Most people agree that Jack L. Cooper, who started his radio career in 1942, was the first Black DJ. Cooper worked for WERD, a radio station run and owned by Jesse B. Blayton Sr. in Atlanta, Georgia. When WERD went on the air in 1949, it became the country’s first radio station owned and run by an African-American. Other African-American DJs and broadcasters were aided by Cooper’s work at WERD.
Cooper’s work at WERD was revolutionary because it gave African-American voices a forum that had previously been largely missing from mainstream media. Jazz, blues, and R&B were among the genres of music that Cooper played; yet, white-owned radio stations had generally neglected them. These genres were well-liked by African-American audiences. Cooper also utilized his platform to speak out against issues like racism and police brutality that harm the Black community. His work promoted a sense of belonging among African-American WERD listeners, and it served as an example for other broadcasters of the race to emulate.
During this period, in addition to Cooper’s work at WERD, other significant African-American radio stations also started broadcasting. One of the most noteworthy was WDIA, a Memphis, Tennessee-based radio station that started airing in 1947. The first radio station in the US to have an all-Black DJ and broadcaster lineup was WDIA. Its popularity encouraged other radio stations to imitate it.
The vocabulary and codes used by DJs and broadcasters evolved together with radio technology. Radio operators frequently utilize the code “10-4,” which stands for “message received,” to convey various messages. Initially employed by the police and military, this code was later adapted by radio operators and incorporated into the radio communication language.
The use of walkie-talkies, which enables individuals to converse over short distances without the need for a phone or other communication equipment, is another crucial component of radio communication. Police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders frequently use walkie-talkies, as do people who work in the manufacturing and construction industries.
Due in large part to pioneers like Jack L. Cooper, radio has played a significant role in the development of modern communication and information sharing. The voices of the numerous African-American broadcasters who continue to use radio as a platform for disseminating music, news, and ideas with their communities carry on the heritage of the first Black DJ.