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Raven

Raven

By: Gavin Whitehead
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 Raven is a podcast about the unforgettable man who founded Harlem's first and only wax museum and the extraordinary people who went out of their way to keep to its memory alive. Raven Chanticleer was a multi-talented artist and larger-than-life eccentric. For thirty years, he dreamed of opening a wax museum devoted to Black history in Harlem. In 1989, he finally did. The museum garnered all kinds of media attention in New York and abroad, with major Black artists, intellectuals, and politicians singing its praises. When Raven died in 2002, his family planned to gut the museum and sell the property. But members of the community were not about to let them obliterate his life's work. Their efforts to save Raven's life-sized wax statues ended in disappointment. The New York Times reported in 2010 that his family had trashed his wax figures. But word on the street was that some of Raven's wax statues had survived—you just needed to know where to look for them. After an eighteen-month investigation, host Gavin Whitehead has finally found answers about the fate of Raven's once-famous collection.2026
Episodes
  • Raven - Trailer

    Raven - Trailer
    Jan 18 2026

    Episode 1 drops on February 13, 2026. Make sure to follow today, so you don't miss any new episodes.

    For images, follow Gavin on Instagram @gavinwhitehead430.

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    2 mins
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