Milwaukee man says he was fired as talk show host because he married a white woman

For 10 months Richard G. Carter co-hosted "The Carter-McGee Report," a popular, Black issues-oriented radio talk sbow billed as "The Black Voice of Wisconsin."

The two-bour weekday morning show on WNOV-AM in Milwaukee featured such outspoken guests as tbe Rev. Al Sharpton, fight Promoter Don King and Judge Carl Stokes.

Carter's troubles started March 29, the day be revealed to his co-host, Michael McGee, thai he had recently wed a White woman while on vacation in Hawaii.

That same night Carter said he was told in no uncertain terms that his services were no longer needed or wanted on the show.

Carter, 58, a veteran journalist who has worked for the Milwaukee Journal and the New York Daily News, told JET he recalled McGee saying "I don't see how you can continue doing the show after this."

McGee then contacted the backers of the show - the underwriters who pay their salaries - and told them of Carter's marriage tO Susan Orr, 46, a jazz host on WYMS-FM in the city, Carter said.

"He [McGee] called me back and told me I should not come in because I would not be doing the show anymore," Carter maintains. "He [McGee] said that was the straw that broke the camel's back, and that I could not sleep with the enemy," Carter said.

He continued, "I was fired from the show for marrying a White woman. Anybody that would say this was done for any other reason is wrong."

Both McGee, the show's co-host, and WNOV's president and owner Jerrel Jones declined to comment on the issue. However, McGee has said over the airwaves that the parting was "a mutual agreement."

Like Carter, Ms. Orr said she's certain the firing was a result of their marriage.

"I think I was a little naive to think everyone would be happy about our marriage just because we were. I certainly didn't expect him to lose his job," she said.

Ironically enough, Ms. Orr said she's had nothing but positive support from her listeners and staff. The controversy, she said, has been very stressful, but has "brought us closer together."

Carter denies he is a representative of the Black community.

"I'm a journalist. I'm not an icon, a leader, an elected official. I'm a representative of myself," he said. "I don't want the responsibility of representing the Black community."

He said too that he's always been strongly pro-Black, and will continue to be. "Nobody can ever accuse me of not being Black. For me to be considered an outcast, or a traitor or a sellout is ridiculous. I resent it. I had a 20 year marriage to a Black woman. I just don't think by being pro-Black, I have to be anti-White."

Prior to Carter's marriage to Ms. Orr, he was married to another White woman for 14 years.

He assured JET that he has not even considered taking legal action, although some people have suggested that possibility to him. "I just want to put this behind me and get on with my life. But the truth is, Susan and I were guilty of nothing but falling in love and getting married and I don't think a person should lose their job behind that."

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