Jump to content

Rob Redding

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people named Robert Redding, see Robert Redding (disambiguation).

Rob Redding
Born
Robert Redding Jr.

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Alma materPratt Institute, Marshall University and University of Louisiana
Known forProducing Redding News Review
Writing The Professor: Witnessing White Power
Websitewww.robredding.com

Robert "Rob" Redding Jr. is an American podcaster, journalist, educator, author and artist.[1] From 2012 to 2013, he hosted the weekday syndicated Redding News Review on Sirius XM.[2][3]

Personal life and education

[edit]

Redding's father was a preacher.[4] His mother was a teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools.[5] He was raised in the Atlanta area and attended the University of Louisiana where he majored in speech communication.[6] He graduated with a master's degree in communication from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.[7] He graduated with Master's in Fine Art in painting and drawing in 2022 from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.[1][5]

He is based in New York City and is said to be "the first out bisexual black radio talk show host".[8][9][1] He has a daughter Rachel Redding.[10]

Journalism and teaching

[edit]

Redding has taught communications at Pace University and New York City College of Technology.[11] He currently teaches at Seton Hall University.[12][13] Prior to teaching, he was a talk radio broadcaster working afternoons at WAOK in Atlanta[13] Redding goes by "America's Independent Voice" on the air.[10][14] He was named one of the "100 most important radio talk hosts in America."[15] He was a journalist at several newspapers including The Washington Times.[16] He started his syndicated news and commentary show while at KMLB where he was also program director.[17] He returned in radio syndication to WAOK and other cities a few years after leaving.[18][19]

After about five years doing weekends, his show was also added to weekdays during that same time.[20][21] The show was taken off the air at Sirius XM and continues as paid podcast Redding News Review Unrestricted hosted on Redding News Review website since 2014.[22]

Reporting and punditry

[edit]

In 2004, Redding reported on NBC anchor and managing editor Brian Williams saying that there were bigger issues than newsroom diversity. The comments resulted in a meeting between the National Association of Black Journalists and the NBC.[23] In 2007, Redding broke news of racist threats made against black columnist Leonard Pitts.[24][25] In May 2011, Redding got into a verbal altercation with Rush Limbaugh when he asked Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, about a skit in which a Limbaugh staffer "reinterpreted" his criticism of Barack Obama's immigration speech in ebonics.[26]

In 2012, Redding was a syndicated talk radio host on Sirius XM where he hosted "Where's the Change? Why Neither Obama nor the GOP Can Solve America's Problems," at Temple University and Connecticut College where he discussed the impact of talk radio on the 2012 presidential election.[27][28] In 2013, Redding interviewed recording artist Stromae about racism in Europe. Stromae spoke frankly about being called a "monkey", which inspired the singers hit Formidable.[29] In 2017, Redding's reported CoverGirl's James Charles comments about "chubby Black women", Indians and Mexicans in 2017[30] prompting Charles to apologize for his comments.[31]

Redding's interview of Texas A&M University professor Tommy Curry resulted in over 80 death threats directed to Curry after his comments were misunderstood.[32]

Redding occasionally features in the National Public Radio Roundtable feature.[33][34]

Writing

[edit]

Redding has written 16 bestselling books on Amazon's list, including Smeared, Target, Dark Soul and The Professor: Witnessing White Power (2019) ISBN 978-1692336233 [35][36][1][37] According to Consciousness Magazine, his 16th book, "Ritual," was No. 1 on Amazon and has been described as "a nearly 200-page investigation into the complex relationship between organized religion and societal norms," offering a "profound rethinking of religious practices" and being called "groundbreaking."[38]

In 2023, his 15th book Unquotable was said to be "filled with powerful illustrations created by Redding, while his witty writings unravel issues of race, class, politics and sexuality", according to New York's Black Star News.[39] The paper reported several months earlier that his brand new book Africa: How it can save the World dealing with where to go in time of a nuclear war was "his 14th book and seventh overall No.1 and 5th consecutive No. 1." [40] In 2023, his book 13th book "Smeared", also reached No. 1 and compromised his MFA thesis on Constructive Expressionism at Pratt Institute framed around "his powerful personal story," according to Black Star News. [41]   Redding had his third consecutive No. 1 on Amazon.com with "Target: Unwrapping Racism" on August 30, 2021, a book that "ripped away the veil hiding the genesis of racism" and introduced "Visual Geographic Grounding"; it was his fifth No. 1 out of 12 consecutive bestsellers on the platform, following Dark Soul (No. 1 in summer 2020) and The Professor: Witnessing White Power (No. 2019 No. 1, later adapted into a stage play); Redding, "who is also a top-selling artist, artwork entitled 'Target' graces the book's plain white cover. This black circular 34X34 artwork on unstretched canvas is a depiction of an infant in utero riddled with two bullet holes." [42]

