WSOU show to air special episode with Forrest Pritchett

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — In honor of Black History Month, WSOU-FM’s “Thank God For Monday” program will air a special hour-long interview on Saturday, Feb. 16, with the Rev. Forrest Pritchett, an esteemed activist and mentor who currently serves as the director of Seton Hall University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program.

Pritchett — who received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama in 2016 — will speak about his life spent fighting discrimination against black people, from participating in sit-ins as a Delaware State University student during the 1960s to most recently organizing an MLK Day symposium that attracted hundreds of people to Seton Hall. Additionally, he will discuss how his faith guided him throughout this trajectory — one he never expected to lead.

“If anybody had said to me during my rebellious teenage years that I’m going to be doing all this, I would’ve said ‘You must be confused,’” Pritchett said, acknowledging that he now sees God had a plan in mind for him all along. “The way in which my people had been treated historically motivates me to a very high calling — to help America be great, a godly great.”

That calling led Pritchett to his current work mentoring students at Seton Hall, which he will also discuss on the show. In his role with the MLK Leadership Program, Pritchett counsels students as they create and implement programs serving urban youth and other groups in need. He also provides valuable insight, often encouraging students to pursue doctorate degrees so they can go on to become voices of consciousness at the universities that employ them. Many have followed his advice, too, and now seek out Pritchett’s guidance regarding issues on their campuses.

Hearing about all this fascinated “Thank God For Monday” co-host Brother Greg Cellini, who expanded his show’s usual half-hour runtime just to include the entire discussion. And he hopes students and non-students alike tune in to the show. Considering all that he has accomplished, Cellini said, Pritchett is an ideal role model for people everywhere.

“People not only need to be enlightened, they also need to be inspired — and who could be more inspiring than the Rev. Dr. Forrest Pritchett?” Cellini said. “Truly Dr. Pritchett is a man of courage and conviction. He does not let fear stop him.”

Pritchett’s episode of “Thank God For Monday” will be broadcast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on WSOU 89.5 FM., and it can also be streamed from wsou.net and the iHeartRadio app. Additionally, the show will be archived as a podcast on iTunes.

  Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr., Seton Hall University, WSOU