Mary Mason, a longtime radio host and political advocate in Philadelphia, has died at age 94. Mason, whose real name was Beatrice Turner, died on July 25 at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Mason used her platform to mobilize her listeners for social and political action, becoming an influential voice in local and nationwide politics. During the Civil Rights Movement, she interviewed cultural icons and activists such as Muhammad Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., significantly impacting radio.
Starting in gospel radio, she expanded her reach by creating “Mornings with Mary” in the 1970s. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the radio program quickly became a fixture in the city’s Black community.
Furthermore, Mason was unafraid to speak out for change. Her efforts included hosting radio telethons for the Rev. Leon Sullivan throughout a 20-year span into the ’90s, while also endorsing Wilson Goode, who went on to become the city’s first Black mayor in 1984.
However, Mason’s health declined in the past decade. Thera Martin, her friend and colleague, confirmed she struggled with Alzheimer’s disease in her later years. However, Martin remembered her dear friend for transforming the landscape of Philadelphia as well as diversifying their industry.
“Mary Mason allowed a number of Black women to stand on her shoulders in broadcasting,” Martin said in a phone interview to the news outlet. “And men, too. She made a difference.”
Local leaders also shared their condolences on Mason’s death, including Congressman Dwight Evans.
I’m sad to hear of the passing of the legendary Mary Mason, a pioneer for African American women in Philadelphia radio. It’s impossible to overstate her impact and influence! May she Rest in Power. https://t.co/xm7ZiHMQOH
— Congressman Dwight Evans
(@RepDwightEvans) July 26, 2024
“I’m sad to hear of the passing of the legendary Mary Mason, a pioneer for African American women in Philadelphia radio,” wrote Evans. “It’s impossible to overstate her impact and influence! May she Rest in Power.”
Moreover, Former Congressman Bob Brady emphasized her impact that could “make or break” politicians.
“Anybody who wanted to be anybody in politics, or in business, had to talk to Mary, and she would make or break people,” shared Brady to ABC 6. “Nine times out of ten, she was right.”
Besides health troubles, the South Philadelphia native faced issues within her family life. In 2018, her grandson and closest living relative plead guilty in 2018 to felony theft for stealing her life savings. Until her death, Mason stayed in an assisted living facility in her hometown.
No cause of death has been revealed.
RELATED CONTENT: Memphis Radio Legend At the Country’s First Black Radio Station, Bobby O’Jay Dead at 68