The Industry reported on May 26, 2020, that The Professor: Witnessing White Power was "Rob Redding's new hard-hitting book on gays in black leadership recently topped two of Amazon's coveted lists of new books," detailing "how gay interracial relationships and encounters have shaped black power, dissects the sex lives of Jean-Michel Basquiat, James Baldwin, Marvin Gaye, Richard Pryor, and Malcolm X, and contains explosive new information about Basquiat's relationship with Klaus Nomi," noting that "Redding—the first out bisexual black radio talk show host—has a national talk show listened to by a black mainstream audience in 20 states, has taught at Pace and City Tech universities in New York City, and has published several influential works on race and sexuality."[43]

Sinister Citizen, Redding's only foray into fiction, explores the tumultuous landscape of President Trump's America, released in 2017, was said to be "intriguing" and "fascinating" by KKXX, and reached top 30 on Amazon.[44] Rob Redding's Out Loud, which debuted at No. 2 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases" in the Gay and Lesbian Biographies and Memoirs category on November 6, 2017, is described by GAYLETTER as a "juicy" tell-all autobiography "of race and sexuality."[45] CBS remarked that his personal stories of bisexual interracial dating "came as a surprise to his personal friends and many who listen to 'The Redding News Review'," and called the book, which appears to be no longer available, "shocking."[46]

  Why Black Lives Matter: How Borigination Explains How to Get Police and Whites to Treat Blacks Like People, officially released on July 6, 2015, and described as a "new best-selling book explaining how to possibly end police brutality and racism," with a foreword penned by Dr. Lewis R. Gordon, reached No. 1 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases."[44]

Unthinkable: Poems, Philosophies and Paintings, released on July 7, 2014, was his  "sixth consecutive best seller with a Top 5 and Top 10 appearance respectively on Amazon.com."[47]

Not a Nonviolent Negro: How I Survived Obama debuted at No. 1 on Amazon on March 6, 2013, and was described by Consciousness Magazine as "ground-breaking; a modern blueprint to fearless literature," and given a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, the book is considered a "written composition consumed with extreme meaning, highlighting Redding's boldness, confidence and honesty."[48]

Disrupter: Pathway to Political Independence, Redding's second best-selling book, debuted at No. 1 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases" in "Political Reference" on August 13, 2012, described By Urban Radio Nation as a "new book on how to live a politically independent life," providing essays on how to answer questions about being an independent and giving references for independents.[49]

Resurrection: A Historical Anthology of Two Forgotten African-American Philosophers, Redding's third best-selling book, was released on April 4, 2012, and reached No. 3 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases" list; Redding said the book unearths two forgotten black philosophers, offering analysis on why John Jasper and William Whipper are considered philosophers, with philosopher Dr. Lewis Gordon writing the foreword "The Underside of American Philosophy," while Dr. Tommy J. Curry said the book "will contribute to opening up some of the thoughts and primary material for people to think about Black philosophy," marking Redding's second best-selling book in less than 90 days, following Where's the Change? Why Neither Obama, nor the GOP Can Solve America's Problems, which landed among the top 30 books on Amazon in February, and was his second book since Hired Hatred: Why Politicians and the Political Prejudices They Tout Are Mutually Exclusive from Good Government, released in 2004.[50]

Where's the Change?: Why Neither Obama, nor the GOP Can Solve America's Problems, released on January 13, 2012, peaked at No. 30 on Amazon. In the book, Redding argued "that neither President Obama nor the Republicans can solve the country's problems."[51][52]

Additionally, Redding has two academic articles. He wrote "Black voices, White power: Members of the Black press make meaning of media hegemony" in the Journal of Black Studies[53] He wrote the "Resolution of Risk" in "The Journal of the International Public Debate Association."[54]

