Activism Over the Airwaves

If you don’t love music, talk to DJ Tom Jackson.

Tom has been a Radio DJ for over 30 years, and it would be impossible to come away from a conversation with him without being converted to the belief that music is one of the coolest things on the planet.

 Even before he started playing music on the radio, Tom believed in its power to make a difference. He speaks passionately about its role in his life growing up: “I am of the generation in the ’60s where we thought music could change your life and change the world and all this. Well, it was rather naive.” He laughed. “However, I do think music can change people, and it can change the world, because music can affect an individual who then affects change at some point.”

 He recalled his introduction to protest music, hearing the song “Ohio” for the first time as a high school senior about to attend college. Tom’s mother, who was a child of Irish immigrants, always had albums by the Irish singing group The Clancy Brothers around the house while he was growing up. It was an early lesson that in times of unrest or grief, people in cultures everywhere will turn to music to heal the pain.

 Tom has always immersed himself in music, from his personal collection — “I’ve always spent a lot on music” — to his pre-radio career as a wedding DJ. He even met his wife, Suzy, at the Chicago Blues Festival. As for making music, he dabbled in piano, autoharp and banjo when he was younger but eventually found sharing music as his true calling. “I don’t like to practice,” he joked. “I can play two turntables, and that’s about it.”

 He hosts two hours of radio on the Loyola University station WLUW 88.7 FM on Saturday mornings, where he curates playlists and interviews local artists for his show “Somebody Else’s Troubles,” named for a song by legendary Chicago musician Steve Goodman. His other hour is dedicated to New Orleans music, a culture he described as very dear to his heart.

 He stated how important it is to him to feature a diverse array of voices on his show in an industry that can be oriented toward white male artists. “I've had musicians I know on Facebook or whatever commenting that it's hard to get airplay as a woman,” he said. “It's something I'm passionate about and I care about, so why not do it as part of the radio station?”

 He is just as thoughtful about the music he sources for his broadcast playlists surrounding events such as No Kings protests and holidays like Juneteeth. “I'm looking for things that have a certain message that I want to convey.” As for what he hopes people get from his music sharing, he said, “Someone hears that, gets inspired, and changes the way they think and feel.”

 That’s how music has the power to change the world, one human at a time.

 When I ask if he’s ever gotten backlash for political messaging on his shows, he said he really hasn’t, but he has gotten positive responses and has spurred a discussion or two. And I must admit it would be hard to react negatively to the joy and compassion threaded through everything Tom says about music. The spirit of the ’60s truly lives on in his philosophy about music as a mind-changer.

 As we wrapped up, he lamented the lack of emphasis on music education in schools. “One of the things about music,” he said, “it's very democratic. Anybody can do it. Anybody can sing, and everybody can play some kind of instrument, whether it's banging two sticks together or whatever.” I suspect if someone wanted to appear on Tom’s show and talk about how much they love banging sticks together and hearing the sound, he’d be just as excited as the myriad of musicians, singer-songwriters and activists he currently interviews live in the studio. To enjoy his playlists, follow Tom Jackson on Facebook and listen in on WLUW.org or 88.7 FM on most Saturdays 11 am – 1 pm CT.

 If you don’t love music, talk to Tom Jackson. He’ll bring you around. 

 And if you do love music, talk to Tom Jackson. He’s always ready for a great conversation.