I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African Amercian-Owned Television and Radio

Zook (Black Women's Lives: Stories of Power and Pain) introduces a diverse cast of characters in this interview-based history of African American media ownership. Some made millions, others struggled until being forced out of the industry, but all offer important insight into the decline of African American media ownership. In a time when giants like Clear Channel are quashing small operators and the FCC has discontinued affirmative action, many of Zook's subjects have defied steep odds. James L. Winston, executive director of the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters, sets the tone by talking about the establishment of the Minority Tax Certificate, a major tax incentive for media owners to sell their businesses to minorities which was repealed in the 1990s. Dorothy Edwards Brunson, the first African American woman to own a radio station, speaks about media consolidation and the business acumen it takes to succeed in the industry. In the introduction and her perceptive questions, the author helps articulate the importance of black ownership as well as any of her subjects and the compilation of these interviews creates an important story.