WUGA recognizing one of its own on Tuesday. Dr. Akinloye Ojo, host of African Perspectives and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and Director of the African Studies Institute was honored today for his 25 years of hosting African Perspectives. It is the second-longest running show at the station and the longest with the same host and producer.
“The key word would be gratitude, I’m grateful for being alive, having the energy and also the resources,” according to Dr. Ojo. “But also, I’ve been very lucky to have the university and our community is very supportive, as well as the Athens community.”
The show began when Ojo was a graduate student at UGA, and plans were for it to air on the student station.
“Everything was ready to go, but it turns out I did not pay my activity fee. The university regulation is that you cannot be on the station if you have not paid your activity fee. So, I withdrew it, and so we said what do we do, well why don’t we take it to public radio?”
And the rest is, as they say, history. Athens artist Dr. Jackie Dorsey created a portrait which was unveiled during the ceremony.
“What do I love about Athens and WUGA is a highlight, and I thought what do I really love about WUGA, and it was African Perspectives,” Dorsey said.
African Perspectives discusses Africans and African issues on the continent, in Athens and the larger area. It airs on WUGA Sundays at 4 pm. WUGA’s Michael Cardin is the producer.
