University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students have been working on an original podcast series to to tell the story and highlight the history of Chattanooga's M.L. King Boulevard.
The student podcasts, titled "Stories From the Big 9," were made possible by a partnership through UTC, the city of Chattanooga and WUTC.
"It's important that we keep the spirit and history of the Big Nine alive," said Mayor Andy Berke in a statement. "This is a great chance for young people to tell old stories.
Before it was re-named M.L. King Boulevard in 1981, it was known as East Ninth Street and it was home to many black-owned retail shops, offices and entertainments venues.
James McKissic, chief operating officer at the Urban League of Chattanooga, said it was important for young generations to be aware of and invested in the evolving story of M.L. King Boulevard.
"These podcasts turned out amazing," McKissic said in a statement. "I am so grateful to the students and their professor for focusing on such an important piece of Chattanooga's history."
Blues legend Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga in 1894.The series will launch with a public launch party at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 East M L King Boulevard.
Students will share excerpts from their podcasts and what the learned about the historic corridor and its important role in Chattanooga, according to a news release.
"My students had just ten weeks to find and research their stories, interview their subjects, and produce final versions of their podcast episodes," said Will Davis, instructor and WUTC outreach manager, in a statement. "We heard important stories and made new friends. This project is a great example of learning through experience.
The event is free and open to the public. It is recommended to reserve a ticket to the listening party, but it is not required. All the podcasts will air on WUTC-FM 88.1 in February and will also be available online at www.wutc.org.
For more information about the event, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-big-9-podcast-listening-party-tickets-54929702218.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.