WGPR-TV's story is best told by Detroiters that helped to shape it

AI-assisted summary

WGPR-TV was the first Black-owned and operated television station in the continental United States, launching in Detroit in 1975.

The station provided a platform for Black stories and served as a training ground for many media professionals.

A 50th-anniversary celebration will honor the station's pioneers and cultural impact on Detroit.

His name conjures up visions of currency. And when the late Dr. William V. Banks purchased WGPR-TV, he and the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons — the fraternal organization Banks founded — needed to raise about $2.7 million to acquire and equip the station for broadcasting to a Detroit audience.

But those who knew Banks (May 6, 1903-Aug. 24, 1985) will say his purchase of WGPR-TV — the first Black-owned, Black-operated