Faye Blackwell — the first black woman to own and operate a radio station in Lake Charles — died Wednesday morning after a lengthy illness.

Blackwell, 72, was the owner and general manager of KZWA-FM (104.9). The station, at 305 Enterprise Blvd., has been on the air since 1994.

Before operating the radio station, Blackwell served as a local politician and educator. She was the first black woman to serve on the Lake Charles City Council, representing District B from 1981 to 1993. Before that, she taught for nearly 20 years in the Calcasieu Parish school system.

Blackwell told the American Press in May 2013 that she was born in Monroe and was the oldest of nine children. She graduated from Southern University in 1964 with a degree in elementary education.

After a brief stint at graduate school, she left in 1965 to teach English and history at Washington High School. Blackwell spent four years there before moving to Forrest K. White Middle School. She retired from teaching in 1984.

Blackwell also founded the MLK festival and breakfast more than 30 years ago to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Sheletta Brundidge said Blackwell hired her at KZWA in the early 2000s, even though she had no radio experience. Brundidge said Blackwell was a hard worker and a “tireless advocate for African-American equality.”

“She was not afraid to challenge the status quo and to get what she needed for the disenfranchised community,” Brundidge said. “She used the radio station as a catalyst for change.”

Brundidge said Blackwell was “serious about her business” and was invested in people. “She was gutsy. She was in an industry where few black women have a voice, let alone a station,” Brundidge said.

Freddie Brown, pastor at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, which Blackwell attended, said in 2013 that she started the radio station “more for the community than for herself.”

“She just wanted to have a voice for them,” he said. “It was a difficult task getting started from scratch, but it’s amazing how quickly the station grew.”

Blackwell’s family released a statement saying that “her contributions to the betterment of Southwest Louisiana … are paramount.”

(Rick Hickman/American Press)