Black Voices: Dr. Gloria Latimore-Peace
By Emma Young
Presented by Omni-U Virtual University
Reprinted by permission from South Side Drive [1]
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 Schools 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 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 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 was incarcerated in Statesville. “I published many of their essays and poems and I published an editorial myself. I also had friends who contributed articles to the newspaper,” she said. The newspaper was free. She would place stacks of papers in public places, such as post offices, 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 there were homeless people who 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 Tqelevision station, Chicago Access Network. 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 Inner City Alumni Network was originally going to be a vehicle for students, who came through the Center for 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, movers, and shakers in the community and the rest is history.
For nearly three decades, her show has aired on Cable Access Network, 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. 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 and Editor-in-Chief 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 Afriware Bookstore near Oak Park. Dr.Latimore-Peace gives each show its own unique title. Dr. Browder’s interview was titled “Know Thy History, Know Thy Self.” He spoke about Black History from many perspectives, including his archaeological digs. It was a two-part show, which garnered 83,000 views (52,000 for Part 1 and 32,000 for Part 2).
Another memorable broadcast was wirh 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 the telecast of 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 her H3O Art of Life Shows.
Dr. Latimore-Peace also formerly hosted the OMNI-U Radio Show from the Studios at Kennedy King College. Omni-University, is a virtual university. The concept grew out of different versions of the Mini-University she created for her students at Olive Harvey College, where the student government at Olive Harvey would sponsor recognized speakers for interactive discussions on Fridays.
Keeping the community informed through her newspaper and blog, her radio show and Cable Access Network TV show has been the lifelong mission of Dr. Latimore-Peace.
Chicago is extremely fortunate to have this multi-gifted woman among its citizens. 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.
Recommended Listening:
“If I Can Help Somebody“ by Ancestor Mahalia Jackson
Recommended Viewing:
“Help Somebody, Part 1.
Co-Host Ayoka Peace Boanene; Ancestor Dr. John F. Price; Dr. Josef Ben Levi and Gail Long- Levi
“Help Somebody, Part 2” Featuring: Ancestor Dr. John F Price and Dr. Josef Ben Levi
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 her H3O Art of Life You Tube channel.
The H3O Art of Life Show is available at all times by clicking on the Link that follows:
[1]Yvette Moyo, Publisher
Emma Young, Managing Editor
Nonprofit Publisher: Real Men Charities, Inc. Subscriptions: $120.00 delivered anywhere in the US, via USPS.
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