Published Works

[edit]
  • Ritual. New York, NY: RCI, 2024. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B0DLKFPQ9V
  • Unquotable. New York, NY: RCI, 2023. Distributed by Amazon.ASIN B0CH3PMK7B
  • Africa: How It Can Save the World. New York, NY: RCI, 2023. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B0BX71NG9K
  • Smeared. New York, NY: RCI, 2023. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B0BS939QHW
  • Target: Unwrapping Racism. New York, NY: RCI, 2021. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B09F4QS3LC
  • Dark Soul. New York, NY: RCI, 2020. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B08FZK1P8W
  • The Professor: Witnessing White Power. New York, NY: RCI, 2019. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B07R7X3K8T
  • Sinister Citizen. New York, NY: RCI, 2017. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B01N2ATLG2
  • Out Loud. New York, NY: RCI, 2017. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN Nolongeravailable
  • Why Black Lives Matter: How Borigination. Atlanta: RCI, 2015. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B010VXXGT2
  • Unthinkable: Poems, Philosophies and Paintings. Atlanta: RCI, 2014. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B00LKZJMQM
  • Not a Nonviolent Negro: How I Survived Obama. Atlanta: RCI, 2013. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B00BOZ8WSW
  • Disrupter: Pathway to Political Independence. Atlanta: RCI, 2012. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B008WXKELM
  • Resurrection: A Historical Anthology of Two Forgotten African American Philosophers. Atlanta: RCI, 2012. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B007QZXBEY
  • Where's the Change?: Why Neither Obama, nor the GOP Can Solve America's Problems. Atlanta: RCI, 2012. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B006WGS0US
  • Hired Hatred: Why Politicians and the Political Prejudices They Tout Are Mutually Exclusive from Good Government. Atlanta: RCI, 2005. Distributed by Amazon. ASIN B0051ADWOK

Journal Articles

[edit]
  • Black voices, White power: Members of the Black press make meaning of media hegemony. Journal of Black Studies, 48(2), 143-164. doi:10.1177/0021934716681152 (2017)
  • "Resolution of Risk."[55] (2018)

Filmography

[edit]
  • Sutherlin, John. Stay, Brady, Stay. Narrated by Rob Redding. 2009. Film.[56]

Discography

[edit]
  • Not a Nonviolent Negro. Amazon.com, 2013. ASIN B00BNYEOHC
  • Unleash the Whip. Amazon.com, 2012. ASIN B00AKCLBLU
  • Redding, Rob. Tony Smoove's Aircheck Volume 1. Atlanta: Crystal Castle productions/Rude Records/Ichiban Records, 1998.

Art

[edit]
Rob Redding in front of Black Power: Unapologetically Militant (70X93) 2021

According to Consciousness Magazine, Rob Redding held a "highly successful solo art show" titled "Black & White" at the Morningside Heights Library in New York City, which ran for the entire month of September 2024.[38] A few days later, Redding also "rocked the queer art world" when he exhibited a collection of "10 avant-garde reflective images at the Soho Project Space in New York."[38]

In June 2023, Redding, who holds an MFA and MA in communication, was called "The Master of Commentary and Canvas" as Consciousness Magazine placed him on the cover of its publication. The magazine said Redding makes "monochrome look magnificent on every canvas he touches" and called his work "racy."[57] A few months later, Redding was featured in The New Criterion for his work "Kenosha 7: Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow and Jacob Blake's Life is Changed Forever" in a show entitled "There is a Certain Slant of Light" at Pratt Manhattan Gallery.[58]

In May 2023, New York's Black Star News called him a "mixture of bright, bold, and brash" for his "salacious" art piece "Bad Words" which contains gay slurs on mirrors to confront and provoke conversation on presidential candidate Ron DeSantis over his "don't say gay" bill.[59] Earlier that same year, his "Constructive Expressionism" style was described as "highly original" by Black Star News, which covered his new book about his art called Smeared (2023).[5]

In 2017, art reviewer Per Larson called his work "iconic" and compared him to "James Baldwin" because he once lived in Europe.[60]

In 2018 he exhibited his first Manhattan solo show BIG BLACK ̶C̶O̶C̶K̶ CANVAS: SIZE matters – in ART! at the NoHoM55 Gallery in Chelsea in 2018.[1] Redding's artwork Black Power: Unapologetically Militant was exhibited in the Fridman Gallery and later sold for $10,000.[1] His work appeared in the May 2021 edition of Art in America.[1][61]

