National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters

So when you were on the verge of graduating from Tuskegee [University], what were your thoughts? You were gonna go and teach in high school, you were gonna apply for teaching positions, or had you thought about going to graduate school or--$$No. By that time, my husb--well, I married my husband [Dr. Gerald B. Cutting] during Christmas break December, 1968--$$Okay, so (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous)--and we graduated together in 1969--$$Okay.$$--and so it wasn't about me at that point; it's where he got his job which was Springfield--East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and he in fact had the job, and so I--we came up here together.$$Okay, so that's how you get up here to the Springfield [Massachusetts] area.$$That's how I got up into the Springfield [Massachusetts] area. I had spent some summers in Boston [Massachusetts] working; I had relatives there in Boston and so I worked there several summers and so I--but that was Roxbury, this was Springfield, Massachusetts and when we moved here, we didn't know anyone here; we didn't (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous)--'Cause your husband is from Roxbury [Boston, Massachusetts], right?$$Yes, he, he was born in Boston [Massachusetts] and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut so he was familiar with New England; I was to a little extent from the summer time spending the summers here, but I--we didn't know Springfield [Massachusetts]. We, we had no idea where anything was, and so when we moved here in June of 1969, it was like, 'okay, so where are we? What's happening in the community? How do you connect to the churches?' You know, how does one who comes to this area find out about the, the social life or--here? You know. Where do you get your collard greens? Where do you get your hair done? Where do you go to church? We didn't know, and we didn't know anyone who knew because his primary frame of reference was not--was primarily in the white community, from the edge of Longmeadow to East Longmeadow [Massachusetts]; that's what it was about. And so we didn't have a radio station and we didn't have public television at that time; we didn't know (unclear) maybe had two radio stations--I mean two television stations at the time here.$$Emm hmm.$$And so I thought coming from Tuskegee [University], a place where you've got all kinds of commerce and things going on, and you could listen to radio station even if it wasn't owned by African Americans, I found it very--very depressing. I thought we were coming to liberal New England, and so I found it to be rather separate.$So it was basically because of the opposition of this one person?$$Yes. He, in fact, took me through the entire comparative hearing process; he appealed all the way to the [Washington] D.C. Court of Appeals--the final one, where I also prevailed. But by that time, it was years later and, you know, no resources. And I can say that there was a broadcaster--an existing broadcaster by the name of Ed Perry, who I would not have this station had it not been for him because he went, he assisted me through the process. When there was a need to argue, he came to [Washington] D.C. in our favor, so I can just say that he was responsible for helping, helping me through this process. Now there was time when--during this time, you know, we'd have to pack up the kids and put 'em in the car, and my husband would drive us to [Washington] D.C., he would, he would then take the kids off sightseeing; they're thinking they're on a field trip, and I'm going to the, you know, to the courts, and being called everything except a child of God because it was that strong--I mean they wanted that frequency so badly that whatever it took to try to litigate me financially out of the process was being done, and so I can say that Ed [Perry] was there and he was--and he owns a radio station in Marshfield, Massachusetts--WATD; and he's still a friend to this day. He went to college in, in Amherst, Massachusetts and knew the area.$$What's his last name again?$$Ed Perry.$$Perry, okay.$$Emm hmm.$$He's the owner of WATD?$$WATD, in--here in Massachusetts, Marshfield. Not only did he, did he do that, but he also--finally, when we were able to, to get things going he, he was there and helping to oversee things, 'cause he was all--not only was he an owner, but he was also an engineer--$$Emm hmm.$$--so he was able to help me with the technical part of things.$$Okay.$$And so it was during those years of trying to get this station, and having to go to [Washington] D.C., that--there was no one in this Springfield [Massachusetts] area that I could talk to that I could--who could relate to what I was going through because no one in the Springfield area knew what I was doing. It was very quiet, and so I knew that it was taking a toll on my family, terms of the resources, and so it became--well, is it, it is, is it worth it? And so that was one of those times when I called--out of the clear blue sky called Gayle King; she's probably not even aware of the fact of the impact that she made, but she was an anchor at Channel Three, and I called her and said, 'You don't know me at all,' I said, 'but I'd like to know if I can meet you.' And--'because I have--I'd like to discuss something with you.' And I shared wi--and she said, 'Oh yes, come on down to the studio.' And I did, and she--I was able to share with her some of the things that I was going--and my--what I was going through; my dilemma. Is it fair? My children are growing up, we're taking resources from the family, and you know, is that, is that fair? Should I just forget about this and move on to some other thing? And--but she was very encouraging, very supportive, knew that there was a need, and encouraged me to, to stick with it. And that was a word that I need because I couldn't--it's hard to go to your husband when you're--I needed someone who was neutral, someone outside, who could look at it and give me advice, and she, and she did; I've never been able to or never had the opportunity to really let her know what, what her words meant, and how much she encouraged me and--to move forward, and what has happened to even now.