Milestones in African American History

This February, 107.7 The Bronc and 107.7 The Bronc Retro invite you to join us in commemorating Black History Month with Milestones in African American History.

Celebrate the contributions African Americans have made throughout history and learn how Black and Brown people across America have helped shape, impact, and enrich the world in which we live in, because Black history is American history.

Tune in to WRRC1 and WRRC2 daily to hear a different 60-second milestone moment every hour from African Americans you might not have heard about before; all voiced by Rider University students. Click any of the links on the right-side of this page to listen to all of The Bronc’s Milestones in African American History moments on-demand.

Some of the African Americans being featured this month on 107.7 The Bronc and 107.7 The Bronc Retro are:

1. Jack L. Cooper

   • Jack L. Cooper is widely acknowledged as the first African American radio broadcaster. At his peak in the late 1940s, Cooper commanded the largest black radio operation in America and his success laid the groundwork for generations of black radio personalities.

2. Count Basie

   • William “Count” Basie was an African American jazz pianist and composer who formed the Count Basie Orchestra in the 1930s. In 1958, Count Basie became the first African American male artist to win a Grammy.

3. Willie Thrower

   • Willie Thrower became the National Football League’s first African-American quarterback when he appeared in a game for the Chicago Bears.

4. Fritz Pollard

   • Frederick Douglass “Fritz” Pollard was an American football player and coach. Alongside Bobby Marshall, he became one of the first African-American players in the National Football League. In 1921, he became the first African-American head coach in the National Football League.

5. Carl Burton Stokes

   • Stokes was the first African American to be elected mayor of a major American city and served two terms from 1967-1971. After his second term he left politics to become a news broadcaster in New York City.