Dr. Robert Hilliard has worn many hats over the course of his life. Born in 1925, Hilliard served as a soldier in World War II. Since then, he's been a journalist, educator, author, playwright, and humanitarian activist. He was Chief of Public Broadcasting at the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and was present for the signing of the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967.
Dr. Hilliard was also a professor and dean at Emerson College in Boston for more than three decades. He has written dozens of books and plays.
He lives in Southwest Florida these days and is a member of the nonpartisan nonprofit Floridians for Democracy. He was one of the first representatives from that group that joined us on this show about a year and a half ago.
At the age of 99 and having lived the life he’s lived, we invited him back into the studio to reflect on the place we find ourselves politically in this country. And get his take on what he calls open fascism in the modern political right, with the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 being a prime example.
You can watch WGCU's documentary about Hilliard, called “A Force for Freedom: The Robert Hilliard Story” here.
You can listen to Bob's episode of Three Song Stories here.
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