Roy Wood Sr.

Roy Norris Wood Sr. (September 15, 1915 – October 15, 1995) was an African American radio pioneer, civil rights journalist, commentator, college professor, and entrepreneur. Wood was the host of the nationally syndicated TV show Black's View on the News. He was a co-founder of the National Black Network, one of the first broadcast networks to produce programming specifically for African Americans. Wood's father, a physician, died when he was three years old. His mother, who attended Morris Brown College, was one of the first female black CPAs in the state of Georgia. His great-great-grandfather, Sam Wood, was born c. 1790 in Africa.

In 1937, Wood received a B.A. from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1946, Wood received an M.A. in Communications from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He later studied at Columbia College Chicago's College of Fine Arts in Radio Announcing and Newscasting.

Career In 1932, at the age of 17 years old, Wood began his career in journalism working for Jack L. Cooper in Chicago.

From April 1949 to July 1950, in his first full-time job in radio, Wood was staff announcer at WJVA in Mishawaka, Indiana on the morning sign on show, Sunrise Serenade. During this time, from 1968 to 1971, he also wrote and produced the radio documentary series Footsteps to Democracy. During this time, Wood reported on the experiences of Black platoons in the Vietnam War, and the racism they encountered, and often brought news back to loved ones in the Chicago area trying to reach their deployed soldiers.

Wood was the host and anchor of One Black Man's Opinion, a syndicated series on the National Black Network that aired on over 90 stations across the United States. The series focused on the Black experience in the U.S.

Cold Hard Facts was a daily talk show Wood hosted on WVAS at Alabama State University.

In 1971 and 1972, Wood was a professor at Malcolm X College in Chicago, where he taught journalism and broadcast speech. Wood was an associate professor in the School of Communications at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He also lectured at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and at his alma mater, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Wood also worked as an insurance agent and broker.

Wood was married to Louise Hurt Wood, with whom he had two sons, one of whom is Roy L. Wood, an anchorman. He later married Joyce Dugan Wood, with whom he had a son, the comedian and The Daily Show correspondent, Roy Wood Jr.

Membership Alpha Phi Alpha, Member Chicago Urban League, Member Concerned Parents of South Shore, Member NAACP, Member National Association of TV and Radio Announcers, Member Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Member The Black Media Reps (Black journalists organization), Member YMCA, Member

Leadership American Federation of TV and Radio Artists (AFTRA), board member Alpha Phi Alpha, board member B.A.M.A. (Southern Black broadcasters organization), board member Boy Scouts of America, Ft. Dearborn Division, board member Chicago Mental Health Commission, board member Chicago Press Club, board member Coalition of Westside Community Organizations, board member Illinois News Broadcasters Association (INBA), board member Operation P.U.S.H. (People United to Save, etc.), board member Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), board member Sears YMCA, board member Sigma Delta Chi, board member South Shore Property Owners Association, board member The Headline Club, board member

Honors 1967: Humanitarian Award 1968: ACOR, Gold Mike Award, Best Editorial 1968: Best new TV show for Black's View on the News 1969: American Friendship Award 1969: Emmy Award, nominee for local TV 1970: KOCO, Concerned Citizens Award 1970: YMCA, Good Citizenship Award 1971: ACOR, Gold Mike Award for Crime Stop 1972: Malcolm X College, Certificate of Merit 1979: Wendell Phillips Academy High School, Hall of Fame. 1993: National Association of Black Journalists, Lifetime Achievement Award

Selected filmography 1949-1950: Sunrise Serenade morning show 1950-1953: The Oldtimer radio serial 1968-1970: Black's View on the News news program 1968-1971: Footsteps to Democracy radio documentary series