Big Broadcast Bites: Mary McLeod Bethune interviewed by Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

February marks African American History Month, and in 2025, we celebrate the 150th birthday of activist, educator, and diplomat Mary McLeod Bethune. The first Black American honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, Bethune left a lasting legacy. This segment features a 1949 interview between Bethune and her close friend, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, from WNYC’s Great Women of America. Our thanks to the New York City Municipal Archives WNYC Collection for that audio.

Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

The Big Broadcast is WAMU’s longest-running program. The show features a collection of  radio from the golden age, the 30s, 40s, and 50s, hosted by Tony-Award winning playwright, lyricist and director Murray Horwitz.