HAAM Music Monday powered by FVF Law! Austin’s KAZI FM celebrates Black Music Month

As Black Music Month comes to a close, Austin’s longest-running Black community radio station, KAZI FM 88.7, is reflecting on more than four decades of serving the city through music, culture, and community.

KAZI General Manager Mykel Mitchell and “The Professor” Douglas Boone Jr. joined Trevor Scott to share more about the station’s mission.

Founded in 1982, KAZI 88.7 FM has become a staple of Austin’s media landscape, providing a platform for local voices, emerging artists, and underserved communities while preserving the rich legacy of Black music.

“It’s really an achievement,” said KAZI General Manager Mykel Mitchellll, “And we’re proud that we’ve been here so long and have been able to serve the community as long as we have. When you hear our call phrase, “The Voice of Austin,” we really pride ourselves on being the voice for those who are underserved and who may not have a voice otherwise. Particularly for new music and community events.”

The Soundtrack of American History

Black Music Month recognizes the profound impact Black artists have had on virtually every genre of music, from gospel and jazz to Motown, hip-hop, and beyond.

“Black music has been a part of our society and culture from the very beginning,” said longtime KAZI host Douglas “The Professor” Boone Jr. “It really represents what this country is all about.”

Boone noted that the influence of Black music extends far beyond one genre, shaping popular music and culture across generations.

More Than a Radio Station

For nearly 44 years, KAZI has served as more than just a radio station. Staffed largely by volunteers, the station provides opportunities for community members to get involved both on and off the air.

“My hope is that people take away that this is a place and a platform that really is for them and by them,” Mitchell said.

The station’s community-first approach continues to honor the vision of founder Dr. John Warfield, whose mission of creating access and representation remains central to KAZI’s work today.

Boone, affectionately known as “The Professor,” has spent more than five decades in radio and continues to host his popular program on KAZI.

“I’ll be 75 this year,” Boone said. “I’m just pleased to still be able to do this in the manner in which I do it.”

He credits community radio with giving him the freedom to create meaningful programming and connect with listeners in a way commercial radio often cannot.

“When I first got there, they told me, ‘Look at this as your canvas, and you can create your own mosaic,’” Boone recalled.

HAAM Music Monday powered by FVF Law! Austin’s KAZI FM celebrates Black Music Month

As Austin continues to grow and change, KAZI remains committed to amplifying local voices and preserving the cultural conversations that have defined the station for more than four decades.

“We all go about the business of making sure we promote the station and represent the station as it should be represented,” Boone said.

Listeners can tune in to KAZI 88.7 FM and hear Boone’s show Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, along with a diverse lineup of programming that continues to make the station “The Voice of Austin.”