James Rada is an adherent of the African proverb: Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter. He puts this proverb into practice by seeking to uncover America’s hidden history, and heroes.
Rada, who was named an Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award Winner in 2020, joined the IC faculty in 2011. During his time at Ithaca College, Rada has produced two documentaries for public television: With INFINITE HOPE: MLK and The Civil Rights Movement (2018) and Meet Me at Equality: The People's March on Washington. Prior to arriving at Ithaca College, Rada taught at Howard University in Washington DC. He has published several scholarly pieces investigating the portrayal of African Americans in the mass media. In addition, while at Howard, Rada produced three feature-length documentaries: Deeds Not Words: The Buffalo Soldiers in World War II (2011); Reclaiming History: The Search for the Underground Railroad (2006) and Brown @ 50: A New Generation of Footsoldiers (2004).
One common element that runs through Rada’s documentaries is student involvement. Ithaca College students have served as associate producers for Rada’s two most recent projects: With INFINITE HOPE: MLK and The Civil Rights Movement and Meet Me at Equality: The People’s March on Washington.
Rada teaches Visual Journalism, Documentary Journalism and Media Literacy: Race, Gender and Ethnicity.