the New York African Burial Ground to tellingly capture the significant impact African-Americans have made on the social, economic, and political development of the United States. It is a nearly 400-year battle against slavery and for full, first-class citizenship that involves all people and all races."

Chronicling factual stories about ordinary citizens as well as larger than life characters of all backgrounds, we meet the Lenapes and Jan Rodrigues; Susannah Anthony Roberts, Solomon Peters, Josiah Huddy, Colonel Tye and the Black Brigade; David Walker, David Ruggles and Elizabeth Jennings; the Tappan Brothers, Catherine "Katie" Ferguson, and Sergeant William H. Carney. It's American History from 1613 to 2004 as you've never known it, exciting, diverse, and authentic.

Thurston Briscoe, Program Director at WBGO, is Host and Narrator; Jacquie Gales Webb is the Chief Editor and Consulting Producer; and Daryl M. Waters is the Composer and Arranger and one of the musical performers. Vocal and instrumental soloists include Noel Pointer, Ebony Jo Ann, Diana Solomon-Glover and Andre Solomon-Glover. Edited at Integrated Automata Studios in Montclair, NJ, and SuMo Productions of Silver Springs, MD, the Series is produced by EVT Educational Productions, Inc., in association with Station WBGO/Jazz 88.3 FM, Newark, NJ.

With funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PRI (Public Radio International), "Then I'll Be Free To Travel Home" is distributed by Public Radio International® and begins airing nationally this month.

PRI is the Minneapolis-based public radio network and audio publisher that supports and distributes programs, many of which are created by leading national producers and are broadcast by its 745 public radio station affiliates. PRI programming also is available on locally-branded public radio station websites, internationally through the World Radio Network, and nationwide via Sirius Satellite Radio.

"Then I'll Be Free To Travel Home" airs in the New York metropolitan area on WBGO, Jazz 88.3 FM on Tuesday evenings at 7pm. Check local listings for air times in other areas.

For more information about this landmark series, contact: Creative PR: (888-233-5650; info@creativepublicity.com).

Read the January 23, 2004 Press Release.

Read the March 31, 2004 Press Release.