On Saturday, March 27 at 2 p.m., WTJU and Virginia Audio Collective will host a listening session and panel discussion with the creators of the podcast GROUNDS.

The audio drama podcast GROUNDS follows the lives of five Black professors — the only full time, tenure-track Black lecturers who work at the fictitious Morris & Wilkins University, a predominantly white 4-year institution. The story highlights the trials, obstacles, and joys of maintaining a Black existence within a white academic structure.

Panelists include voice actors Leslie M. Scott-Jones, Artistic Director of the Charlottesville Player’s Guild, an all-Black theatre company in Charlottesville; and Doug Spearman, twice-Emmy nominated writer, director, and producer.

“GROUNDS gives voice to the contradictory and confusing worlds of academia and American history, and it does it in a way that is both urgent and unique,” said Scott-Jones. “It eschews easy formulas and invites listeners to engage with complicated truths.”

Register for this Zoom-based talk at: wtju.net/groundsdiscussion

Season One of GROUNDS is available now at anchor.fm/eugene-martin. Season Two is in production with a release date of June 2021.

WTJU 91.1 FM has been part of the University of Virginia since its first broadcast in 1957. WTJU is a community radio station that enriches the culture of Virginia, extends the educational mission of UVA, and brings people together through excellent music and conversation. WTJU launched its community podcast network Virginia Audio Collective in 2017. Online at VirginiaAudio.org.