Millions of African Americans start their day with Tom Joyner. Joyner and his longtime radio team of Sybil and Jay serve a platter of morning favorites that includes humor, news, and R & B hits. They laugh and tease each other, inviting their listeners to join in the fun, but they simultaneously recognize the significance of their platform.

When Black America mobilized following the killing of  18 year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, The Tom Joyner Morning Show opened the mic to talk about the issue of police brutality.

During a stop in Little Rock on his “Meet Every Listener Tour” Joyner said, “That’s what Black radio has always done. We have always super served our audience and whatever the needs are. From the Montgomery bus boycott, helping people get to work in the ’60s, all the way now to Ferguson and Trayvon to Eric Garner. That’s what Black radio has always done through the Civil Rights Movement and on.”

Known for years as the “fly jock” because of the air travel required to host radio shows in two major cities, Joyner is as famous for his programs to give back to the community as he is for his trademark on-air style. He and his team have made the Tom Joyner Cruise a bucket list item for many, and his scholarship donations have aided hundreds of students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Yet, he seems most proud of the role radio shows like his play in the advancement of his community, making the point with a question. “In the Civil Rights Movement, how did the masses get the word? There was no email, there was no social media, there was no cable. There was no news. The news was separate, too. There was news for Black People, and there was news for white people. And, Dr. King and the rest couldn’t get on a television station and say, ‘This is where the Negroes will be marching from Selma to Montgomery. He had to get on the radio,'” explained Joyner.

There is a lull in the national dialogue about police reform, but the conversation is far from over and expected to continue in 2015. Joyner added, “I’m very hopeful. Look how we ended 2014…all the demonstrations that went from the Fourth Quarter 2014 into the new year. And, here we are after the King celebration. We’re still partying with a purpose.”

To watch our interview with Tom Joyner, please click here.