Hattie "Chatty Hatty" Leeper

Charlotte’s own Hattie "Chatty Hatty" Leeper, the first Black female DJ in the city, is one of our trailblazers this month. Ms. Leeper's accomplishments are as varied as the careers of several lifetimes. She started as a young radio intern in 1951 and after graduating high school she officially became a DJ with WGIV, the number one radio station at the time. Ms. Leeper went on to have her hands in various layers of the music industry. She has produced music and written liner notes for some of the biggest names in music, such as Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle. She owned and operated her own record label called AwarE at one point, helping to excel the careers of many local acts.

Revisiting her parents' vision of her becoming a teacher, Chatty Hatty earned a Master's in Education Administration at Central Piedmont Community College. She taught at several colleges and universities, including her 11-year role as the dean of the communications department at Gaston College. She deepened her championship of education, becoming the founder and owner of Chatty School of Communication. Chatty has earned various awards and honors, most notably her induction to the Black Radio Hall of Fame.

In an interview with WCCB Charlotte, Chatty Hatty expressed "you got to be sincere about this business of being a trailblazer. You got to be humble, you got to be thankful. You got to help somebody." Just by pursuing her passion, Chatty Hatty has helped create a new lane for women of color in media, beyond Charlotte and into the national pathway.

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