New Podcast Revisits 1969 Morehouse Student Uprising

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, February 9, 2026 | 3:28pm CT

The A Building

iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment have announced the launch of The A Building, a new documentary podcast examining the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College-a pivotal episode in the history of student activism and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Premiering last Friday, February 6, the series revisits a two-day protest in which Morehouse students barricaded themselves inside the administration building, commonly referred to on HBCU campuses as "The A Building," and held members of the Board of Trustees hostage while demanding curricular reform and improvements to student life. The confrontation unfolded amid nationwide unrest tied to the civil rights movement, opposition to the Vietnam War, and calls for broader social change following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Among those caught inside the building was Martin Luther King Sr., then president of the Board of Trustees. One of the student organizers was Samuel L. Jackson, years before his rise in Hollywood. The podcast details how students planned the takeover as a deliberate act of protest aimed at institutional change.

Co-created and produced by Menelek Lumumba and Hans Charles, The A Building blends reenactments, archival research, and firsthand accounts to examine the risks taken by the students, the consequences they faced-including expulsions-and the longer-term impact on higher education. The series also traces the aftermath of the protest, including Jackson's eventual return to Morehouse and the academic shift that led him toward acting.

The A Building will be released weekly on Fridays and distributed by iHeartPodcasts, with availability on the iHeartRadio app and other major podcast platforms.