TakeDown Radio, a 10-year-old program on KXNO (1460 AM) in Des Moines, Iowa, will celebrate Black History Month by dedicating a two-hour program to the black experience in amateur wrestling.
The program is Saturday (9 a.m.-11 a.m. CST) and will include interviews with many athletes, coaches and officials responsible for advancing African-Americans within the sport.

"TakeDown Radio has long been committed to acknowledging and celebrating diversity," said founder Scott Casber. "We believe this program provides the ideal opportunity to reflect on the rich contributions of African-Americans to wrestling, sports in general, and America as a whole."
The program is being filmed and will become part of a traveling exhibit with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The roster of interviews is a virtual who's who of the top African-American athletes participating in the sport over the past 50 years.
Among personalities scheduled to appear are:

o   Carl Adams - three time NCAA all-American, two-time national champion, and current coach at Boston University

o   Mike Allen – the first Black official to earn a lifetime achievement award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

o   Chris Campbell – two-time NCAA champion and Olympic bronze medalist

o   Bobby Douglas - coaching legend with 429 dual meet wins; former Iowa State head coach; led Arizona State to an NCAA title

o   Kevin Jackson- Olympic freestyle gold medalist

o   Lloyd Keaser – first black world champion and Olympic medalist

o   Leroy Kemp – three-time NCAA champion and three-time world champion

o   Kerry McCoy – two-time NCAA champion; Olympic bronze medalist; current coach at Stanford

o   Simon Roberts - first black Iowa high school state champion, also holds Big Ten and NCAA titles

o   Lee Roy Smith – Executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum

The program will be available via the Internet through streaming, archived programs and pod casts. Broadcasts are at www.takedownradio.com.