He was a 1967 graduate of Roosevelt High School. He was also an All-Conference running back at Washington University in St. Louis where he served as a disc jockey at the campus radio station. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology, becoming the first person in his family to graduate college. Washington University also awarded him an honorary doctorate.
At age 24, he became the youngest executive director of the NAACP’s Detroit branch before being appointed the organization’s National Political Director and eventually being elected to the National Board of Directors where he served for 14 years.
His radio career began in 1980 at Detroit’s WXYZ. He continued his broadcast journey to WWDB in Philadelphia, WWRC and WOL in Washington, DC. The popularity of his WOL program led to syndication on the Radio One Talk Network and its XM satellite channel which merged with Sirius to become SiriusXM in 2008. In 2023, he celebrated his 15th anniversary with SiriusXM.
Credit: Alex Brandon
Credit: Alex Brandon
In 2015, Madison set the Guinness World Record for the longest on-air broadcast: 52 hours. During the record-breaking show, he raised more than $250,000 for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Five months later, he made history again by broadcasting live from Cuba and becoming the first American radio host to do so in more than 50 years.
In 2021, Madison went on a 73-day hunger strike to encourage passage of voting rights bills. Unbeknownst to his listeners, he was fighting prostate cancer during his hunger strike. When asked if he understood the danger he was in, he replied, “I am willing to die.”
A few months after his hunger strike, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act passed in the Senate with the help of Madison’s radio influence. His efforts were noticed by many, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and is expected to include officials from the city of Dayton and Montgomery County as well as two of Madison’s lifelong friends, Leophus Hayden, former member of the Minnesota Vikings, and Sylvester “Rudy” Benjamin, former member of the Houston Rockets. Both are members of the 1967 Roosevelt High School graduating class.
Benjamin shared fond memories of Madison’s empathetic nature.
“Joe never tolerated kids teasing his neighbors because, due to their inability, they weren’t able to fully socialize,” Benjamin said in a press statement. “Even as a kid, he always showed empathy toward others.”
All are welcome to attend the commemoration.
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