Daniel Banguel and his co-hosts on the “Pounding the Pavement” radio show ran for local office in the 2016 elections. Tired of seeing the same results from previous elected officials, Banguel, Eugene Collins and Braylon Hyde wanted to provide the African-American community with a voice, so they ran for mayor or city council positions.
Since starting their own radio show in 2015, these young Baton Rougeans have worked to become community advocates. Running for office was just one of the many ways they hoped to make a difference.
Though they weren’t elected, they reach the local community in other ways. One of the biggest is their top-rated radio show on Baton Rouge’s WTQT 106.1. It airs weekly, 5:30-6:30 p.m., covering topics affecting African-Americans, such as community advocacy, voter registration, education and politics.
“There was no one else speaking to our issues,” Banguel says. “We have different systemic issues in our community that people don’t like to talk about … we do, though; we talk about anything that may be uncomfortable. But these conversations have to happen to move our community forward.”
Braylon Hyde and his co-hosts have become community advocates, all running for public office in 2016.
Recent topics included the Department of Justice’s Alton Sterling decision, the removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans and the Louisiana justice and education systems.
Being transparent on the show is important, Banguel says. When discussing controversial topics, the hosts typically take different sides in order to argue for or against each perspective.
Doing this allows listeners to see all sides of the issue, he says, and develop their own understanding.
“I believe some elected officials have been relatively silent,” Banguel says about issues facing the city’s African-American community. “I think they’re silent due to not wanting to offend people. [When you are] on the fence, people are unsure of who or what you are. I rather be respected and people know where I stand, than in limbo being silent on issues. That’s not leadership.”
In addition to promoting education on current issues, the “Pounding the Pavement” hosts promote action.
Banguel, Collins and Hyde encourage their listeners to vote, run for office, seek higher education and become homeowners.
“Millennials actually have so much power, if they were to vote,” Banguel says. “But we never said [change] would be easy—it’s going to take sacrifice to get to that next level.”
While listeners can hear “Pounding the Pavement” on WTQT 106.1 radio or the TuneIn app, Banguel says the ultimate goal for himself and his co-hosts is to be heard statewide and nationwide. They want to not only reach more listeners, but also contribute to a national platform for African-American voices.
