Mary Mason, Philadelphia Radio Host And Political Advocate, Dies At 94

Mason dealt with a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease, a friend said.

Mary Mason, a longtime radio host and political advocate in Philadelphia, has died July 25 at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She was 94.

Mason (real name Beatrice Turner) 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. She also endorsed Wilson Goode, who became the city’s first Black mayor in 1984.

However, Mason’s health had declined in the past decade. Until her death, Mason stayed in an assisted living facility in her hometown. She also struggled with Alzheimer’s disease, said Thera Martin, her friend and colleague.

Her impact hadn’t diminished.

“Mary Mason allowed a number of Black women to stand on her shoulders in broadcasting,” Martin said in a phone interview with The Inquirer. “And men, too. She made a difference.”

Local leaders also shared their condolences, 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.”

Former Congressman Bob Brady emphasized her impact in the political sphere. “Anybody who wanted to be anybody in politics, or in business, had to talk to Mary, and she would make or break people,” Brady told ABC 6. “Nine times out of 10, she was right.”

Besides health troubles, the South Philadelphia native faced issues in her family life. In 2018, her grandson and closest living relative pleaded guilty to felony theft for stealing her life savings.

No cause of death has been revealed.