Dr. Gloria Latimore-Peace believes in empowering her community through access to knowledge, and she believes knowledge begins with education. Countless years of study culminated in several degrees, including a Ph.D from Northwestern University.
Dr. Latimore-Peace taught in the Chicago Public School, and before becoming a professor at Northeastern Illinois University’s Center for Inner City Studies, she was an administrator for City Colleges of Chicago.
She realized that empowering the community with knowledge meant reaching beyond the classroom. She tells us, “I got the notion that I needed a radio show to bring people the information that our community needed to have access to and was not present in mainstream media.” beyond what mainstream media presented in our communities.” Thus began her venture into broadcast media. Dr. Latimore-Peace began broadcasting from WBEE, a local radio station with studios in Harvey, Illinois. “It was quite an expensive venture,” she recalls. “I didn’t know much about getting sponsors, nor did I have time to do more than organize and host the program.”
Later on, she decided to publish a newsletter, which turned out to be much more than a newsletter. “Someone I met in New York sent me a tabloid, an actual newspaper,” she says, “that turned out to be quite a challenge, but I was delighted.” So, for about 10 years, she published a newspaper called “Mo Better News.” At that time, she also had a prison ministry, and so she was actually able to publish the writings of inmates. She would go to correctional centers like Dixon, Statesville, Danville, and some of the correctional centers for women. “I found that there was a lot of talent wrapped up behind those prison walls, and I was able to give voice to many of those people.” Besides publishing the writings of the inmates, she also discovered there was a cartoonist who came out of Statesville. “I published many of their essays and poems, and I published an editorial myself. I also had a friend who contributed articles to the newspaper,” she said. The newspaper was free. She would place stacks of papers in public places, such as the post office, libraries, and schools. “I noticed that when I placed a stack somewhere, the next day they would all be gone,” she said, “and I found that the homeless people were picking up stacks of our papers and selling them along with the Streetwise Paper.”
Still seeking ways to get out her messages, to empower the community, she was eventually introduced to the Cable television station, Chicago Access. In order to produce and broadcast shows on Cable Access, people have to go through a training program. Dr. Latimore-Peace finished the training and started broadcasting with a show initially called ICAN, which stood for Inner City Alumni Network. She explains “The Chicago was originally going to be a vehicle for students who came through Inner City Studies to share and talk about their studies and work.” However, even though there were a number of illustrious people who studied there, there were not enough alumni presenters for the plan to work. She then turned to the history makers and movers and shakers in the community, and the rest is history.
For nearly two decades, her show has aired on Cable Access TV, Channel 19, every Friday at 8:30 pm, with repeats on Sundays at 3:30 pm, providing thought- provoking interviews and discussions that educate, uplift, and empower the community. Currently she is the Host and Producer of her decades long CAN-TV series titled the “H30-Art of Life Show, as well as the publisher of the H30 Art of Life Show blog.
Today, when any community notable transitions, Dr. Peace tells us she can go to her archives and find a show in which she interviewed that person. One regrettable exception is the late Henry English, former Executive Director of the Black United Fund of Illinois. “On the same day I had scheduled Henry English to appear on my show, I fell in the studio and fractured my wrist,” Dr. Latimore-Peace tells us. Although she was going to go on with the show in spite of the mishap, her crew insisted that she not do the interview. Sadly, Henry English made his transition before she was able to reschedule.
Her most viewed show was the interview with Dr. Anthony Browder. She had him on the show and interviewed him at the Art War Bookstore near Oak Park. Dr. Latimore-Peace gives each show its own unique title. Dr. Browder’s was titled “Know Thy History, Know Thy Self.” He spoke about Black History from many perspectives, including archaeological digs. It was a two-part show, which garnered 83,000 views, with 52,000 for Part 1 and 32,000 for Part 2.
Another memorable broadcast was Bishop Carlton Pearson. Bishop Pearson had left the Pentecostal Church and in his last years was spreading the “Gospel of Inclusion,” moving away from the “chosen people” philosophy. Dr. Latimore-Peace said, “Bishop Pearson taught that God was not leaving anybody out.” His new perspective was very controversial and attracted quite a few listeners. Dr. Latimore-Peace repeated that interview after Dr. Pearson had made his transition.
Dr. Latimore-Peace now has thirty years of TV shows archived, which she tells us she likes to watch herself.
Dr. Latimore-Peace also broadcasts the OMNI-U Radio Show. Omni-University, is a virtual university that grew out of different versions of the Mini-University her students created at Olive Harvey, where the student government at Olive Harvey would bring recognized speakers on Fridays for interactive discussions.
Keeping the community informed through her newspaper and blog, her radio show and cable access TV show has been the lifelong mission of Dr. Latimore-Peace. Chicago is extremely fortunate to have this multi-gifted woman among its citizenries. Besides producing diverse media to keep the community informed and knowledgeable, Dr. Latimore-Peace also produced an awesomely talented daughter, Debra Hand, who South Side Drive also interviewed for this issue.
Dr. Latimore-Peace’s program, H30- Art of Life Show continues to air on Chicago Cable Access (CAN-TV) Channel 19 on Fridays at 8:30 pm, and Sunday at 3:30 pm. You can also see many of her archived shows on You Tube.
