WERD was the first Black-owned radio station in the United States. It was founded by Jesse B. Blayton Sr., an influential African American businessman and entrepreneur, in Atlanta, Georgia in 1949. WERD played a crucial role in providing a platform for Black voices, perspectives, and music during a time when mainstream media largely ignored or misrepresented the Black community.

The station gained popularity for its programming, which featured music such as rhythm and blues, gospel, and jazz, as well as discussions on important issues facing the Black community. WERD also served as a platform for civil rights activists to share information and mobilize support for the civil rights movement.

Notably, WERD was the first radio station to broadcast a sermon by a young Martin Luther King Jr., who would go on to become a prominent leader in the civil rights movement. The station's impact on the local community and beyond was significant, and it helped pave the way for greater representation of Black voices in media.

Despite its importance, WERD faced financial difficulties and eventually went off the air in the early 1960s. Nonetheless, its legacy as a pioneering and influential Black-owned radio station in American history remains.