Bob Law, influential Black radio pioneer and activist, has died
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Law, who for years was synonymous with New York radio and helped launch Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign, had been undergoing health issues.
Bob Law, a titan in Black radio with his “Night Talk” political show, has died, friends and family confirmed on Monday.
On social media, Rev. Al Sharpton penned a tribute to Law, praising him for his contributions and for the role “Night Talk” played in shaping Black American consciousness.
“Bob Law, a pioneer in National Black Talk radio, has passed away,” Sharpton wrote. “His unparalleled #NightTalk show was the political grapevine of Black America. He was one of a kind, a true representative and voice of Black radio.”
He continued, “He gave me my first radio program when I was 16, and he along with Hank Spann introduced me to James Brown. My personal relationship with him and his Queen, Muntu, ran deep and strong for over 50 years. I will miss him dearly.”
Law took “Night Talk” national in 1981 through the National Black Network. It was the first live nationally broadcast Black radio talk show in the country. In his youth, he served as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s field secretary and later as a community affairs director at WWRL before being named program director.
“I’m one of the people who can truthfully say, I got my job through the Civil Rights Movement,” Law told John L. Hanson in 1992.
Throughout his 50-plus-year career, Law was outspoken about the state of Black radio while also speaking out on issues that kept the Black community top of mind. In a 2025 interview, he beamed about how “Night Talk” was the catalyst for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson‘s 1984 presidential campaign.
“It was ‘Night Talk’ that started the campaign ‘Run Jesse Run’ in 1984,” Law said. “Jesse Jackson came on the show every Tuesday night and we started talking about that on the air. Run Jesse Run. “Night Talk” was a major factor in that presidential campaign.”
When asked about the significance of “Night Talk,” Law championed its ability to bring people together.
“I think the most significant is establishing a sense of community nationally among the people who do respond to ‘Night Talk,’ he said at the time. “We have just completed the organization process of the National Economic Development Council. We have come together to raise money collectively for a number of issues, from saving Mound Bayou, Mississippi, from being auctioned off to a liver transplant for a Kansas City teenager. The national audience has seen that it is possible to work together as a national family. That sense of community has been one of the things we’ve been able to develop. We’ve raised a lot of issues and hopefully raised the consciousness of people who listen to us regularly.”
Among those offering condolences for Law was New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“My heart is with the family and loved ones of Bob Law,” she wrote on Facebook. “Bob was a renowned radio talk show host and a tireless activist for the Black community, and his impact will continue to be felt for generations to come. May he rest in peace.”
Law is preceded in death by his wife, Muntu.