A prominent local leader in media and various community issues has died. The death of Gloria Langston, owner and co-founder of WDKX radio was reported Saturday by that Rochester station.
Langston was born in Jamaica, and WDKX noted in a remembrance on its website that she moved to New York City to attend NYU which is where she met her husband Andrew.
The two eventually moved to Rochester and it took six years, and hundreds of trips to Washington, D.C. before WDKX eventually was able to go on the air in 1974.
WDKX noted that even though she didn’t have previous radio experience, she was quick to get involved in the medium as a storyteller. The station said that in a previous interview with Rochester Women Inspire, Gloria Langston said that, “In Jamaica, we always entertained each other with stories. It’s just a part of me.”
RABJ, the Rochester Association of Black Journalists, noted on its Facebook page that, “There are many who fondly remember tuning into the city's first Black owned radio station and being pleasantly greeted by Mrs. Langston's voice as she hosted her story time over the airwaves.”
During her time with WDKX, the station said Langston had the opportunity to interview Black leaders, such as the Reverend Jesse Jackson and the first Black woman elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm.
In 2012, Rep. Louise Slaughter honored Gloria Langston in the House of Representatives, stating that, “Gloria Langston has an unwavering commitment to uplifting and enhancing the Rochester community, and she exudes a deep sense of community awareness and pride. These admirable characteristics are reflected in the management and staff of WDKX-FM radio.”
