Jun. 5- a little Eagles — all this and more can be found where the music means something; where it's not just the same old "hits" played by a computer; where the disc jockeys don't get paid, they just love the music and the message. And that message: Respect. Lovers of great music, slide the dial past the commercial radio stations, and let it rest where respect is in the music, WRES 100.7FM.

WRES is a non-profit, community supported radio station, broadcasting out of downtown Asheville. Appropriately located in the old Public Service Building on Patton Ave., the station not only brings its listeners music that no other area stations offer, it also plays an active role in fomenting positive social change in Western North Carolina. WRES shares a space, and a mission, with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) Empowerment Resource Center (ERC). The ERC, its mission states, works "to improve the overall quality of health and life for people of color and low wealth communities in Buncombe County."

Serving the community

Since the middle part of the last century, radio has been used as a tool to promote social change in minority and poor communities. The first activist African-American station, WLCS, in Baton Rouge, LA, helped execute a city-wide bus boycott in 1953 — a precursor to the celebrated Montgomery, AL, public transportation boycott, lead by Martin Luther King Jr. WLCS became a place for people to unite, and a spot for organizers to rally would-be activists. In his book, Radio and the Struggle for Civil Rights in the South, Brian Ward says that broadcast media was a chief factor in the civil rights movement. "Radio was often the most important mass medium operating within southern black communities during the zenith of the civil rights struggles," states Ward, "[and] it played an important role in laying the foundations for those struggles and was occasionally decisive in determining their outcome."

Now in Asheville, WRES is carrying on a tradition that began over 50 years ago in Louisiana. The station operates as a link between the ERC and the public. ERC members — all volunteers — plan and implement events and services, such as health fairs and credit counseling, to support the organization's mission. Radio programs such as "TCB," or "Taking Care of Business," a show that educates listeners on how to operate a small business, is an example of how WRES bridges the gap between community resources and those who could benefit from them. Essentially, acting as the media arm of the ERC, WRES gets the word out.

WRES is one of the few voices that the African-American community in Buncombe County holds. The station is steadfast in its support of this group. Still, the ERC does not limit the scope of its work to minority issues. Understanding that poverty does not see color, the group extends its mission beyond traditional NAACP aims to "low-wealth communities." It is this openness and sense of inclusion that seems to drive the culture at WRES. "Our community," says station president John R. Hayes, "is made up of all people."

Music for the people

Hayes, also president of the Asheville NAACP and WRES deejay, believes that music, by communicating with a variety of people, has the power to cross cultural lines and act as an agent for change. And communication, says Hayes, is the key. Quoting the movie Cool Hand Luke, he says, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." WRES succeeds in giving the ERC and the NAACP "a platform, an opportunity to communicate, to build a community for and with all people," says Hayes.

"Music brings people together" says Hayes. The mantra at WRES is "respect." Trusting that music can empower the listener, he demands that WRES exclude "disrespectful" tunes. The kind of music one listens to affects that person's outlook, positively or negatively. "When we learn to respect ourselves," states Hayes, "we learn to respect other people." For this reason, Hayes' hand picks the disc jockeys for their commitment to respect and community empowerment. Hayes proclaims, "You won't hear any music calling people names on this station."

It is obvious that the station is run by folks who love their work. When Hayes talks about being a DJ, a huge smile takes over his face as he recounts a time when two couples — one old, the other young — stopped in front of his station's window and began to slow dance when they heard the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." "You can't sprinkle the perfume of happiness on others," says Hayes, "without sprinkling a little on yourself."

WRES is creating positive ripples in its sea of listeners. Plus, the station gives listeners in Western North Carolina a unique opportunity to enjoy great music forgotten (or ignored) by other area stations. Not constrained by commercial guidelines, expect a few surprises.

For information on the NAACP, the ERC or WRES programs, visit wres.com, call (828) 281-3066, or tune to FM 100.7.