According to MediaBistro, Redding's influence extends beyond the airwaves and visual artifacts, as he was voted the third "Hottest Media Types, Male, On Air" for his broadcast show in 2008.[62] In the fall of 2024, he joined Ikon Models, further diversifying his portfolio of creative expressions, as reported by Consciousness Magazine.[63]

Solo Exhibitions

[edit]
  • "Unspoken: Black & White." Morningside Heights Library, New York, N.Y., September 3, 2024, to September 30, 2024.
  • "BIG BLACK ̶C̶O̶C̶K̶ CANVAS: SIZE matters – in ART!" NoHo M55 Gallery, New York, N.Y., September 4, 2018, to September 22, 2018.
  • "Monodramatic." Midoma Gallery, New York, N.Y., September 16, 2017, to October 20, 2017.
  • "Black on White." Producers' Club Theaters & Bar Gallery, New York, N.Y., November 5, 2016, to December 1, 2017.
  • "Black on White." Ouchi Gallery, Brooklyn, N.Y., November 15, 2016, to November 21, 2016.
  • "2nd Friday ArtStroll at Castleberry Hill in Atlanta." The Ice Cream Loft located on 322 Peter Street No. 2, Atlanta, Ga., March 11, 2011.
  • "Smeared." Warehouse, Washington, D.C., February 1, 2006, to February 26, 2006.
  • "The Black Show." The Apex, Atlanta, Ga., August 2004.
  • "The Black Show." Brenau University, Atlanta, Ga., February 2004.
  • Fayette County Library, Fayette County, Ga., May - June 1990.
  • Fayette County Junior High School Library, Fayette County, Ga., February - March 1989.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Talk Show Host Rob Redding's "Black Power" Artwork Sells for $10,000". Black Star News. July 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "XM's 'The Power,' the Only National African-American Talk Radio Channel, Expands Lineup with New Shows Image". XM. May 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "Rob Redding 'Conscious of the Political World' Image". Consciousness Magazine. May 2, 2013.
  4. ^ "What is a black professor in America allowed to say?". The Guardian. August 3, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Books: Rob Redding's "Smeared" No. 1 best seller on Amazon.com Kindle". blackstarnews.com. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "ULM students selected to 2009 edition of Who's Who". University of Louisiana News.
  7. ^ Redding, Robert (January 2015). "Black Voices, White Power Image". Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. Marshall University Scholar.
  8. ^ "Rob Redding's Book "The Professor" Hits Number 1". November 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Rob Redding's New Book The Professor Hits Number One". news.radio-online.com. May 9, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Rob Redding Podcast Celebrates 10 Years". Urban Insite web site. May 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Rob Redding's Book "The Professor" Hits Number 1 Image". Radio Facts Ed. May 26, 2020.
  12. ^ "Rob Redding Podcast Celebrates 10 Years and 2000th Episode". RadioOnline web site. May 7, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Rob Redding exits WAOK-AM Image". Urban Insite. Archived from the original on February 17, 2004.
  14. ^ "Rob Redding Podcast Celebrates 10 Years and 2000th Episode". Radio Online web site. May 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Heavy Hundred". Talkers Magazine. Archived from the original on August 1, 2003.
  16. ^ "Washington Times Up Image". DCist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  17. ^ "10 Questions with ... Robert 'Rob' Redding Jr Image". All Access.
  18. ^ "Redding Now Heard Weekdays on WAOK". CBS. November 8, 2010.
  19. ^ "'Redding News Review' Offers Straight Political Talk on Atlanta's WAOK-AM". Rolling Out.
  20. ^ "Rob Redding moves to weekdays on SiriusXM 128 Image". Urban Radio Nation.[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ "'Redding News Review' Added To Weekday Lineup At Sirius XM's The Power Image". All Access SXM.
  22. ^ "Redding News Review Unrestricted' Reaches 1000th Episode Image". Radio Online.
  23. ^ "NABJ accepts network's focus on diversity". The Baltimore Sun. May 18, 2023.
