Tarena Lofton
Woods hosted a concert at the Walker Casino in December, 1961 not long after arriving in Indianapolis.
Having the ability to relate to people will open many doors in life, and Sid Woods possessed such qualities and used them to help sell some of Indianapolis’ earliest African-American suburbs. Living in an era of American history where opportunity was limited to those of color, Sid Woods managed to become a prominent figure in the African-American community.
In June, 1963 Woods appeared in an ad for Grandview Estates showing the progress of sales in the northwestern Indianapolis suburb.
Woods joined the African-American radio station WGEE in June, 1961. Prior to his move to the Indianapolis station Woods had 11 years of background in the radio industry. He started off working as a disc jockey in Norfolk, Virginia for three years. After Virginia he moved to Tennessee to work as a disc jockey at the leading African American radio station in the state. Prior to moving to Indianapolis, Woods had already made a name for himself; he was known as “The Gospel King of Tennessee” during his time in Tennessee.
This June, 1963 ad for Grandview Estates celebrated the newly constructed elementary school adjoining Grandview Estates.
WGEE featured a hybrid format with Woods hosting an afternoon R&B show that followed a country show. Woods often did promotional appearances at church and club musical shows and the opening of businesses such as gas stations, and he did advertisements for new African-American suburbs and often appeared at model home events in those neighborhoods. Woods did promotional appearances at subdivisions including Hiawatha Trails (1961), Vanguard Village (1962), and Grandview Estates (1963).
By 1967 Woods was no longer working for WGEE. In 1966 Woods also began to serve on the Homes Before Highways Committee representing communities being uprooted by interstate construction. In 1969 Woods became the public relations director for Model Cities, and a year later he was the public relations director for Flanner House.
African American Suburbia 