'Elevated Places' celebrating five years on Black radio

By Tariqah Shakir- Muhammad -The Final Call- | Last updated: May 23, 2018 - 11:13:22 AM

Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad at Chicago’s WVON studio where she was a guest on the morning show in March of this year responding to attacks on the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Dr. Muhammad also hosts her own show on the station, ‘Elevated Places.’

CHICAGO—Ava Muhammad is an attorney, mother and grandmother, Nation of Islam student minister and accomplished author. In addition to a long list of accolades she is also a popular radio talk show host. Her show “Elevated Places” will be celebrating five years on air this August. The show is featured every Sunday at 4 p.m. CST on WVON 1690AM and is known as an inspirational platform for honest and spiritual discussion as well as current events.

Elevated Places humbly began on Blogtalk Radio airing on Thursday evenings. It expanded quickly to broadcast radio and now airs every Sunday as well.

Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad delivers message at Mosque Maryam in Chicago. Photo: Haroon Rajaee

“The purpose of the blog-talk program was to provide a forum for Black people to have intelligent, civilized but free discussion about Islam, the Nation of Islam and exchange thoughts and ways we can implement some of the principles of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad under the direction of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,” Dr. Muhammad told The Final Call.

The gifted speaker was also featured in Essence magazine in multiple issues and was named “One of America’s Most Powerful Black Women.” She is a popular and sought-after presenter and lecturer and has written several inspirational books. Dr. Muhammad dedicates her time helping to provide the knowledge and tools to repair and uplift the Black man and woman and she also serves as student National Spokesperson of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.

Elevated Places began airing on WVON, a long-time Black-owned radio station in August 2013, expanding Atty. Muhammad’s reach and influence to a broader community and more diverse Black community. She noted that many of her listeners are middle-aged men although many women tune in and call in.

“From what I’m told, Black men are very drawn to my program in a time when problems that exist in the community between Black men and women are at an all-time high, from child support, domestic violence, interracial dating and marriages—these things which are most by design, have had a tremendous impact on us,” Dr. Muhammad observed.

Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad is a popular presenter and lecturer and delivers messages nationwide.

Topics are typically based on current events, some from recent articles of The Final Call newspaper and New York Times including topics about Black culture, entertainment, politics, social issues and much more.

During her nearly five years on WVON, memorable guests on the show have included the late Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, noted psychiatrist and author of the “The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors; David Banner, hip hop artist, actor and activist; and Min. Farrakhan, who was a guest during the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day convention in 2016 in Detroit.

What resonates with listeners of her show is they hear an outright expression of their inward thoughts, contrary to what the media tends to portray when it comes to Black people, explained Dr. Muhammad. Various guests who have appeared bring well-informed, intriguing and intellectual discussion to the show.

“Our callers tend to be very well-informed. They oftentimes offer facts and evidence [to support the topics]. People have a need to share their thoughts. It’s unhealthy to only listen to opposition [as well as] your own thinking,” she concluded.

As for the future of Elevated Places, Dr. Muhammad wants to attract and include more youth to her show and make her show accessible via social media through livestreaming broadcasts via Facebook Live. She is very excited to see Elevated Places reach its fifth anniversary and is looking forward to observing many more.

To learn more, visit ministerava.com, on Facebook @ElevatedPlaces and follow her on Twitter @DrAvaMuhammad. Tune in to Elevated Places at blogtalkradio.com/elevatedplaces on Thursdays at 7 p.m. CST and Sundays on WVON 1690 AM at 4 p.m. CST or via the iHeart Radio app.

The Final Call