  24. ^ "Local Columnist Threatened By White Supremacist Websites". Adweek. June 21, 2007.
  25. ^ "Neo-Nazi Guilty, but Not in Threat to Leonard Pitts". Richard Prince. January 8, 2010.
  26. ^ "WAOK's Rob Redding gets Rush Limbaugh's attention". AJC. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  27. ^ Rowland, Fred (May 17, 2012). "Talk Radio Host Rob Redding".
  28. ^ "February events at Connecticut College". The Day. 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  29. ^ "Radio Vet Talk Show Host Rob Redding Writes Another Best-Selling Amazon E-Book "Why Black Lives in Matter..."". Radio Facts. July 7, 2015.
  30. ^ "CoverGirl's response to their first male model's racist tweet is incredibly cringe Image". METRO. February 21, 2017.
  31. ^ "A Complete Timeline of the James Charles Allegations and Controversies – February 2017 Image". Vulture. May 12, 2021.
  32. ^ Weber, Eric Thomas (2020). "The Pragmatist's Call to Democratic Activism in Higher Education".
  33. ^ "Roundtable: Obama Leaves Church Amid Scrutiny". NPR.org. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  34. ^ "Roundtable: Merchandise Follows Obama-Mania". NPR.org. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  35. ^ "New York Artist Targets Florida Governor Ron DeSantis". May 31, 2023.
  36. ^ Facts, Radio (May 26, 2020). "Rob Redding's Book "The Professor" Hits Number 1 – Radio Facts". Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  37. ^ "Rob Redding's 'Target: Unwrapping Racism' debuts at No". October 17, 2023.
  38. ^ a b c "The Ritual Revolution: Rob Redding's Bold Challenge to the Church". November 8, 2024.
  39. ^ "Art In Activism: Artist Rob Redding To Address Pratt Institute Wednesday". October 17, 2023.
  40. ^ "New York Artist Targets Florida Governor Ron Desantis". May 31, 2023.
  41. ^ "Books: Rob Redding's "Smeared" No. 1 best seller on Amazon.com Kindle Date=January 19, 2023".
  42. ^ "Rob Redding's 'Target: Unwrapping Racism' debuts at No. 1". October 17, 2023.
  43. ^ "Rob Redding's Best-Selling E-Book Released". October 17, 2023.
  44. ^ a b "Jerry Olenyn Sinister Citizen". October 17, 2023.
  45. ^ "Rob Redding on race & losing his boyfriend to gun violence". October 17, 2023.
  46. ^ "Black Independent Radio Host Releases Tell All Book That Reveals His Alternative Lifestyle". October 17, 2023.
  47. ^ "Rob Redding's Book A Top Seller". October 17, 2023.
  48. ^ "CM Book Review on Author Rob Redding "Not a Nonviolent Negro: How I Survived Obama". October 17, 2023.
  49. ^ "Rob Redding's Book 'Disrupter' spends week at No. 1". October 17, 2023.
  50. ^ "Talk Show Host Rob Redding's new book on 'Hot' list and is a best-seller at Amazon.com". October 17, 2023.
  51. ^ "Talk Radio Show Host Rob Redding Pens New Book about the Obama Administration: "Where's the Change?"". October 17, 2023.
  52. ^ "Network/Syndication" (PDF). October 17, 2023.
  53. ^ Redding, Robert (March 2017). "Black voices, White power: Members of the Black press make meaning of media hegemony". Journal of Black Studies. 48 (2): 143–164. doi:10.1177/0021934716681152. S2CID 148449940.
  54. ^ "Resolution of Risk".
  55. ^ "Resolution of Risk" (PDF). ipdadebate.info. April 2009.
  56. ^ "Film Narrated By Rob Redding To Screen At San Antonio Film Festival". June 16, 2010. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023.
  57. ^ "Rob Redding: The Master of Commentary and Canvas". magcloud.com/browse/issue/2507592. June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  58. ^ "The Critic's Notebook". The New Criterion. August 15, 2023.
  59. ^ "New York Artist Targets Florida Governor Ron DeSantis". blackstarnews.com. May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  60. ^ Larson, Per (July 22, 2017). "Per on Art". Archived from the original on July 15, 2019.
  61. ^ "Talker Rob Redding Sells Painting for $10K". RADIO ONLINE. August 10, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  62. ^ "Hottest Media Types, Male, On Air". November 26, 2024.
  63. ^ "The Ritual Revolution: Rob Redding's Bold Challenge to the Church". November 26, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Rob_Redding&oldid=1260154014"